| VII. ESCHATOLOGY. The Last Things and the Last Events 313 Behold, I make all things new – Rev. 21.5 I ESCHATOLOGY was for a long time a neglected field in modern theology. The arrogant phrase of Ernst Troeltsch – Das eschatologische Bureau ist meist geschlossen [«The bureau of eschatology is for the most part closed»] – was distinctively characteristic of the whole liberal tradition, since the Age of the Enlightenment. Nor is this neglect for eschatological issues fully overcome in contemporary thought. In certain quarters eschatology is still regarded as an obsolete relic of the forlorn past. The theme itself is avoided, or it is summarily dismissed as unreal and irrelevant. The modern man is not concerned with the last events. This attitude of neglect was recently reinforced by the rise of theological Existentialism. Now, Existentialism does claim to be itself an eschatological doctrine. But it is a sheer abuse of terms. Eschatology is radically interiorized in its existentialist reinterpretation. It is actually swallowed up in the immediacy of personal decisions. In a sense, modern Existentialism in theology is but a fresh variation on the old Pietistic theme. In the last resort, it amounts to the radical dehistorization of the Christian faith. Events of history are eclipsed by the events of inner life. The Bible itself is used as a book of parables and patterns. History is no more than a passing frame. Eternity can be encountered and tasted at any time. History is no more a theological problem. On the other hand, precisely in the last few decades, the basic historiocity of the Christian faith has been reassessed and reaffirmed in various trends of contemporary theology. This was a momentous shift in theological thinking. Indeed, it was a return to Biblical faith. Of course, no elaborate «philosophy of history» can be found in the Bible. But there is in the Bible a comprehensive vision of history, a perspective of an unfolding time, running from a «beginning» to an «end,» and guided by the sovereign will of God toward the accomplishment of His ultimate purpose. The Christian faith is primarily an obedient witness to the mighty deeds of God in history, which culminated, «in those last days,» in the Advent of Christ and in His redemptive victory. Accordingly, Christian theology should be construed as a «Theology of History.» Christian faith is grounded in events, not in ideas. The Creed itself is a historical witness, a witness to the saving or redemptive events, which are apprehended by faith as God’s mighty deeds. |
| Communiqu of the Holy Hierarchical Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church Regarding the recent events in Kosovo and Metohija The Holy Hierarchical Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, at their special meeting held at the Patriarchate on February 17, 2008 brings the following public address for the local and international media regarding the latest events in Kosovo and Metohija admin 21 February 2008 Source: www.serborth.org The Holy Hierarchical Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, at their special meeting held at the Patriarchate on February 17, 2008 brings the following public address for the local and international media regarding the latest events in Kosovo and Metohija: As the Church has stated countless times in the past also now she states that Kosovo and Metohija was and must remain an integral part of Serbia, in accordance to the United Nations Charter, the Security Council Resolution 1244, as well as all other similar international conventions on human rights and the rights of a people and the protection of internationally recognized borders. Any other decision represents a violation of Divine and human laws, as well as an assault with long ranging consequences, for both the Balkans and all of Europe. All internationally recognized and ratified conventions, not annulled till now by any international act, beginning with the Agreement concluded in 1913, the international resolutions dated 1918 and 1945, to until the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 from 1999, together with the recent acceptance into UN membership of integral Serbia, all confirm that excluding Kosovo and Metohija from Serbia represents a form of violence equal only to the periods of occupations and tyranny, which we hoped definitely belonged to the past of Europe and the world. In this particular case it represents a new legalization of the centuries-old Ottoman tyranny and its impact on the entire region, as well as a repetition of the application of a Fascistic solution (that of Mussolini and Hitler) to the Kosovo question from the time of World War II, when Kosovo and Metohija were annexed to so-called Great Albania, when hundreds of thousands of Orthodox Serbs were expelled from their homes, just like in 1999, with the objective of not having them return, ever. |
| His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends a letter to the Acting General Secretary of WCC in connection with the events in Ukraine Source: DECR Photo: Oleg Varov/foto.patriarchia.ru In response to the letter dated from March 2, 2022, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia sent a letter to Archpriest Ioan Sauca, Acting General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, with regard to the dramatic events in Ukraine. The Very Reverend Archpriest Ioan Sauca Acting General Secretary World Council of Churches Dear Father Ioan, I thank you for your letter of March 2, 2022. Having known you for many years as a faithful steward of the Church of Christ and tireless worker in the field of education and formation of younger generations, I deeply appreciate your work as Acting General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, which is aimed at promoting accord and mutual respect between representatives of different Christian confessions. Our Church joined the WCC in 1961, having accepted its renewed basis as “fellowship of Churches” and the Toronto Statement that read, in particular, “The Council as such cannot possibly