| Chapter VI. The Social Problem in the Eastern Orthodox Church Christianity is essentially a social religion. There is an old Latin saying: unus Christianas nullus Christianus. Nobody can be truly Christian as a solitary and isolated being. Christianity is not primarily a doctrine or a discipline that individuals might adopt for their personal use and guidance. Christianity is exactly a community, i.e., the church. In this respect there is an obvious continuity between the Old and the New dispensations. Christians are «the New Israel.» The whole phraseology of Scripture is highly instructive: the Covenant, the Kingdom, the Church, «a holy Nation, a peculiar People.» The abstract term «Christianity» is obviously of a late date. From the very beginning Christianity was socially minded. The whole fabric of Christian existence is social and corporate. All Christian sacraments are intrinsically «social sacraments,» i.e. sacraments of incorporation. Christian worship is also a corporate worship, «publica et communis oratio,» in the phrase of St. Cyprian. To build up the Church of Christ means, therefore, to build up a new society and, by implication, to re-build human society on a new basis. There was always a strong emphasis on unanimity and life in common. One of the earliest names for Christians was simply «Brethren.» The church was and was to be a creaturely image of the divine pattern. Three Persons, yet One God. Accordingly, in the church, many are to be integrated into one Body. All this is, of course, the common heritage of the whole church. Yet, probably, this corporate emphasis has been particularly strong in the Eastern tradition and does still constitute the distinctive ethos of the Eastern Orthodox church. It is not _________________ «The Social Problem in the Eastern Orthodox Church» appeared in The Journal of Religious Thought, Vol. VIII, No. 1 (Autumn/Winter, 1950 – 1951), pp. 41 – 51. Reprinted by permission. to suggest that all social aspirations of Christianity had been really actualized in the empirical life of the Christian East. Ideals are never fully realized; the church is still |
| John Anthony McGuckin Communion of Saints MARIA GWYN MCDOWELL For Orthodoxy this signifies the ongoing participation (methexis, or koinonia – communion) in God by all of God’s holy elect. those still living on earth, those passed to the Lord, and the holy angels who also form part of the heavenly church. The letters to the churches of Corinth and Ephesians are addressed to the “saints” ( Eph. 1.1 ; 2Cor. 1.11 ) surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12.1). Aside from Scripture, the earliest attestations to a cult of the saints is the early cult of martyrs. Ignatius of Antioch asserts that true discipleship lies in the witness, the martyria, of a confessing death. The 3rd-century Life of Polycarp testifies to 2nd-century Eucharistic meals at the graveside of martyrs, and encourages the honoring of the saints by following their example. origen of Alexandria in the 3rd century emphasizes the singularly united life of the whole body of Christ, in which those in heaven continue in the struggle of faith through their sustaining love and intercession for the living. When St. John Chrysostom preached in the late 4th century, the cult of the saints was well established. In his sermons martyrdom is a powerful act of love; martyrs “speak” their faith through deeds and speak freely to God, their human lives encouraging imitation (Chrysostom 2006. 29–33). The martyr and saint has thus become an exemplar of virtue, a spiritual model. Chrysostom highlights the transition from martyrdom to asceticism as persecution gave way to peace and to an increasingly institutionalized Christianity. In part inspired by Athanasius’ Life of Antony, asceticism through bodily virginity, separation from the world, and a life of prayer was increasingly idealized. Ironically, often the greatest advocates of asceticism were active members of urban and ecclesial life. St. Basil the Great’s social programs inaugurated their own attendant form of monasticism, in which serving others was considered integral to an ascetic life. Contemporary studies of holy men and women emphasize their role as agents of change who ignored social divisions in order to serve the needs of all, rich and poor alike (Hackel 1983). |
| Equipping Teenagers to Navigate Life This being said, teenagers are notorious for making poor decisions. Certainly this can be attributed to many causes, two of which are that decision-making centers of the brain are not fully developed at this stage in life, and the fact that teenagers are still trying desperately to establish their own unique identities. For this reason, Christian decision-making is a skill set that needs some instruction and practice. Here are some steps that you can take with your teenager. Over the past several decades the external pressures and challenges associated with parenting teenagers have been varied. Whether it was the introduction of rock and roll music, the “social scourge” of the 1950’s, or the pervasiveness of today’s social networking explosion, parents have faced the challenge of helping their children bridge the chasm that stands between childhood and adulthood. As Christian parents we recognize the importance of raising Godly-minded children and we must take appropriate steps to help them in their journey toward Him. Society today, through media, peer