Vox Nova At The Library: Encountering the Mystery

Last updated on: March 26, 2008 at 9:02 am by Henry Karlson

Vox Nova At The Library: Encountering the Mystery 2008-03-26T09:02:17-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Since he is one of the great witnesses of Christianity in our times, it is sad that most Christians do not know or ignore what is said by Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch. As the Patriarch of Constantinople, he holds the most important hierarchical position of the Orthodox Church. His new work, Encountering the Mystery: Understanding Orthodox Christianity Today (New York: Doubleday, 2008), is one of those great theological and spiritual treasures which none should ignore. His bold words often demonstrate the prophetic task he has been given to our times. But are we willing to listen?

His Ecumenical Holiness begins the book with a biographical note before engaging Orthodox history and its basic theological tenets. While the presentation is well done, one must remember this discussion is for the non-expert, and so one should not expect any radical theological debates in them. This is a good thing; Orthodox theology and spirituality can be quite distinct from its Western counterpart, and so there is always the need for presentations such as this. For Orthodoxy, theology always contains a mystical element. While positive statements can be made about God, we must understand that God transcends human comprehension. What is not said about God is greater than what can be said, and what can be said must be understood as being a relative, finite expression of an infinite mystery. Thus, for Orthodox theology, this greater silence must always be kept in mind. Theology is not really a science but doxology. “Therefore, theology transcends all formulation and definition, being identified rather with personal encounter and a loving relationship with God in the communion of prayer. In such a union, the desire always remains insatiable and unending: it is the love of the bride in the Song of Songs, who forever stretches out her hands toward the one that cannot be grasped, who ever reaches for the one that cannot be attained” (53).

By the end of the first half of the book, the Patriarch has provided the basic elements of Orthodox theology. This allows him, in the rest of the book, too engage the theological points he has made and show how they relate to orthopraxis, or right action, within the world. We must turn to the numerous the points he makes, recognizing, of course, that we can do so only with a cursory glance for the sake of this review.

The environment, a concern which has taken hold of the Patriarch for some time, receives a considerable amount of reflection. What he says is all grounded upon his Orthodox spiritual heritage. “In the Orthodox liturgical perspective, creation is received and conceived as a gift from God. The notion of creation-as-gift defines our Orthodox theological understanding of the environmental question in a concise and clear manner while at the same time determining the human response to that gift through the responsible and proper use of the created world. Each believer is called to celebrate life in a way that reflects the words of the Divine Liturgy: ‘Thine own from Thine own we over to Thee, in all and for all’” (98). He points out that Orthodox reflection about creation must be eucharistic. “A eucharistic spirit also implies using the earth’s natural resources with a spirit of thankfulness, offering them back to God; indeed, we are to offer not only the earth’s resources but ourselves” (101). This eucharistic spirit recognizes how all things come together and give themselves back to God. “There may be a hierarchy of priority, but it is not a sharp distinction of comparison. The truth is that we are all one family — human beings and the living world alike – and all of us look to God the Creator” (107). And God, in his graciousness, takes what is given and transforms them through grace, sanctifying them for his glory.

Social issues receive great consideration by the Patriarch. He engages a discussion on the personal need for freedom as the basis premises of his social concerns. He grounds his discussion with a Christian point: freedom can only be understood in relation to its most fundamental form, the liberation of the human person from the fall of Adam. “Spiritual captivity or enslavement inevitably leads also to social and political subservience and slavery. By the same token, liberation from the fall delivers us from any form of constraint, leading to social and political liberation and freedom. However, for the person guided by the Spirit, this in no way implies complacency of comfort. Indeed it primarily indicates and perhaps dictates a sense of identification and solidarity with the weak and vulnerable…” (131). Social justice is a necessary consequence of Christian living. One who is guided by the Spirit of Christ will be guided to act for the cause of Christ. This should reaffirm our need to be wise stewards over creation, because the way we treat the earth will have its most significant and immediate consequences for the poor and needy in the world. “What we do for the earth is intimately related to what we do for people – whether in the context of human rights, international politics, poverty, social justice, or world peace. It has become clearer to us that the way we respond to the natural environment is directly related to and reflected in the way we treat human beings” (146-7). Christian economics must recognize that it is ecological, that the world is one household for us all. “Whether one speaks about economy or ecology, from the perspective of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, it is important to recognize that this world is our home – which, was as we have already seen, is precisely what the Greek root (oikos) or the prefix ‘eco-‘ implies. Indeed, this world is the home of everyone and all creation. Oiko–nomia (or the care and ‘management of our household’), and oiko-logia (or the appreciation or ‘study of our household’), and oikou-mene(or the way of ‘inhabiting the world’ as our home) are all derived from the root word oikos” (154). Poverty must be addressed in terms of wealth, religion, and power (164-171). Our current economic system has many negative side effects which we cannot ignore. “Far too often, unrestrained and unregulated markets have led to poverty and pollution. They have failed to curb unemployment and inequality or to protect noneconomic goods, such as culture and ethnic particularity” (170). While not advocating a political system, the Patriarch points out the need for a drastic transformation of society, otherwise the world and its inhabitants will suffer greatly from our woeful mismanagement of our common household.