become the instrument of one confession or school the member churches should recognize their solidarity with each other, render assistance to each other in case of need, and refrain from such actions as are incompatible with brotherly relationship.” Since 1983, it has been one of the WCC’s priorities to engage its member churches in the process of acknowledging their shared responsibility for justice, peace and the integrity of creation within the world community. That is to say, our WCC membership, dialogues, discussions based on the principle of equality, and cooperation with the entire Christendom were not only an expression of our commitment to the cause of reconciliation between people, but also gave us confidence in the solidarity and support of the world Christian fellowship. These days, millions of Christians all over the world in their prayers and thoughts turn to the dramatic developments in Ukraine. |
| Why read the writings of the Holy Fathers? Because those venerable elders perceived what each of us needs and longs to perceive. The usual answer given to the title of this article is that the Church Fathers provide us with invaluable spiritual guidance, based on their own faith and experience. They interpret Scripture and other elements of Holy Tradition in such a way as to educate us in the Way that leads to the Kingdom of God. And by the witness of their own life, which often ended in actual martyrdom, they offer us a model of the Christ-centered, self-sacrificing love we are all called to emulate. These are certainly important reasons that make regular reading of patristic sources not only advisable, but essential. Without the Fathers’ guidance and witness, we would find ourselves adrift in the sea of doctrinal confusion and moral ambiguity that characterizes so much of Christian as well as secular culture today. Yet there’s another, equally significant reason for studying the ancient patristic writings. It is to acquire the world-view of the Fathers, which most people today seem to have lost. This includes a way of looking at “history” as well as physical reality. If “biblical literalism” poses for many of us as much of a problem as do certain forms of “historical criticism,” it is because both are predicated on notions of history, and of reality itself, that are misleading if not false. The presupposition behind both “right wing” and “left wing” readings of Scripture is that truth is revealed only through history, and that history is made up only of facts. Historiography—the writing of history (including biblical history)—thus aims to tell us “what really happened”: it focuses on events that, theoretically at least, are empirically verifiable. If an event or person depicted in a given body of literature could not in principle have been photographed or tape-recorded, then the narrative account of that event is relegated to the category of fiction. Jesus’ parables obviously fall into that category. They were never intended to recount events that actually occurred. Rather, they are stories that use familiar details of everyday life to convey some moral or spiritual message. Since Jesus’ miracles, and particularly His resurrection, cannot be verified objectively, the accounts of those events are also generally dismissed as fictitious. Or at best, they are considered to be “parabolic”: they are seen as mere illustrative stories, told to make a point. Since their details are unrepeatable and thus unverifiable, the argument goes, they fall outside the realm of determinable “fact” and cannot be taken as historically accurate, that is, as “really true.” |
| Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology Faculty Statement on the Holy and Great Council Source: Orthodox Christian Network The Faculty of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology fully supports the coming Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church to be held at the Orthodox Academy on Crete June 16-27, 2016. The Faculty affirms the importance of this Council for the life and witness of the Orthodox Church in today’s world. His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew deserves much appreciation and gratitude for his selfless and faithful devotion to the cause of Orthodox unity and Orthodox witness to the Lord and His Gospel. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has acted wisely and judiciously to strengthen the bond of unity and to deepen conciliarity among the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches. He has exercised his own responsibility as the first bishop of the Orthodox Church while not intruding upon the proper responsibilities of other primates or the integrity of the other Autocephalous Churches. In consultation with other primates, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has led the Orthodox Church in addressing common challenges and in giving a united witness to Christ and His saving Gospel. More than fifty years ago, Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras (+1972) envisioned a Council which would bring together representatives from all the Orthodox Churches to strengthen the bonds of unity and to address critical issues facing the Church. He realized that the conciliar tradition had been diminished. He saw that the tragic events and political changes of the 19 th century and the early decades of the 20 th century contributed to isolation and divisiveness among the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches. The first step in this conciliar process was Patriarch Athenagoras’ decision to convene four Pan-Orthodox Conferences between 1961 and 1968. At these meetings, the participants began to identify topics of church life which deserved discussion and common agreement. They began to respond together to the new challenges of dialogue with other churches and confessions. These discussions continued through the 1970s and 1980s. Orthodox bishops and theologians from the Autocephalous Churches actively participated in these meetings. Eventually, they agreed upon ten topics to be thoroughly studied in anticipation of a Holy and Great Council. |
