| According to Tertullian, we must address the issue of to whom Scripture belongs. Those to whom it does not belong should not be given access to the Holy Scripture. Scripture belongs to the Church, but heretics are not Christians and have no right to Christian Scripture. The Church can ask the heretics: “Who are you? You are not of my own; what are you doing here? It is my property. I have long possessed it. I trace my foundation from the authors themselves, to whom the Scripture belongs. I am the heir of the Apostles. As for you, they have, it is certain, always held you as disinherited, and rejected you as strangers, as enemies.” The truth we have sought to substantiate is not new, but it should be reiterated in the twentieth century, because although it has been repeatedly verified by history, it is now quite often forgotten. New Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky), Archbishop of Verey Translated by Igor Radev The Orthodox Word 2009 25 декабря 2009 г. Archimandrite Hilarion, Svyashchennoye Pisaniye i Tserkov’ (Holy Scripture and the Church) (Moscow: Printing House of A. I. Snegireva, 1914) (in Russian). A reference to the Arian controversy. The fourth-century heretic Arius (ca. 250–336) contended that the Son is a created being not of the same essence as the Father, in opposition to the Church’s teaching that the Son is uncreated and of the same essence as the Father. — Ed. Marcion of Sinope (ca. 85–160): A Gnostic heretic, who proposed rejecting the Old Testament and severely editing the New Testament to remove its dependence on the Old.— Ed. St. Irenaeus of Lyons ( † ca. 202): Bishop of Lugdunum (present-day Lyons in France), born probably in Smyrna (today’s Izmir in Turkey), Asia Minor. One of the most important Church Fathers, he was best known for his apologetic writings against the doctrines of the Gnostics, where he asserted the Apostolic authority of the Ecumenical Church through the succession of her bishops.—Trans. St. Epiphanius of Cyprus (ca. 310–403): Bishop of Salamis on Cyprus and Metropolitan of the whole island. He is best known for his encyclopedic work Panarion (Medicine Chest), in which he gives a recapitulation of the heresies that existed up until that time.—Trans. |
| Fornara, Nature of History Fornara, Charles William. The Nature of History in Ancient Greece and Rome. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1983. Fortna, «Christology» Fortna, Robert T. «Christology in the Fourth Gospel: Redaction-Critical Perspectives.» NTS 21 (1974–1975): 489–504. Fortna, «Locale» Fortna, Robert T. «Theological Use of Locale in the Fourth Gospe1.» Pages 58–95 in Gospel Studies in Honor of Sherman Elbridge Johnson. Edited by Massey H. Shepherd and Edward C. Hobbs. Anglican Theological Review Supplement 3. Evanston, 111.: Anglican Theological Review, 1974. Fortna, Predecessor Fortna, Robert Tomson. The Fourth Gospel and Its Predecessor: From Narrative Source to Present Gospe1. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1988. Fossum, «Gen» Fossum, Jar1. « Gen. 1,26 and 2,7 in Judaism, Samaritanism, and Gnosticism.» JSJ 16 (1985): 202–39. Foster, «Introduction» Foster, B. O. Introduction. Pages ix-xxxv in vo1. 1 of Livy, Ab urbe condita. Translated by B. O. Foster, Frank Gardner, Evan T. Sage, A. C. Schlesinger. 14 vols. LCL. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1919–1959. Foucart, Associations religieuses Foucart, P. Des associations religieuses chez les Grecs: Thiases, Êranes, Orgéons. Paris: Chez Klincksieck, 1873. Repr., New York: Arno Press, 1975. Fowler, «Meaning» Fowler, David C. «The Meaning of " Touch Me Not» in John 20:17 .» EvQ 47 (1975): 16–25. France, «Authenticity» France, R. T. «The Authenticity of the Sayings of Jesus.» Pages 101–43 in History, Criticism, and Faith. Edited by Colin Brown. Downers Grove, 111.: InterVarsity, 1976. France, Evangelist France, R. T. Matthew: Evangelistand Teacher. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1989. France, «Exegesis» France, R. T. «Exegesis in Practice: Two Examples.» Pages 252–81 in New Testament Interpretation: Essays on Principles and Methods. Edited by I. Howard Marshal1. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977. France, «Historiography» France, R. T. «Jewish Historiography, Midrash, and the Gospels.» Pages 99–127 in Studies in Midrash and Historiography. Vo1. 3 of Gospel Perspectives. Edited by R. T. France and David Wenham. Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1983. |
