Tag: Beauty

The Beauty of Truth and the Existence of God

· Fr. Stephen Freeman 24 Leave a Comment on %s
What is the criterion of the rightness of this life? Beauty. Ā – Fr. Pavel Florensky It is our habit of thought to think of Truth as, more or less, a correct description or a correct statement. As such, Beauty belongs to some other realm of thought. Beauty cannot be “correct” or “incorrect.” In Orthodox thought, Truth is understood as a matter of being (it is ontological). If something is true, then itā€¦

Rational Sheep and the Word of God

· Fr. Stephen Freeman 23 Leave a Comment on %s
Any parent who has raised a child has witnessed the miracle of human language. Even children with handicaps find ways to communicate except in the most extreme circumstance. The genius of language is not something we learn – it is instinctual for human beings. Those who study linguistics and neurobiology recognize that we have an instinct for grammar – not the polite rules of a high school English class – but theā€¦

Beauty and the Face of God

· Fr. Stephen Freeman 24 Leave a Comment on %s
Everything is beautiful in a person when he turns toward God, and everything is ugly when it is turned away from God. Fr. Pavel Florensky +++ In thinking about darkness and light – and their role in our apprehension of the truth – I cannot but think about Beauty, which is a primary place in which the light of God is made manifest among us (if rightly perceived). The heart that isā€¦

The Trees of Pentecost

· Fr. Stephen Freeman 11 Leave a Comment on %s
My annual posting for the feast of Pentecost: From the Feast The arrogance of building the tower in the days of old led to the confusion of tongues. Now the glory of the knowledge of God brings them wisdom. There God condemned the impious for their transgression. Here Christ has enlightened the fishermen by the Spirit. There disharmony was brought about for punishment.// Now harmony is renewed for the salvation of ourā€¦

The Intuition of Narnia

· Fr. Stephen Freeman 49 Leave a Comment on %s
A child, in a game of hide-and-seek, enters a large wardrobe. However, the wardrobe is more than furniture – it is a doorway into another world. That entrance is the introduction of the world of Narnia. C.S. Lewis’ children stories, beloved by one generation, are block-buster movies in today’s empire of Disney. In that wonderland of cinema, the books are overwhelmed in images of battling dwarves and unicorns. Echoes of Tolkien (andā€¦

Knowing the Beautiful God

· Fr. Stephen Freeman 22 Leave a Comment on %s
We prove God’s existence by worshiping him and not by advancing so-called proofs. We have here the liturgical and iconographic argument for the existence of God. We arrive at a solid belief in the existence of God through a leap over what seems true, over the Pascalian certitude. According to an ancient monastic saying, “Give your blood and receive the Spirit.” Paul Evdokimov in The Art of the Icon: A Theology ofā€¦

Icons and Truth

· Fr. Stephen Freeman 23 Leave a Comment on %s
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. From time to time,Ā I have written about the iconic character of reality – the world about us has the character of an icon. I have also noted the iconic character of language and of Scripture. There is much to say about what is meant by such descriptions as well as what it means to see things in an “iconic” manner. Iā€¦

The God Who Sings

· Fr. Stephen Freeman 33 Leave a Comment on %s
My parish is in the process of installing and blessing bells. It is a joyous milestone in our parish’s life and an important addition to the proclamation of the gospel. According to Orthodox thought, the sound of a Church bell is an icon of the voice of God. It’s blessing reaches as far as the bell is heard. Thinking about this coming event has given thought to an article from the pastā€¦

Babylon and the Trees of Pentecost

· Fr. Stephen Freeman 11 Leave a Comment on %s
From the Feast of Pentecost The arrogance of building the tower in the days of old led to the confusion of tongues. Now the glory of the knowledge of God brings them wisdom. There God condemned the impious for their transgression. Here Christ has enlightened the fishermen by the Spirit. There disharmony was brought about for punishment.// Now harmony is renewed for the salvation of our souls. +++ The first time Iā€¦

Saving Beauty

· Fr. Stephen Freeman 9 Leave a Comment on %s
Everything is beautiful in a person when he turns toward God, and everything is ugly when it is turned away from God. Fr. Pavel Florensky +++ In thinking about darkness and light – and their role in our apprehension of the truth – I cannot but think about Beauty, which is a primary place in which the light of God is made manifest among us (if rightly perceived). The heart that isā€¦