There is a great deal more in which the Patriarch relates Orthodox wisdom – from matters of racism (192 – 198), to the need for a true dialogue between religions to overcome a clash of civilizations (173- 177). Recognizing the problem of nationalistic tendencies within Orthodoxy, the Patriarch reminds his readers – and fellow Orthodox — how unchristian such a position is: “For such extreme racism undoubtedly breeds religious fanaticism and fundamentalism” (197).

The Patriarch gives a resounding reply against those who think militarism is the way forward to deal with world problems: peacemaking, not war, is the only way things can be improved. “I consider peacemaking integrally linked with the survival of our planet and with the way its inhabitants relate to the natural creation” (211). Dialogue, not threats of violence, is transformative and is able to provide for lasting peace. “Our goal, then, is to promote a peaceful resolution of disagreements about how to live in this world, about how to share and use the resources of our planet, about what to change and what we have to admit we can never change. It should be our commitment as religious leaders to seek solutions through open exchange without resorting to oppression or domination” (211). He makes the specific mention of how true this is concerning Christianity and Islam, a concern close to his own existence because of the placement of the Patriarchate within Turkey. The main conflict, he points out, is not religious but political (213). Indeed, it is erroneous to read the so-called ‘clash of civilizations’ as a religious conflict. “It may sometimes be the case that national leaders try to bring about isolation and aggression between Christians and Muslims or that politicians or demagogues mobilize religions in order to reinforce fanaticism and hostility among nations. However, this is not to be confused with the true nature and purpose of religion” (214). All religions are guilty for the abuses and conflict we find within them. But we must understand this comes from the fact that their leaders and followers have often ignored the spiritual values of their religious tradition. “No religion that truly serves God would ever approve the idea of believers becoming the instruments of persecution and execution. Indeed, to the degree that churches and religions have been involved in such criminal and sinful actions, they are obliged to repent and seek forgiveness for the blood on the hands of their leaders” (226). For the Christian, we must always remember the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus said – blessed are the peacemaker; for this is the true Christian spirit and must be followed, no matter how difficult it might actually be (229).

The Patriarch ends his book with hope: the hope that the world can be transformed and improved. But to realize that hope, we need to admit to our sins. We must stand before God in prayer and doxology awaiting his transformational grace. “A new dawn will arise with our trust in God’s love and our reflection of that love in the solidarity with our brothers and sisters throughout the world as well as in the preservation of this wonderful planet – all of these gifts from the almighty God for our joy – for the sake of our future generations” (236).

This is truly a marvelous book, and a must-have in every Christian library. It gets a full 10 out of 10. Even experts in Orthodox theological reflection and history who might find the first half of the book not as engaging as they might wish will find this problem is overcome by the sheer grandeur of the vision in the second half. It is one of the great Christian reflections of our time.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

March 25, 2008

Why Does the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict Get So Much Attention?

