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The Ascetic Imperative – A Matter of Communion
Read more: The Ascetic Imperative – A Matter of CommunionAmong the more interesting experiences in my life was the two years spent in a Christian commune. It was not West Coast fancy, much less connected to anything historic such as the Bruderhof. It started with two very zealous Jesus freaks (myself and a friend), an apartment, and something of a necessity thrust on us […]
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When Shame Becomes Toxic
Read more: When Shame Becomes ToxicArticles on the topic of shame inevitably provoke questions. This short article is an effort to give a bit more substance by way of an answer to some of those questions. I hope it is helpful. Shame is a normal emotion – one which we could not live without. It signals emotional boundaries (among […]
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Self-Emptying and Self-Fulfillment
Read more: Self-Emptying and Self-FulfillmentThere are many ways to imagine or describe human existence. Perhaps the darkest of all can be seen in the writings of the English philosopher, Thomas Hobbes. He essentially described human beings as living in a constant state of competition. Our “natural state” is one of self-interest. He famously wrote of the state of nature: […]
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The Tree Heals the Tree
Read more: The Tree Heals the TreeReaders of the New Testament are familiar with St. Paul’s description of Christ as the “Second Adam.” It is an example of the frequent Apostolic use of an allegoric reading of the Old Testament (I am using “allegory” in its broadest sense – including typology and other forms). Christ Himself had stated that He […]
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The Whole Adam
Read more: The Whole AdamMt. Athos, in popular treatments, is often described as a “male enclave,” a place where no woman has set foot in a thousand years (this is not actually true). The exclusion of women from the Holy Mountain is deeply offensive to some (cf. European Union) and is imagined as a bastion of machismo in a […]
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God and the Box
Read more: God and the BoxIt is a commonplace that you “cannot put God in a box.” It is an affirmation of the transcendence of God and of the limits of human understanding. It is also a common rhetorical ploy to shut down a theological discussion. But, let’s think a little more about the box. I am deeply averse to […]
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Into the Heart
Read more: Into the HeartMet. Kallistos Ware famously shared the story of his conversion (at least its initiation) as he ducked into a Russian Orthodox Cathedral one afternoon only to encounter the service of Vespers in progress. His account contained no detailed analysis of what he saw. Rather, it was the story of a heart – a heart confronting […]
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“Perhaps others can share their experiences of this [sacramental perception].” Thank you, Father. I find a helpful analogy between the…
Thanks SO much Fr. Stephen. I still have a lot of bad theology in my DNA.
Matthew, An example: the parable of the Sheep and Goats. I follow the lead of Sergius Bulgakov (and others, I’m…
How do you deal with those difficult parables Fr. Stephen?
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Matthew, I sympathize with having bad theology in my DNA! For long time I had the image of God’s “just”…