| Of great concern is who is behind the funding of Muslim forces which are spreading sectarianism in the CAR? It isn't difficult to point the finger at Gulf petrodollars and similarly Sudan may have ambitions? However, currently you have no substantial findings in this regard because various specialists have provided different answers to this important question. Despite this, it is clear that Seleka is well armed (despite being disbanded this movement continues to kill and ransack) and the sectarian agenda also points to sinister outside forces. France announced that they will send approximately 1,000 military personnel to the CAR which will top up the current 400 plus soldiers which are stationed in this nation. The Defense Minister of France, Jean-Yves Le Drian, made it clear that France would send 1,000 troops to the CAR in order to boost security. However, unlike in Mali the role of France isn't clear because will France take sides or work with the tainted self-proclaimed leader of this nation? After all, in Mali the mainly black African Muslim ethnic groups welcomed France after a mixture of al-Qaeda affiliated forces began to attack indigenous Islam in this nation alongside genuine grievances felt by the Tuareg. Yet in the CAR it is clear that Christians in many areas lack faith in the current self-proclaimed leadership which is blamed for the bloodletting and setting the fire of sectarianism. Le Drian said " France will support this African mission with about 1,000 soldiers…We will do this in support, not as the first ones in, as we have done for Mali, and for a short period, in the range of about six months. " France 24 reports " …Le Drian said the soldiers would act as support to a 2,500-strong regional peacekeeping force deployed by the Economic Community of Central African States. The African Union will take charge of the force in December and boost its size to around 3,600 troops. " The Security Council was urged by Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN and highly respected diplomat from Sweden, to turn the CAR into an operation for the UN. He stated that " The CAR is becoming a breeding ground for extremists and armed groups in a region that is already suffering from conflict and instability…If this situation is left to fester, it may develop into a religious and ethnic conflict with long-standing consequences, even a civil war that could spread into neighboring countries. " |
| 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. |
| 5). It has sometimes been said that the underlying cause ______ the break-up of western Christendom ______ the sixteenth century was the separation ______ theology and mysticism. 9. Explain or comment on the following sentences. 1). Besides doctrinal definitions, the Ecumenical Councils drew up Canons, dealing with Church organization and discipline. 2). The Canon Law of the Orthodox Church has been very little studied in the west, and as a result western writers sometimes fall into the mistake of regarding Orthodoxy as an organization with virtually no outward regulations. 3). It must be confessed, however, that at the present day many of the Canons are difficult or impossible to apply. 4). When and if a new General Council of the Church is assembled, one of its chief tasks may well be the revision and clarification of Canon Law. 5). It is important that an icon painter should be a good artist, but it is even more important that he should be a sincere Christian, living within the spirit of Tradition, preparing himself for his work by means of Confession and Holy Communion. 6). These things are not to be separated and contrasted, for it is the same Holy Spirit which speaks through them all, and together they make up a single whole, each part being understood in the light of the rest. 7). All true Orthodox theology is mystical; just as mysticism divorced from theology becomes subjective and heretical, so theology, when it is not mystical, degenerates into an arid scholasticism. Key grammar points Present Indefinite Present Continuous Past Indefinite Present Perfect Passive voice Participles (present and past) Gerund Infinitive Modals: can, may, must, should, be to Infinitive structures (adjective+infinitive) Present subjunctive after certain verbs and adjectives Empty subject it Cleft sentences Absolute participle construction (participle clause with its own subject) Questions for discussion 1 . What do the Church canons deal with? 2 . How can Canon Law be applied in the Church at the present day? |
| Most of the Byzantines regrouped in northwestern Asia Minor, in what they called the Empire of Nicea. They were led by the capable new Emperor Theodore I Laskaris (r. 1204–1222), who was succeeded by his saintly son-in-law, Emperor Saint John III Doukas Vatatzes (r. 1222–1254). By 1261, Emperor Michael VIII Paleologos (r. 1259–1282) was able to regain Constantinople from the Latins. Even though the Byzantine Empire lasted for almost another 200 years, she never fully recovered from the devastation of the Fourth Crusade and the 57 years of Latin rule in her capital city. The Second Council of Lyons In the early 1270s the Byzantines were threatened by the Serbs, the Bulgarians, and especially the Latin state of Achaia, in Greece, led by the Sicilian Norman, Charles of Anjou. And the Seljuk Turks, who had occupied most of Asia Minor in the previous two centuries, were an ongoing threat. In response to these pressures, Emperor Michael VIII appealed for support to Pope Gregory X (r. 1271–1276), who opposed Charles’ designs on Constantinople. Michael suggested that in return for military assistance, the Greek Church would accept the authority of the Papacy. The reunion of the Eastern and Western Churches, therefore, was the major issue discussed at the Second Council of Lyons, which met in 1274at Pope Gregory’s request. The Greek delegation brought