Next Post

March 26, 2008 The witness of Father Botros

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 2019 A Consistent Ethic of Life Aaron Weldon Abortion absurdity Abuse Scandal Academics Adoption Advent Africa agreement/disagreement with Church teaching Alexander Schmemann Alexham Alterity America Amnesty International Anarchism angels Anglicanism Animals Annual Statistics Anthony Anxietas Apocalyptic Apophatic Appalachia Aquinas Art Atheism Atonement Augustine Authority Baptism Beauty Bible biblical criticism biblical scholarship Bioethics Bishops Black Catholics Black Theology Blackadder Blogs Books Breastfeeding Brett Salkeld Buddhism Bush administration Byzantine Catholic Calvinism Canada Canon Law Capital Punishment Capitalism Caryll Houselander Catholic Blog Awards Catholic Blogging Catholic League Catholic Social Teaching Catholic Worker Movement Catholicity CFL Charity Children Chris West Christ and Culture Christian Democracy Christian Unity Christmas Christology Church Church Doctrine Church History Climate Change Cohabitation Colbert Collegiality Communion Communism Comparative Theology Competition Conferences conscience conscience rights Consequentialism Consistent Life Ethics Consumerism Contraception Contrition Conversion Converts Coptic COVID-19 Creation Critical Thinking Cross Cuba Culture Culture of Death Culture of Life Darfur David Cruz-Uribe David Wheeler-Reed Death Death Penalty Democracy Demons Desert Fathers Devil Dialogue dignity Disability Disarmament discernment Discipleship discrimination Dissent Distributism Division Doctrine Domestic Church Dorothy Day Double Effect Doubt Down syndrome Driving Early Church Easter Eastern Churches Ecclesiology Economics Economy Ecumenism Education El Salvador Election Election 2020 Ellul Embryonic Stem Cell Research Empire Energy Enlighenment Environmentalism Ephraim Radner Episcopal Church epistemology Equality Eschatology Ethics Eucharist Europe Euthanasia Evangelization Evil Evolution Excommunication F.X. Durrwell Facism Facts Fair Trade Faith Family Fashion Feddie Feminism Feminist theology Fertility Fetal Rights Fiction Film Finances First Things flags Folk Religion Food Foreign Affairs Forgiveness Frank Sheed Free Speech Freedom gay & lesbian persons Genocide George W. Bush George Weigel Gerald L. Campbell Girard/Mimetic Theory Global Warming Globalization Gnosticism Good Friday Grace Gratitude Greed Grey Cup 2009 Guadalupe Guest Post Guest Posts Gun Control Gustave Martelet Habitat for Humanity Hans Urs von Balthasar Harry Potter Hate Speech Health Health Care Healthcare Heather King Hebrew Bible Henri de Lubac Henry Karlson Herbert McCabe Heresy HHS Mandate Controversy History Holidays Holiness Holy Spirit Homiletics Homily Homosexuality Hope Hospitality How Far Can We Go? How Far Can We Go? Human Person Human Rights Humanae Vitae Humility Humor Hunger Hunting Identity Idolatry Ignacio Ellacuría Imagination Immigration In Memoriam Income Inequality Inculturation Indigenous People Individualism Inklings Intellect Interdependence Internet Interpretation Interviews Introduction Iraq War Islam Israel Jain James Alison James Martin Jazz Jesus Christ Jews Joe Biden Joe Hargrave Johann Baptist Metz John Allen John Henry Newman John Paul II John the Baptist John XXIII Jonathan Josef Pieper Joseph (the husband of Mary) Joseph Bernardin Joseph Ratzinger Josh Brumfield Journals Joy Judgment Just War Justice Kari Lundgren Karl Rahner Katerina Ivanovna Kenya Keynes Kingdom of God Kyle R. Cupp Labor Language Latin America Law Leanne Ogasawara Legion of Christ Leisure Lent Liberalism Liberation Theology Libertarianism Libya Lies Life life & dignity & responsibility of the human person Literature Little Way Liturgical music Liturgical Year Liturgy Living Simply Living Wage Local Church Lombard Lord of the Rings Louis Dupre Love M.Z. Magic Magisterium Mark DeFrancisis Mark Gordon Marriage Martin Luther Martin Luther King Jr. Martyrdom Marxism Mary Masculinity Matt Talbot Matthew Fish Matthew Levering McCain Media Memorial Day Mennonites Mental Illness mercy Michael Iafrate Middle East militarism Miroslav Volf Mitt Romney Modesty Moral Theology Morality Mormonism Morning's Minion Mother Teresa Music Muslims Natalie Nate Wildermuth Nationalism Native Americans Nature Nazis Neuhaus New Evangelization New York City News NFP nihilism Nonviolence Not Abortion Nova's Ordo Nuclear weapons Nuns Obama Occult Old Age Opus Dei Ordination ordination of women original sin Orthodoxy Oscar Romero Other Voices Pacifism Palestine Palin Papacy Papal Peace Messages Papal Social Encyclicals Particular Affections Partisanship Patriotism Paul Paul Ryan Paul VI Peace Pentimento persecution Personalism Phantastes Philosophy PKD Planned Parenthood Pluralism Poetry Policraticus Politcal Apathy Politics Poll Pope Benedict XVI Pope Francis Pope John Paul II Pope Leo XIV Population Postcolonialsim Poverty Power Prayer Preaching Predictions Predictions for 2012 President Barack Obama priestly formation & discernment Pro-Life Progress Prophetic Witness Proportionalism Public Diplomacy Public Policy Question Quotes Rachel Maddow Racism Radical Catholic Mom Radical Catholicism Raymund Schwager Real Catholic TV Real Presence Reconciliation Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange Religion religious freedom Responsibility Ressourcement Resurrection Rick Garnett Ridiculous Crap You Never Thought You'd See Robert Barron Roe v. Wade Roman Curia Rome Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation History Sam Harris Sam Rocha Same-sex Marriage Saskatchewan Roughriders Satire School of the Americas Science Scripture Seamless Garment Second Vatican Council Seeing Sex sexual violence Sexuality Sia Sin social justice Social Security Socialism Society of Jesus Sofia Loves Wisdom Solidarity Sophia soteriology Soutenus Spirituality Sports St. Dismas St. Joseph Stanley Hauerwas Statistics Stimulus Suffering Sunday Reflections Supernatural Supreme Court Symbolism Syria Taxing Technology Terrorism The State The Tea Party The Trump Administration Theological Anthropology Theology Theotokos Thomas Merton Throwaway Culture Tim Muldoon Tim Riley Tim Tebow Time Titian Tolkien Torture Toys Trade Traditionalism Transgender Transportation Transubstantiation Trinity Truth TV U.S. Affairs Uncategorized Unions unity among people who disagree US Catholicism USCCB Usury Utilitarianism Utopia Valentine's Day Vatican Vatican II Veterans Vicarious Suffering Video Violence Virgin Mary Vocations Voluntary Associations Voluntary Poverty Voting Vox Nova vox nova blog war War and Peace War Strategy Wealth Weirdness Welfare state Women Women Priests Work Woundedness Youth

Select a Month June 2026 May 2025 February 2025 January 2025 July 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 July 2023 March 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 November 2021 September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Elijah defeated 400 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.

Select your answer to see how you score.

FALSE TRUE