influence, and accepted norms, can convey ideas that do not coincide with the teachings of Orthodox Christianity. In fact, oftentimes, the messages that our teen children receive from the world are in direct contradiction to the saving message of Jesus Christ. Experiencing sleepless nights worrying about their children falling into substance use/abuse, sexual promiscuity and perversion, “over-connectedness” to social media, materialism, and a myriad of other harmful behaviors, parents at times feel overwhelmed by the challenge of addressing all of these issues with their teens. In the Book of Proverbs we read: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (22:6) This sounds simple enough, but given the variety of challenges that life throws at our young people, how can a parent successfully prepare their teen for every situation? The simple answer to this question is that you can’t address each and every possible circumstance that your child will face. We know from our own experience, as well, that there isn’t always someone standing by, watching our every move and steering us clear of mistakes and miscues. What we can offer to our children, however, are the tools which are necessary for them to address challenges on their own. |
| Fr. Andrew Nikolaidi speaks on the good and bad sides of the Internet for Orthodox Christians. Modern means of communication break into private life, and Orthodox Christians are no exception. Almost all parishioners and clergymen periodically illuminate their face with the bluish light of a smartphone screen or sit in front of a computer in order to log in to social networks, chat with friends, find out news, read edifying teachings and quotes from wise and sometimes very wise people sent from one group to the other in the form of all these touching images and cards. In the vastness of the world’s network, a certain term has already been formed – “orthonet”. It denotes the Orthodox segment of the Internet. Indeed, the Internet is a great thing that allows you to instantly receive and provide information, learn, share experience and, most importantly, communicate. And every Orthodox Christian can use this tool as help in his spiritual growth. Probably, the accusatory sermons of some unreasonable zealous Orthodox Christians, rejecting all new inventions of the human mind and declaring the computer, phone and Internet a devilish obsession, have long passed away. In this regard, it is obviously worth recalling apt words of one of the venerable and respected hierarchs: “It is easier to call television a demon than to go to television and preach there”. The same logic, no doubt, is suitable for characterizing the attitude of a Christian to the latest inventions of mankind, including the Internet. After all, the apostles used the technical equipment of their era – sailed on ships, travelled on chariots, sent letters to their disciples, etc. And the saints of all time were not afraid and did not refuse various innovations. Therefore, we, the children of our time, can and should use the advantages that the era gives us. But sometimes many people forget that there are always two sides to every story. And, by giving the Orthodox Christian new opportunities to preach the Gospel and grow in spiritual life, the Internet as the World Wide Web offers us new forms of temptation, which can become a huge fly and undo all our good undertakings. |
| Photo: Getty Images Today we face much cultural turmoil and seemingly unreconcilable differences. Our discourse often becomes harsh and even hate filled. It seems we have lost a Christ centeredness in our lives. We seem to be trying to solve our cultural value issues thinking we can change it through political ends. We use social media to spew out our differing opinions thinking that this will make a difference. But history clearly tells us changing a culture is not so easily done. Is it possible that Christians today have taken the wrong track in putting their energies into political action and social media? When we engage in these arenas don’t we become one with the culture we don’t like? Do we act in a way that exhibits the life and teachings of our Savior? Our actions do not communicate an alternative to the present potpourri of ideas and values. Sociologist James Davidson Hunter demonstrates that political action has never been the cause of cultural shifts even though some good things can happen in this way. More often it leads to oppression of minority views, more division and greater discord. If we truly want to bring Christ back to the center of our lives, a different approach is necessary. We are creatures of God called to something much higher than life in this world, the Kingdom of Heaven. To reach this kingdom, Scripture makes it clear, we must become continually better at living like Jesus Christ and become an active participant in a true compassionate faith community. To achieve our God given calling and make a difference in this world, our lived life in our faith community must be different from the general society. This view is clearly spelled out by the acclaimed sociologist Dr James Davison Hunter in his book, To Change The World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World. I suggest you read it. He writes, “ Contemporary Christian understandings of power and politics are a very large part of what has made contemporary Christianity in America appalling, irrelevant, and ineffective—part and parcel of the worst elements of our late-modern culture today, rather than a healthy alternative to it.” Pg 94 |