| The Ten Commandments Among the innumerable ethical laws and rules that regulate human behavior the most concise, clear and important are the Ten commandments. Although they were written many thousands of years ago when social conditions were drastically different from ours, their importance and authority has not diminished. To the contrary, the more our lives are entangled with contradictory opinions about what is right and what is wrong, the more we need the clear and unambiguous guidance of our Creator and Law-Giver. The Laws of Nature and Morality Among the innumerable ethical laws and rules that regulate human behavior the most concise, clear and important are the Ten commandments. Although they were written many thousands of years ago when social conditions were drastically different from ours, their importance and authority has not diminished. To the contrary, the more our lives are entangled with contradictory opinions about what is right and what is wrong, the more we need the clear and unambiguous guidance of our Creator and Law-Giver. Morally sensitive people have always regarded God’s commandments with great esteem and considered them to be an inexhaustible source of wisdom and inspiration. “Thy commandments make me wiser than my enemies … Great peace have those who love Thy law, and nothing causes them to stumble,” we read in the book of Psalms (Excerpts from Psalm 119:1, 77, 97, 98, 165). For a believing Christian the commandments of God can be likened to a bright star which guides him to the Kingdom of Heaven. When comparing the commandments of God to the laws of nature, we can discern some interesting similarities and differences. For instance, they both originate from the same Divine Source and complement each other, with one set of rules regulating physical events and the other set governing the behavior of moral beings. The difference lies in that, while the laws of nature are compulsory, the moral laws appeal to the will of a free and intelligent spirit. In endowing us with the freedom of choice God has elevated us above all other creatures. This moral freedom gives us an opportunity to grow spiritually, perfect ourselves and even to become like our Creator. On the other hand this freedom places on us great responsibility and may become dangerous and destructive if misused. |
| John Anthony McGuckin Miracles VERA SHEVZOV Orthodox thinkers from Late Antiquity to modern times have understood miracles as actions or events that manifest or point to the presence of God. Orthodox Christians have associated miracles not only with individual experiences, but also with experiences of entire communities and even nations. Miracles are associated with healings, historical events, visions, dreams, and foresight, and with such phenomena as inexplicable displays of myrrh or tears on icons. Throughout history, Orthodox pastors and spiritual guides have drawn on accounts of miracles for pedagogical purposes. Such accounts provided lessons concerning vices and virtues along with lessons concerning “right faith.” In addition to the realm of lived Orthodoxy, where accounts of miracles have often resulted in the special veneration of certain icons and the veneration of saints and their relics, miracles have also figured in the Orthodox theological and philosophical considerations of history, science and nature, and anthropology. Reports of miracles have also periodically begged the question of authority in the church (who in the church is it that finds and declares them miraculous?). Although miracles may be integral to its worldview, Orthodox Christianity nevertheless is deeply nuanced in its approach to them. In part, the Orthodox understanding of miracles is rooted in the complex view of miracles reflected in the New Testament. On the one hand, patristic authors such as Origen of Alexandria (d. 254) and St. John Chrysostom (d. 407) maintained that Jesus’ miracles played a significant role in the establishment of the Christian faith. Signs, acts of power, and works testified to the power of God manifested in and through Christ. Accordingly, Orthodox writers maintained, miracles accompanied his words in order to confirm his identity for those who were unable to recognize his power and authority through his words alone. In this sense, miracles were a form of divine condescension. Following the death of Jesus, in this view, the apostles performed numerous miracles in Jesus’ name as a way further to cultivate the Christian faith. As Origen wrote in his mid- 3rd century treatise Against Celsus 1.46, had it not been for miracles, people would not have been persuaded to accept the new teachings. On the other hand, patristic authors also pointed to the more negative aspects of miracles in the gospel texts. Particularly objectionable was the pursuit of, and demand for, miracles as a condition for faith ( Mt. 16.4 ; Jn. 6.30–31 ) or as a curious spectacle ( Lk. 23.8 ). Even the Devil tempted Jesus to perform a miracle ( Mt. 4.1–11 ; Lk. 4.1–13 ). Finally, according to Jesus’ testimony, not every “wondrous sign” was from God ( Mt. 24.24–25 ; Acts 8.9–13); they could even be detrimental to believers by distracting or turning them from the path to salvation. |
