Glory to God For All Things

August 1, 2015

Becoming Personal

“Person” is among the most difficult words in the classical Christian vocabulary. It is difficult on the one hand because the word has a common meaning in modern parlance that is not the same meaning as its classical one. And it is difficult on the other hand even when all of its later meanings and associations […]
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Mystical Theology, Personhood, Reflections
July 30, 2015

Why the Orthodox Honor Mary

The most difficult part of my Orthodox experience to discuss with the non-Orthodox is the place and role of the Mother of God in the Church and in my life. It is, on the one hand, deeply theological and even essential to a right understanding of the Orthodox faith, while, on the other hand, being […]
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Incarnation, Mother of God, Orthodox Christianity, Reflections
July 27, 2015

Begotten of the Father

No revelation is more central to the Christian faith than God as Father. Some might immediately respond that the Trinity should be seen as the central revelation. But, in Orthodox understanding, the Trinity has its source (πηγή) in the Father. We should understand this not only as a matter of Trinitarian thought, but as the […]
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Existence, Fathers, Modernity, Reflections, Thankfulness
July 16, 2015

No One Is Saved Alone

“If anyone falls, he falls alone. But no one is saved alone.” – Alexei Khomiakov Roughly 25 years ago I quit smoking. I never think about it now – it has become a thing of the distant past. But I can remember a period of about 10 years in which I struggled to quit. I would […]
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Communion, Knowledge of God, Personhood, Reflections, Union with God
July 13, 2015

Rational Sheep and the Word of God

I’m in a bit of a hiatus point in my summer. I am traveling and working, and even a little distracted. I will be posting a selection of articles reflecting on the nature of our humanity (in keeping with recent articles). For the doctrine of what it means to be human (anthropology) is as central […]
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Culture, Modernity, Personhood, Reflections
July 10, 2015

The Voice of the Natural Will

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2Co 3:17) Though many speak of the “free will” of human beings, this is largely a misnomer, or misapplication of the phrase. The choosing that we experience is not the same thing as the will. It is the […]
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Music, Reflections, Thankfulness, The Sacraments
July 7, 2015

Male and Female at the Cross – Part Three

In my last article, I reflected on the hiddenness of our identity, including the meaning of being male or female. Our true life is hid with Christ in God. There is more to be said on this hiddenness and its relationship to the image according to which we were created. In the Genesis account, when […]
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Modernity, Mother of God, Personhood, Reflections, Union with God
July 6, 2015

Male and Female – Part Two

The truth of our existence is largely hidden. Much of what we do know is fleeting, restricted to the surface of our lives and subject to constant revision. Both St. Paul and St. John reflect this reality in their writings: Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and […]
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Existence, Knowledge of God, Modernity, Personhood, Reflections
July 4, 2015

Male and Female Created He Them – Part One

Please note that I have made some changes in this article, in listening to comments and observations. Despite all social discussion to the contrary, the most irreducible level of our human existence is binary – we exist as male or female. This intuition, stated in the story of creation, has a profound place within the Christian gospel. […]
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Family, Incarnation, Modernity, Reflections, Union with God
July 2, 2015

Through the Prayers of Our Holy Fathers

It is a phrase that is heard frequently in Orthodox services: “Through the prayers of our holy fathers, have mercy on us and save us!” The meaning of that phrase is enlarged and enlightened in the writings of the Elder Sophrony. The following excerpt is from his book, St. Silouan the Athonite. Prayer for the […]
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Existence, Fathers, Prayer, Saints

One last comment on the Cross – Resurrection relationship: Even in the movie “The Passion of the Christ” Gibson includes…

Also … I fully agree with Stephen. What a beautiful icon! For me it kind of speaks “Pietà”, but in…

Fr. Stephen wrote: “Again, nothing in this diminishes the Resurrection. Interestingly, in Orthodoxy (and not in the West), the theme…

Matthew, It is simply the display of love. It does not distract from the Resurrection, nor compete with it. But…

Stephen, The icon is a version of an icon “Lament me not,” which is a hymn sung during the Holy…