In this further reflection in detail on the writings of the Fathers about the work of Christ on the Cross, I intend to consider some of the Letters of St Severus. He was a prolific correspondent both before his consecration as Patriarch of Antioch, during his years in Antioch, and then during his forced exile […]
When we consider what Christ achieved on the Cross, what his death and suffering means, we discover that there are a variety of analogies and mutually illuminating explanations which the Scriptures and the Fathers of the Church use to express this mystery of God experiencing death. Much of the controversy which sometimes surrounds this subject […]
I don’t want to write a long article about the modern day rejection of the idea of absolute and transcendent truth. I spoke about this in a lecture I gave at the SCOOCH youth conference in New York this year. The video of my lecture is here…. Video Lecture It is an important subject, because […]
Surely no one wants to live a life without purpose. It would be the same as living a life without value or meaning. Waking up and knowing that nothing we might say or do was of any consequence is a soul crushing experience. yet for the Orthodox Christian, more than any one else, there should […]
Most of us desire to be guided by God. We do not want to wander aimlessly through life, or make wrong choices. But it is very easy to find ourselves confused about what God wants from us, and desires for us. This is especially so when we are considering actions and choices which have significant […]
Who is the Church for? The answer to this question depends to a great deal on another. What is the Church for? When I was a member of an Evangelical congregation, and involved with various Protestant ministry drawing together people from a wide variety of Protestant groups, we had a sense that the Church was […]
Sometimes it is necessary to go beyond theological discussion and consider the hagiographical matrix which develops to support our interpretations. What do I mean? It is that often those who think that they might disagree about some theological issue do not engage in the necessary and generous dialogue which would allow the nature of such […]
When we study any aspect of Theology or the Scriptures, we need to be sure that we are not simplifying or misrepresenting what we read so that it fits neatly into whatever preconception we already hold. This is especially a temptation when we consider the Fall of Adam into sin, the purpose of the incarnation, […]
The Oriental Orthodox are routinely accused of holding an heretical and Eutychianist Christology, and on that basis rejecting the Council of Chalcedon. Yet the evidence, from the time of Chalcedon, through the following centuries, and even to the present day, shows clearly that this is not the case. Chalcedon was rejected for wholly Orthodox concerns, […]
Sometimes we think that is what is required of us. That we need to suffer the noise and fidgeting and inconvenience of having little children in the Liturgy with us. We are trying hard to concentrate and to be in a prayerful state, while little children are moving about and making a disturbance and asking […]