letters accepting Papal authority and various Roman Catholic articles of faith, including the filioque clause in the Nicene Creed. It was at this council that for the first time the Western Church proclaimed that the filioque must be accepted as dogma. The Union agreement that restored communion between the two Churches stipulated that the Greeks could retain their liturgical rites and customs. The council also attempted to launch another Crusade to the Holy Land, and it established the practice of all the Roman cardinals meeting in a closed conclave during the entire process of electing a new pope. When Emperor Michael VIII attempted to impose the so-called Union of Lyons upon the Byzantine Church, it was met with great resistance. When Patriarch Joseph of Constantinople refused to sign the agreement, he was deposed and replaced with John Beccus, who was the head of the minority party in Constantinople that favored the Union. But after Michael died in 1282, Beccus was quickly deposed, Joseph was restored to the patriarchal throne, and the Union of Lyons was officially renounced. Popular opposition to Emperor Michael was so strong that he was denied a church burial. |
| The nature of such correlations relates to the present-day value of entropy in the universe, for it is entropy that indicates quantitatively the extent to which the universe is in a state of order/disorder. It is known that this entropy (S) is measured as the number of baryons in the observed universe and that its numerical value is estimated to be S=s 1080, where the specific entropy is the number of photons per baryon. is a fundamental physical parameter that is critical for the existence of stable physical systems: a hypothetical variation of by two orders of ten will break the condition for gravitational stability of the stars and galaxies and existence of life in the universe. 396 The thermodynamic understanding of entropy is based on the second law of thermodynamics, which teaches us that the world is in such a state of change that its entropy is constantly growing. This implies that the value of the present-day S is a result of irreversible evolution in the universe from initial state with the entropy less then S, thus suggesting that there is the universal irreversibility of processes in the universe. The specificity of the universe’s present state, which exhibits some order and correlation of its parts, is connected with special initial conditions, rather than with any possible intrinsic mechanism that drives the flow of time and gives direction to the evolution of the universe to its present designlike state. Two outstanding attempts to solve the riddle of temporal flow in modern physics exist. The first trend, developed by Prigogine’s scientific school, tried to introduce irreversibility at the “local” level, that is, to claim that irreversibility is inherent in some underlying physical laws, which are to be discovered. 397 An alternative approach to the nature of the present state of the universe, as a state with a relatively low entropy and hence a high level of postcollision correlations, dates back to an idea of Penrose’s – that the present special state of the universe, which is associated with a kind of design and irreversible flow of time, has its origin in boundary conditions in the remote past of the universe. |
| - ‘ My e’, Patriarkhat, Lviv, traven’-tcherven’ 2004, n°3 (382), pp. 14-16. - ‘Mej dvuh ogniei’, NG Religuia, Moscou, n°4, 134, 3 mars 2004, p. 3. - ‘Les premiers saints de la diaspora russe’, France Catholique, n°2921, Paris, 12 mars 2004, pp. 24-25. - ‘Ukraine, une autre mission’, special issue of the magazine Peuples du Monde dedicated to the Ukrainian Catholic University, Paris, n°376, February 2004, pp. 10-32. - ‘Les gr?co-catholiques d’Ukraine, ferments explosifs d’unit?’, (a special issue of France Catholique dedicated to Ukrainians Greek catholics), France Catholique, n° 2918, 20 f?vrier 2004, pp. 6-13; repris dans Zenit, agence d’information, 16 f?vrier 2004. - « Katolitskist’ pravoslavja », ‘La catholicit? de l’Orthodoxie, recension de trois livres r?cents’, (P. Michael Plekon, Living Icons, Persons of faith in the Eastern Church, Notre Dame, Indiana, University of Notre Dame Press, 2002 ; P?re Ars?ne, Passeur de la foi, Consolateur des ?mes, Paris, Cerf, Sel de la terre, 2002 ; Milan Zust, A la recherche de la v?rit? vivante, L’exp?rience religieuse de Pavel A. Florensky (1882-1937), Rome, Lipa, 2002), Lviv, Bohoslovie, tome 67, vol. 1-2, 2003, pp. 105-111. (en ukrainien). - ‘Book Review of: “Sergei Bulgakov, Towards a Russian Political Theology.” Edited with a commentary by Rowan Williams, Edinburgh, TT Clark ltd. 1999’, The Ecumenical Review, Geneva, WCC, vol. 55, number 3, July 2003, pp. 285-287. - ‘Soloviev, l’unit? de l’Eglise et les relations internationales’, France Catholique, 2094, 14 novembre 2003, pp. 16-17. (repris dans L’Observateur de l’UCU, n°1, janvier 2004, pp. 2-3) - ‘Parijani iakim dobre u Lvove’, Vyssoki Zamok, Lviv, 4 jovtnia 2003, p. 9. - " Sophiologia otsa Serguia Bulgakova i sovremmenoe zapadnoe bogoslovie " , Acts of the conference organized by Dom Russkovo Zarubeji?, S.N. Bulgakov, Religuiozno-filosofskij put’, Moscow, Ruskij Put’, 2003, pp. 127-139. - ‘L’Ukraine, une nouvelle fronti?re pour la conscience chr?tienne’, Zenit, 27 mars 2003 ; France Catholique, n°2876, 4 avril 2003, pp. 22-24. |
