theology Archives - Page 2 of 3

Prayer of the Heart in an Age of Technology and Distraction, Part 15

02/05/2020

By Fr. Maximos (Constas) The Church knows of no better way to abide in Jesus than to invoke His name constantly, and thereby also invoke and be in His presence. What better way to abide in Christ and become a tabernacle for the Divine Name, to have Him abiding in you and you abiding in Him? Is the point to accumulate wisdom, data about theology and Church history, or is the point to become transparent to Wisdom? I

A Word on What Matters

11/01/2019

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, June 3, 2015 I began writing this blog in October of 2006. Printed below is the second article that I wrote. I have reprinted it from time to time, as much for my sake as anything. When I wrote it, almost no one was reading the blog. It was simply a reminder not to take myself too seriously. With around a million views a year these days, it’s tempting to think

The Poetry of God

09/20/2019

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, May 14, 2015 Whoever wants to become a Christian must first become a poet. – St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia, St. John of Damascus, St. Isaac of Syria, St. Ephrem Edessa St. Porphyrios made this statement in the context of love and suffering: That’s what it is! You must suffer. You must love and suffer–suffer for the one you love. Love makes effort for the loved one. She runs all through the night; she

The Holy and Great Thursday

04/25/2019

“I am the Resurrection and the Life” (Part I) The Incarnation of the Word was an absolute manifestation of God. And above all it was a revelation of Life. Christ is the Word of Life, ho logos tês zôês (I John 1:1). The Incarnation itself was, in a sense, the quickening of man, as it were the resurrection of human nature. In the Incarnation human nature was not merely anointed with a superabundant overflowing of

The Fifth Day of Great Lent. The Icon of Music

03/15/2019

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, February 28, 2015 This Sunday, the First Sunday of Great Lent, marks the return of the holy icons to the Churches in 843 A.D. It is celebrated as the “Sunday of Orthodoxy.” This article offers a reflection on a different form of the icon – of equal importance – and equally worth protection and care. Orthodox theology is a “seamless garment”: no part of Orthodox doctrine, worship, prayer or life stands

The Eastern Christian Spiritual Tradition

03/07/2019

The Eastern Christian spiritual tradition is not composed of “schools” as in the West, where they are typically associated with a particular religious order (for example, Benedictine, Carmelite, or Franciscan). Yet there is more than one approach in the East. The one favored on Athos is known as hesychasm, from the Greek word hesychia, translated as “stillness.” It flourished especially in the fourteenth century on Athos, at a time when a controversy arose over the

Spirituality from Below (Part I)

02/06/2019

The spirituality bequeathed to us by the moralizing theology of modern times works from the top down. It presents high ideals that we are supposed to translate into reality. Typical ideals include selflessness, self-control, continuous amiability, selfless love, freedom from anger, and mastery of sexual desire. Spirituality from above surely has some positive meaning for young people, since it challenges them and tests their powers. It prompts them to grow up and out of themselves

The Eighth Day of Christmas. Feast of Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia

01/01/2019

Saint Basil the Great (329-379) The Archbishop of Caesarea, Saint Basil is revered—together with Saints John Chrysostom and Gregory Nazianzos—as one of the “Three Holy Hierarchs” of the Church. Together with that same Nazianzos and Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Saint Basil is revered as one the “Cappadocian Fathers,” whose homiletical and mystical writings helped establish what is now considered the heart of Orthodox theology and spirituality. As Saint Benedict is honored for founding monasticism in

Trinity: Creative Continuation

01/29/2018

Daniel Walsh, who was Thomas Merton’s primary philosophy teacher, says he’s not sure if the human person can even legitimately be called a creation, because we are a continuance of, an emanation from, a “subsistent relation” with what we call Trinity. Wow! This is getting very wonderful and also very dangerous. [1] He taught that the human person must see itself in continuity with God, and not a fully separate creation. We are “chosen in

The Forgotten Connection between Liturgy and Theology (Part I)

09/30/2013

By the Rev. Dr. Philip Zymaris Since the theme of this issue of PRAXIS is the application of theology in real life, I have decided to write on this subject from the point of view of liturgics, the study of liturgy. Our Orthodox liturgy, our communal worship services and especially the Divine Liturgy, the Eucharist, are the best reflection of this “lived theology.” At first sight this statement might seem surprising, because most people seem

Archive

Prayer of the Heart in an Age of Technology and Distraction, Part 15

A Word on What Matters

The Poetry of God

The Holy and Great Thursday

The Fifth Day of Great Lent. The Icon of Music

The Eastern Christian Spiritual Tradition

Spirituality from Below (Part I)

The Eighth Day of Christmas. Feast of Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia

Trinity: Creative Continuation

The Forgotten Connection between Liturgy and Theology (Part I)

Categories

Archives

View Our Live Stream Services

Keep In Touch

Stewardship Application

Daily Meditations

Worship Schedule

Light a Virtual Candle

Text-to-Give in 2 easy steps!

1) Text 202-899-7801 to include your donation amount

2) Follow the link to complete the one-time registration