| On a daily basis, I have become increasingly aware of the “religious” nature of almost the whole of modern life. That might seem to be an odd observation when the culture in which we live largely describes itself as “secular.” That designation, however, only has meaning in saying that the culture does not give allegiance or preference to any particular, organized religious body. It is sadly the case, however, that this self-conception makes the culture particularly blind to just how “religious” it is in almost everything it does. I suspect that the more removed we are from true communion with God , the more “religious” we become. It is, I think, an idolatrous substitute for true existence, and a misguided attempt to impose an order and meaning that we ourselves create. Our social life thus becomes dominated by our continual efforts to convince (or compel) others (or to convince ourselves) to accept a worldview and way of life that has no true existence apart from our own efforts to make it so. In the first half of the 19 th century, the German theologian, Friedrich Schleiermacher, advanced the idea that religion consisted of feelings (very primal) rather than doctrine, ritual, or morality. His writings were quite profound and offer some of the earliest explorations of the psychology of the religious mind. His thesis, however, was symptomatic of cultural movements that were already being unleashed in waves of “religious” (meaning “feelings”) fervor. His century was already rebelling against the arid rationalism of the 18 th century Enlightenment. The mathematical beauty of a Bach fugue was giving way to the Romantics (such as Beethoven) where music moved away from theory towards the pyrotechnics of emotional impact (not to take away anything from the beauty of a Bach fugue). The same movement can be seen in art as well as a number of other cultural touchstones. The 19 th century became the century of feelings and sentiments . We have never recovered. The religious movements of the 19 th century (particularly the Second Great Awakening) were not movements of doctrinal moment. |
| Craig S. Keener 4. Social Contexts THE TENUOUSNESS OF PAST HISTORICAL reconstructions of the Johannine community, along with the difficulties in inferring the author " s intention from a document, warn us against an overly detailed reconstruction of the situations the author originally sought to address. Indeed, the life-setting of a Gospel is not as central or as easy to reconstruct as the life-setting of one of Paul " s letters. As implied in our discussion of genre and in the work " s claims to the Paracletés inspiration, the Gospels are «foundation documents for religious communities … more analogous [in that sense] to a systematic theology, albeit in narrative form,» than to an occasional letter. It thus may reflect potential as well as current situations. 1118 As with most other biographies, its author may have hoped for a wider circulation, hence requiring of implied readers less locally specific information than presupposed in epistles. 1119 At the same time, we can make some statements about the general milieu (such as the tradition " s Jewishness or the usefulness of broader elements of the ancient Mediterranean milieu) to a very high degree of probability, and some other statements about the sort of situation the Gospel addresses (namely, conflict with a synagogue community) to a large degree of probability. 1120 Before we begin examining the milieu in general, we must consider matters of the Fourth Gospel " s date and provenance which can affect our reconstruction of the most relevant social contexts for interpretation. Date For the most part, Luke Timothy Johnson is correct that scholarly consensus concerning the dating of the Gospels depends on inferences about literary dependence. 1121 Nevertheless, John " s literary freedom has probably made his own Sitz im Leben more transparent than that of the other gospels. While I frankly admit that my dating of the other canonical gospels remains conjectural, I think the evidence is somewhat stronger for dating John. With most scholars, I favor a date in the mid-nineties, during Domitians reign. |
| Holiness and Martyrdom in Our Times: An Interview with Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos Source: ORTHOGNOSIA Holiness, asceticism, discernment and martyrdom are great riches of our Church that move us, attract us, transform us and save us from the distractions and lies of this world in every era. In an interview with His Eminence Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou, he gives answers to the questions of a journalist (George Theoharis from/Agioritikovima.gr/) on these issues, and speaks of other aspects of ecclesiastical life. – Your Eminence, many people are unsure if saints exist today.What do you say? – Of course there are saints. The purpose of the Church is to sanctify people, otherwise it should not exist. The Church, with the Mysteries and the ascetic life, aims to heal mankind from the passions and give them spiritual health, which is holiness. God says: “Be holy,for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:16). And it is written in the Apocalypse: “Let the one who is holy continue to be holy” (Rev. 22:11). Unfortunately,most Christians today perceive the Church as