| Annotation The spiritual realm after death defies observation, yet mankind persists in its desire to peer beyond this threshold – a threshold through which we all must pass. “You will not die. Your body will die, but you will go over into a different world, being alive, remembering yourself and recognizing the whole world that surrounds you.” – St. Theophan the Recluse, 19th Century THE SOUL AFTER DEATH is a comprehensive presentation of the 2,000-year-old experience of Orthodox Christianity regarding the existence of the other world, addressing contemporary “after-death” and “out-of-body” experiences, the teachings of traditional Oriental religions and those of more recent occult societies. Although the mystery of what lies beyond the veil of death is not fully visible to us in this life, nonetheless, writings and teachings of ancient Christianity dating from the first century have proven timeless and straightforward, yielding sound insights into the spiritual world beyond death. From the firm foundation of Orthodox patristic teaching, Fr. Seraphim Rose offers an interpretation of the meaning of the contemporary experiences which have been publicized by Drs. Kubler-Ross, Moody, Osis and Haraldsson, and other researchers. “He who has the memory of death as his constant companion, painfully seeks to learn what awaits him after departure from this life.” – St. Symeon the New Theologian, 11th Century Principal teachings of Orthodox Christianity concerning the properties of the soul after death are presented in a clear concise manner, as taught by Church fathers and teachers of the early centuries. THE SOUL AFTER DEATH offers an undiluted draught of pristine, mystical Christianity as it has existed since the time of Christ. Preface The aim of the present book is two-fold: first, to give an explanation, in terms of the Orthodox Christian doctrine of life after death, of the present-day “after-death” experiences that have caused such interest in some religious and scientific circles; and second, to present the basic sources and texts which contain the Orthodox teaching on life after death. If the Orthodox teaching is so little understood today, it is largely because these texts have been so neglected and have become so “unfashionable” in our “enlightened” times; and our attempt has been to make these texts more understandable and accessible to present-day readers. Needless to say, they constitute a reading material infinitely more profound and more profitable than the popular “after-death” books of our day, which, even when they are not merely sensational, simply cannot go much below the spectacular surface of today’s experiences for want of a coherent and true teaching on the whole subject of life after death. |
| Литература: 1. Иларион (Алфеев), митр . Православие. Т. 1. – М.: Издательство Сретенского Монастыря, 2009. – С. 864. 2. Карсавин Л. П. Святые отцы и учители Церкви. – M.: МГУ, 1994. – С. 176. 3. Мейендорф И., прот. Введение в святоотеческое богословие. – Изд. 2-е, исправ. и доп. – Клин: Фонд «Христианская жизнь», 2001. – С. 448. 4. Никифоров М. В. Ириней, еп. Лионский.//Православная энциклопедия. Т.26. – М.: Церковно-научный центр «Православная энциклопедия», 2011. – С. 422-441. 5. Попов И.В . Религиозный идеал святого Афанасия Александрийского. – Сергиев Посад: Свято-Троицкая Сергиева Лавра, 1904 – С. 94. 6. Aulén, G. Christus Victor. An Historical Study of the Three Main Types of the Idea of the Atonement. — London: SPCK Publishing, 1975. – P. 164. 7. Behr, J. Irenaeus of Lyons: Identifying Christianity. – Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. – P. 236. 8. Franks, R. S. A History of the Doctrine of the Work of Christ in its Ecclesiastical Development. Vol. 1. – London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1918. – P. 410. 9. Grand, R. M. Irenaeus of Lyons. – London: Routledge, 2009 – P. 170. 10. Kelly, J. N. D. Early Christian Doctrines. – London: Adam & Charles Black, 1958. – 502 p. 11. Minns, D. Irenaeus: An Introduction. – London: Т&Т Clark, 2010. – P. 177. 12. Mozley, J. K. The Doctrine of the Atonement. – N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1916. – P. 236. 13. Osborn, E. Irenaeus of Lyons. – Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. – P. 308. 14. Quasten, J. Patrology. Vol. 1. The Beginning of Patristic Literature – Utrecht: Spectrum Publishers, 1975. – P. 350 15. Russell, N. The Doctrine of Deification in the Greek Patristic Tradition. – Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. – P. 418. 16. Turner, H. E. W.The Patristic Doctrine of Redemption. A Study of the Development of Doctrine during the First Five Centuries. – London: A. R. Mowbray & Co. Limited, 1952. – P. 124. Franks, R. S. A History of the Doctrine of the Work of Christ in it Ecclesiastical Development.P. 45. Franks, R. S. A History of the Doctrine of the Work of Christ in it Ecclesiastical Development. P. 37-38. |
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