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from On Behalf Of All blog Some terrific points are made in this article, making it very worth your time! Enjoy! Textual Criticism is a discipline that has gained much popularity over the last one hundred years or so, especially as related to the so-called “Bible” of the Christian faith. While this discipline has arguably been around since at least the late middle ages, there has seemingly been a distinct emphasis (among particular … [Read more...]
from Orthodoxwiki.org Though the Orthodox Church does not follow the teachings of the Protestant Reformers, their views regarding the Theotokos's ever-virginity are a point of commonality with Orthodoxy. Many of the major figures amongst the Protestant fathers in the faith believed in the Theotokos's ever-virginity. John Calvin: He says that she [Mary of Cleophas] was the sister of the mother of Jesus, and, in saying so, he adopts the … [Read more...]
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon Among the imperatives of the Christian moral life, I wonder if any is the occasion of more bewilderment than the call to be humble. This impression arises not only from my own experience of the problem but also from the many times other Christians have asked me, "How can I learn humility?" If humility were simply one of the moral virtues---as it is often treated---its acquisition would be rather simple, I think. … [Read more...]
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon Ever since opening the first volume of Tanquerey's Dogmatics more than a half-century ago, I have sensed an ironic problem in the apologetics of modern Christians: An uncertainty about the meaning of certainty. The root of the problem, I believe, is modern philosophy's implicit acceptance of rigid scientific and mathematical standards in the pursuit of truth. Because of the close historical connection between … [Read more...]
by Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos Pleasure and Pain According to St. Maximus the Confessor In his Centuries on Theology St. Maximus the Confessor refers to the nexus of the dualism of pleasure and pain, which, by any standard, is an important subject. This means that we cannot discuss Orthodox Theology if we fail to face this crucial point, because the transcendence of pleasure and pain is, precisely, a prerequisite for correct Orthodox … [Read more...]
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon One of the major ideas---and perhaps the culminating idea---in the second chapter of Ephesians is the unity of gentiles with Jews to form a single people for God. These two, formerly estranged, have been united, Paul says, through the blood of Christ: “He himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation . . . that He might reconcile them both to God in one body … [Read more...]
by Archbishop Dmitri (Royster) From an article which appeared in the Dallas Morning News. Because of recent discussions about the Catholic Church's considering defining a new dogma concerning the Virgin Mary it might be of interest to Christians of other Churches to have some explanation of the Orthodox Church's position concerning her. The Orthodox Church honors and venerates the Virgin Mary as "more honourable than the Cherubim and more … [Read more...]
By George Mantzarides Professor at the School of Theology, University of Thessaloniki Are you aware that counting 40 days from today, on the 40th day we celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross? It's not a mistake. The Transfiguration of Our Savior has a central place in the Orthodox Church and in Orthodox theology. It is the event that reveals the glory of the Church and of the faithful. It is a witness to the new reality introduced by the … [Read more...]
by Fr. John A. Peck Dormition is one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the Christian faith. Of course, this is a great preaching opportunity, so we here at Preachers Institute, are offering an article on Dormition and a few things which we hope you will find valuable as you prepare this festal sermon. 1. Preach the Gospel … [Read more...]
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon Docetism, one of the earliest Christological heresies, derived its name from the Greek verb dokein---to "seem." This name was descriptive: It indicated the teaching that God's Son only "seemed" to be a human being. His presence on the earth, though real in itself, was conveyed by way of a revelatory appearance, not connected with His being. His humanity was a kindly illusion. According to this opinion, the Son of God … [Read more...]
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