a religious, ethical or social organization with secular or worldly purposes. And they struggle together in the Church to produce social or ethical projects. Of course,the Church does such projects, but these are the result, a fruit of the union of a person with Christ. Thus, there are saints also today who lived and live within the Church,such as Bishops, Priests, monks and laypeople of all categories. Yet,the biggest problem is that we don’t have the Orthodox criteria to understand them, because they have an inner world that is hidden from the many, and many of us are not in the right condition to recognize them. What is particularly important is not whether saints exist today, but how we can become saints. All sciences have a particular method, and for one to be a saint they must follow this specific method, which is the purification of the heart, the illumination of the nous and theosis, in conjunction with the Mysteries of the Church. We encounter this in the/Philokalia/and in the teachings of the contemporary Fathers. Holiness is expressed through repentance, humility, and love for God and man. |
| Marriage: Investment, Covenant or Sacrament? Family life Last Updated: Feb 8th, 2011 - 05:50:02 Marriage: Investment, Covenant or Sacrament? By Fr. Richard Rene May 29, 2010, 10:00 Discuss this article Printer friendly page Source: Saint Aidan Orthodox Church Consider the following situation: you are shopping at the grocery store when you notice a young couple in the aisle ahead of you, filling their cart from a single list, stopping occasionally to embrace and kiss one another—the picture of happiness and harmony. If you were to assume that these two are newly-weds enjoying a blissful morning of shopping together, I have bad news: you are a social dinosaur. The reality is, it’s long past the time when we could presume that people who appear to be married are actually so. Indeed, I do not think it would be overstating the matter to say that in the 21st century, couples who live together conjugally without actually being married are the rule rather than the exception. Why is this so? Many answers might be offered, but I would suggest that the predominance of social utilitarianism has much to do with it. Utilitarianism, a philosophy that drives much of modern life, basically teaches that the purpose of society is to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Applied to marriage, utilitarianism says that the purpose of the relationship is to give the couple the most possible mutual happiness. Marriage is seen as an investment whose ultimate purpose is to be profitable for both partners. In this light, it is hardly surprising that people choose to “test drive” their conjugal relationships. After all, no wise investor would put down a cent without first determining what dividends he or she is likely to reap. Living with someone before deciding on a lifelong commitment is just good business sense… Of course, there is a problem. A human relationship is not a business venture. People are not collections of assets to be accessed by others. When I relate to my wife, I am not merely offering one kind of happiness (financial security, for instance) in exchange for another (for instance, her maintenance of the home and care of the children). |
| Beware of the Orthodox Bobos Photo: Shutterstock Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. – Matthew 15-16 In his 2001 book Bobos in Paradise, author David Brooks coins a new word, Bobo (pronounced to rhyme with “go-go”), to describe the new elites of the modern age. This group combine the Bourgeois worldview of capitalist enterprise with the hippie values of Bohemian counterculture on social and moral issues – thus Bourgeois-Bohemian, or Bobo. In the two decades since the book was published, the world has changed a great deal. No longer does the West simply fight wars to secure democracy around the world, but the governments of “enlightened” secular societies team up with corporations and big tech to promote new “progressive” values worldwide – sexual promiscuity, gender confusion, racial politicization, and family destabilization. It should be no surprise that in the decades since its debut, the Bobo has found its way into all areas of life, including places as foreign to its spirit as the Orthodox Church. Since the nature of the Church is hopeful, this should provide opportunities for the transformation of the soul of the Orthodox Bobo. Yet the transformation which is at the centre of the Christian life is unthinkable to the Orthodox Bobo: he does not come to be transformed, but to transform everything around him. And herein lies the beginning of the problem with the Orthodox Bobo. The secular Bourgeois seeks status, often linked with wealth. For the Orthodox Bobo, this search for status can take different forms, seeking personal prominence through a cultural community, a Church jurisdiction, or representing either one to those outside the Orthodox Church. For converts to the Orthodox Faith, this will sometimes take the form of a living roleplay within the Orthodox Church, of some cultural or religious nostalgia. While this roleplaying will enjoy all the costumes, rituals, and titles that go along with it, the essence of Orthodox Christianity – the faith, life, beliefs, and moral values – won’t be present. These contradict the individualism of the Orthodox Bobo. |
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