by Fr. Stephen Freeman From the Glory to God for All Things blog. There are ideas that are so common, so oft-repeated, that they are critically examined only with great difficulty. Among the most powerful such ideas is the concept described as the “separation of Church and State.” The history of the phrase is its […]
What is a Noetic Life?
August 28, 2016 By
by Fr. Stephen Freeman Eskimos really do have over 50 words for snow. In total, there are around 180 words for snow and ice. There is “aqilokoq” for “softly falling snow” and “piegnartoq” for “the snow [that is] good for driving a sled.” There is also “utuqaq,” which means, “ice that lasts year after year” and […]
The Ladder of Divine Ascent and Moral Improvement
April 8, 2016 By
by Fr. Stephen Freeman The Fourth Sunday of Great Lent in the Orthodox Church, is dedicated to St. John Climacus, the author of the ancient work, The Ladder of Divine Ascent. It is a classic work describing “steps” within the life of the struggling ascetic. There is an icon associated with this work, picturing monastics […]
Consequences of the One Church – Unecumenism
October 5, 2015 By
by Fr. Stephen Freeman In thinking through a theological question, I often engage in thought experiments. The Fathers might call it a form of theoria, but I won’t presume that word for myself. But what I do is to make a concerted effort to let go of unexamined assumptions. I look at a different set of assumptions […]
We Will Not Make The World A Better Place
June 28, 2014 By
by Fr. Stephen Freeman I have written previously about various aspects of the “Modern Project.” It is the world we live in. Its ideas and assumptions enter our thoughts with no critical inspection or hesitancy. We are modern. However, the gospel is not modern and many ideas of Modernity are contrary to the gospel. It is necessary, […]
The Real Hell: A Lesson In Ontology
February 22, 2014 By
by Fr. Stephen Freeman Originally entitled “The Real Hell – Is There Such a Thing?” Because sometimes the people of God need a basic lesson in the nature of existence… On one of the roads leading into my small city a billboard has recently appeared. It is part of a larger campaign by a nationally […]
The Death Of God and The Transfiguration Of Man
August 5, 2013 By
by Fr. Stephen Freeman The story of our creation in Genesis is interrupted. The Divine Council says, “Let us make man in our own image,” and the work begins. But man’s creation is not like the creation of anything else. For the stars and trees, the earth and the sky, God says, “Let there be…!” […]
