-
What Is Man – That Thou Art Mindful of Him?
Read more: What Is Man – That Thou Art Mindful of Him?In 1839 the eighteen-year-old youth Dostoesvsky wrote to his brother: “Man is a mystery: if you spend your entire life trying to puzzle it out, then do not say that you have wasted your time. I occupy myself with this mystery, because I want to be a man.” From Konstantin Mochulsky’s Dostoevsky: His Life and […]
-
The Nature of Things and Our Salvation
Read more: The Nature of Things and Our SalvationA number of you will remember this post from a year ago. It is foundational to many discussions on this site. I thought it might be helpful to post again – after all – new readers are always coming on board. +++ The nature of things is an important question to ask – or should […]
-
The Freedom of Love – Two Selections
Read more: The Freedom of Love – Two Selections“God created man like an animal who has received the order to become God,” says a deep saying of St. Basil, reported by St. Gregory of Nazianzus. To execute this order, one must be able to refuse it. God becomes powerless before human freedom; He cannot violate it since it flows from His own omnipotence. […]
-
The Wisdom of Man and the Foolishness of God
Read more: The Wisdom of Man and the Foolishness of GodThe Feast of the Nativity, known sometimes in Orthodoxy as “the Winter Pascha,” is one of the great examples in the story of our salvation where the “foolishness of God” defeats the wisdom of man. It is not the story of an underdog defeating the mighty, but a revelation of who God is, and who […]
-
On the Porch in Nazareth
Read more: On the Porch in NazarethDuring my pilgrimage to the Holy Land in September, I had an occasion that has become unforgettable. I had been in the Church of the Annunciation (Roman Catholic) which contains the home in which Mary lived when she was greeted by the angel Gabriel. Orthodox tradition holds that there was also a greeting at the […]
-
Traditional Byzantine Christmas Hymn in Arabic
Read more: Traditional Byzantine Christmas Hymn in Arabic
-
In Christ
Read more: In ChristOne of the most common phrases in the writings of St. Paul is “in Christ.” He uses this phrase so frequently that it is easy to overlook it and move on to something more interesting. My computer Bible program lists 73 verses in which he uses the phrase. As commonplace as it may be, it […]
-
The Smallness of God
Read more: The Smallness of GodAn annual December posting: Whom have we, Lord, like you – The Great One who became small, the Wakeful who slept, The Pure One who was baptized, the Living One who died, The King who abased himself to ensure honor for all. Blessed is your honor! St. Ephrem the Syrian We draw near to the […]
-
Lossky on Freedom and the Person
Read more: Lossky on Freedom and the PersonVladimir Lossky, who can be notoriously difficult to read, offers this observation on freedom and the person. It is taken from his essay, “The Creation,” in the small collection, Orthodox Theology: an Introduction. A personal being is capable of loving someone more than his own nature, more than his own life. The person, that is […]
-
Living the Paradox
Read more: Living the ParadoxThe doctrines of the Christian faith are full of paradox. It is a reality that we sometimes forget – our familiarity can make us deaf to its jarring sounds: A virgin is a mother. Death is defeated by death. He who seeks to save his life will lose it. He who loses his life for […]
Michael, Kevin, Abortion is a good example of the law of unintended consequences. For years, conservative voters championed pro-life candidates,…