| The Seven-Day Commemoration In The Orthodox Church “The Week: A Seven Day Holiday” The two words betrayer and betrayal are resentful and abominable in any language. If on this day we find time to think of our Lord " s betrayal, we ourselves could avoid our daily betrayals. We could avoid, in other words the little betrayals with which we choke off our conscience in order to be accepted by the world, and also bigger betrayals when we betray innocent, just, and good people. We would avoid betraying our faith and our conscience for worldly riches and for daily power for glory. For we all know very well that the betrayed sooner or later are resurrected and become heroes, martyrs and saints. The betrayers, however, remain marked and stained forever. Metropolitan Irenaius of Kisamou and Selinou, Crete 27 October 2009 Source: Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church Translated by The Very Rev. Isaiah Chronopoulos Presently His Eminence, Metropolitan Isaiah of Proikonisos The Presiding Hierarch of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Denver Compiled By Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes The Greek Orthodox ecclesiastical year (Indiction), begins in September, and is marked with events and holidays of our religious history. In addition to the annual cycle, the seven-day week has its own cycle of events, because each day of the week commemorates a particular Saint or an event of our religion. This gives significance to each day with a distinct identity of holiness and festivity. In the following an explanation of this weekly holiday cycle is given as a practical guide for one’s spiritual edification. Bleared are they who can see, even within the turmoil of our materialistically consuming society, another positive meaning to their lives so as to live life like a prayer and a celebration. Monday: The Day honoring the Angels. Tuesday: The Day honoring the Forerunner, St. John the Baptist. Wednesday: The Betrayal by Judas is remembered. Thursday: The Day honoring the Holy Apostles. |
| Thomas E. FitzGerald 4. EARLY DIOCESAN DEVELOPMENTS The Orthodox immigrants did not sever ties with their homeland. Although they lived in a new country, the immigrants were very much influenced by the political and ecclesiastical developments that occurred in their fatherlands during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. By means of ethnic newspapers, letters from relatives, and the reports of persons who recently arrived in America, the immigrants were kept informed of all the events that occurred in their homelands before, during, and after World War I. Political differences in Greece following World War I spread to the United States and had a profound impact upon the Greek immigrants, as well as upon their ecclesiastical life. Similarly, the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 and the events that followed it had a momentous impact upon both the immigrants from Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe as well as the Russian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and the parishes associated with it. Having their roots in Eastern European politics, fratricidal disputes, parish divisions, and schisms became the principal characteristics of Orthodox Christianity in the United States in the two decades following the conclusion of World War I. THE FOUNDING OF THE GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE The formal organization of the Greek Orthodox parishes in the United States began at a time when the people of Greece were seriously divided between the followers of King Constantine I and the followers of Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos. 114 Following the assumption of power by Venizelos in 1917, Meletios Metaxakis was elected Metropolitan of Athens. On 4 August 1918, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, under the presidency of Metropolitan Meletios, resolved to organize the Greek Orthodox parishes in America. 115 Having great interest in the American situation, Metropolitan Meletios traveled to the United States in order to oversee personally the organization of the parishes. Accompanied by Bishop Alexander (Demoglou) of Rodostolou, Father Chrysostomos Papadopoulos, and Professor Amilkas Alevizatos of Athens, Metropolitan Meletios arrived in New York on 22 August 1918. Concerned with the need to establish a central ecclesiastical authority for the American parishes, Metropolitan Meletios began to meet immediately after his arrival with prominent clergy and laypersons. The metropolitan recognized that there was a great need for a bishop in the United States who could act with authority to bring unity and direction to the parishes, which at that time numbered about 140. Before leaving the United States on 29 October 1918, therefore, Metropolitan Meletios appointed Bishop Alexander of Rodostolou as the synodical representative. 116 |
| Following up on the link I posted yesterday, I thought it might be a good idea to introduce folks to the entire concept of chronological revisionism, why it matters, and what it means for the Bible. Most of us assume that we know precisely when historical events occurred in ancient history- after all, encyclopedias and textbooks list, year by year, the reigns of various kings and the dates of various battles. In reality, however, the situation is far murkier than this. In fact, the entire edifice of ancient chronology is built upon the reconstructed chronology of Egyptian civilization. All other civilizations are “keyed” into Egyptian history. I won’t go into the exact problems with Egyptian chronology at this moment, but mainstream Egyptologists have referred to it as “rags and tatters.” It maintains weight by force of simple consensus. More importantly, though, what relevance does this have to the Bible? Well, in the conventional chronology, there is little more than circumstantial evidence for the exodus. James Hoffmeier and Kenneth Kitchen have argued for an exodus during the reign of Rameses II (13th century according to mainstream chronology). There are enormous problems with this identification. For example, it contradicts the biblical figure of 480 years between the exodus and the building of the Temple. Furthermore, we have Rameses’ mummy- he clearly didn’t pursue Israel into the Red Sea. Most importantly, however, we have these words from Pharaoh’s counselors: (Exodus 10:7) Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” The exodus and the plagues of Egypt were not minor events in the ancient world. If they occurred, they brought about the ruin of Egypt, probably for an extensive period of time. The backbone of any revisionist chronology must be the destruction of Egypt. The basic outline of Egyptian history by mainstream historians is as follows: |
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