Glory to God For All Things

May 29, 2014

Legal Problems

I find almost nothing as useless when thinking about God or the human condition as legal imagery. Indeed, it is worse than useless – it leads only to wrong conclusions and even produces the wrong questions. That some language within the Scriptures lends itself to legal imagery is undeniable – although modern legal thought bears […]
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Atonement, Forgiveness, Orthodox Christianity, Repentance
May 26, 2014

Naked And Unashamed

The deepest and most primitive emotion of the human being is that of shame. It is the feeling that something is wrong with us. This should be distinguished from the feeling that we have done something wrong (that is called guilt). Shame is the feeling that we are something wrong. It is the first emotion […]
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Culture, Forgiveness, Modernity, Orthodox Christianity, Repentance, The Sacraments
May 23, 2014

The Song of A Good Universe

“My whole life is a mess…” I am a priest and I have heard statements to this effect any number of times in my ministry. It usually comes not after a single misfortune, but after multiple problems. It also reflects that the problems have moved beyond their external boundaries and have now become the framework […]
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Beauty, Music, Orthodox Christianity, Salvation, Thankfulness
May 19, 2014

A Particular Scandal

A character in a Peanuts cartoon once declared, “I love mankind! It’s people I can’t stand!” The statement accurately describes our problems with the particular. It is easy to love almost anything in general – it is the particular that brings problems. Nowhere could this be more true than with God. Speaking about God in the […]
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Conversion, Existence, Icons, Knowledge of God, Modernity, Orthodox Christianity
May 16, 2014

Again – The Sin of Democracy

In light of the present discussion of reading the Bible, I offer this reprint. Our modern age has drunk the kool-aid of philosophical democracy (the autonomous authority of the individual) to the dregs and seeks to use the Bible to underwrite the project. A book that could not have been owned by an individual prior […]
Read more: Again – The Sin of Democracy
Culture, Interpretation, Modernity, Orthodox Christianity, Scripture, The Church
May 15, 2014

Making Known the Mystery

The trouble with reading Scripture is that almost everybody thinks they can do it. This idea is rooted in the assumptions of Protestant thought: only if the meaning of Scripture is fairly obvious and more or less objective can it serve as a source of unmediated authority for the believer. If any particular skill or […]
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Allegory, Interpretation, Modernity, Mystical Theology, Orthodox Christianity, Scripture, Scripture
May 12, 2014

And All Our Yesterdays

Some things in the world happen very slowly – and they are less perceptible because of it. Continental drift is real, but is only noticed when viewed over millions of years. Though we live our lives in mere decades, our own existence is frequently caught up in larger, slower forces. We act out the drama […]
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Modernity, Orthodox Christianity, Secularism, The Church
May 10, 2014

Whose Psyche Is It, Anyway?

When we discuss our psychological state, what are we talking about. Better yet, who are we talking about? What is the identity of the guy in my head? Generally, such questions are not asked. They can become important in certain dissociative disorders. If I have two guys in my head, there is clearly an issue. […]
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Asceticism, Conversion, Knowledge of God, Orthodox Christianity, Personhood
May 7, 2014

Grace and the Psychology of God

We are human beings. We think, we feel. I like to think that my dog thinks and feels. The semi-imaginary conversations we have as we take our long, daily walks are entertaining for me, even though I have to supply his side of the dialog. God is not a dog. But we supply His dialog […]
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Communion, Conversion, Knowledge of God, Modernity, Orthodox Christianity, Salvation, The Journey of Faith, The Sacraments, Union with God
May 3, 2014

If We Confess Our Sins

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1Jo 1:9) Confession is treated as one of the sacraments (mysteries) of the faith. In most cases it is done with a priest, within the confines of the canonical discipline of the Church. But […]
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Atonement, Enemies, Forgiveness, Orthodox Christianity, Repentance, The Sacraments, Union with God

I guess I did! I suppose I just needed you to confirm it. I really appreciate the comments section; I…

Kate, “Successful” is a word that covers a wide range. I think you’ve answered your own question.

Father Stephen, There is a lot here to digest! I will need to spend some more time pondering this post.…

Thank you Esmée I will take a look at those

Janine – I know you did not ask me, but I wanted to offer the titles of two books which…