Here we present some selected words of wisdom by St. Silouan the Athonite. Continue reading “St. Silouan the Athonite”
St. Silouan the Athonite
The Mystery, Upborne, Fulfilled
by Fr. Stephen Freeman
Orthodoxy has a number of “favorite” words – all of which fall outside the bounds of normal speech. Though we commonly use the word “mystery” (for example), popular speech never uses it in the manner of the Church. Continue reading “The Mystery, Upborne, Fulfilled”
Theosis; the true purpose of human life – Part 2
The Incarnation of God: The Cause of Man’s Theosis
The Church Fathers say that God became man in order to make man a god. If God had not taken flesh, man would not be able to achieve Theosis. Continue reading “Theosis; the true purpose of human life – Part 2”
Respect for Others as a Restriction of Freedom
by Ioannis Karavidopoulos, Professor of the School of Theology of the University of Thessaloniki
Saint Paul’s 1st Epistle to the Corinthians is the richest in terms of the number of issues he addresses. Among the many subjects the Corinthians asked him about was that of eating or not eating food offered to idols, that is the meat remaining after an animal had been sacrificed to the gods. Because there was usually so much of this meat, it was given to the butchers or distributed as food at the ‘idoleum’, the temple and its surrounding area. There were opportunities for this every day (festivals, fairs, weddings, funerals and so on), and the obvious social commitments on the part of Christians towards their fellow-citizens would have meant that they had to take part in such events. Continue reading “Respect for Others as a Restriction of Freedom”
Love as a Feeling and as an Uncreated Gift of the Holy Trinity (Meat-fare Sunday)
by Vasileios Touloumtsis
It’s an unshakeable and irrefutable truth that every day of our earthly life is- apart from anything else- another step that brings us ever closer to our biological death. Despite the fact that this is the most certain event which will occur to each and every one of us, rich and poor, powerful and weak, in everyday practice we nevertheless are forgetful of it. We underestimate it, so it no longer functions for us as a compass showing the bearings to our destination, which is its advent. Continue reading “Love as a Feeling and as an Uncreated Gift of the Holy Trinity (Meat-fare Sunday)”
The Question of Evil
by Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae
The question of evil has been addressed hardly at all in the Orthodox Church. In comparison with other Christian dogmas, the answer is still expressed in a form that, of course, reveals the truth, but rather nebulously developed. Evil has its origins and draws its strength from the free will of created spirits, be they a part of the ranks of angels or human persons. This is the Orthodox position. But it’s a long way from being fully comprehensible. Continue reading “The Question of Evil”
Novo Scriptorium 