Where to start?

[Celinda Grace]

I am not sure how to specify what I am looking for. I would like some suggestions for an overview of the teachings of the Spiritual Fathers and also a good introduction to some of the more important Greek words and concepts in understanding the spiritual life.

Maybe a list of the top 10 most important works of the Spiritual Fathers would be helpful and something I could read as an overview of the history of Orthodox 'mystical' theology and hesychasm.

[Ryan]

Hi Celinda-
I'm not too widely read on this myself. Currently I'm looking at John Meyendorff's Byzantine Theology: Historical Trends and Doctrinal Themes, which seems a good introduction to the basic history and some of the major Fathers, such as Maximus and Gregory Palamas. A good introduction to Orthodox theology/ spirituality, which you might already have read, is Vladimir Lossky's The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church. A very concise book I also have is Orthodox Spirituality: A Brief Introduction, by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos Hierotheos. It covers some basic topics really well. I ordered it from www.stspress.org. As for direct readings from the Fathers, there are so many to choose from, and so much I haven't read, that I don't know where to start myself. The Philokalia is a major source of Orthodox spirituality, containing writings by many fathers on prayer, asceticism, etc., but I get mixed signals as to whether these writings are appropriate for beginners such as myself. I'm certain someone else here can offer better suggestions.

[Herman Blaydoe]

I concur with Ryan's recommendation of Lossky and Metropolitan Hierotheos but I do warn that the Metropolitan, in particular, is a hard read. Very deep. I think the Philokalia is NOT a good place to start, it can be quite daunting and even confusing unless you already have a good understanding of Orthodox spirituality to begin with AND direct access to someone with an even better understanding!

[Owen Jones]

It would appear, Celinda, that you are doing a graduate term paper. The mysteries of God are not something to be studied from afar but up close and from within. They are not to be debated as in a school forum but believed in and practiced. So before you embark on your study you should consider attending Orthodox services as frequently as possible for perhaps a year. If there is a monastery nearby that permits female visiters, then there will be an opportunity to attend many vigils and special services. Then, I would advice not reading any theological treatises, or especially any esoteric texts, but find a compendium of patristic sermons. Try to follow the Orthodox calender by following Patristic sermons. There is much material available on the web. Perhaps elsewhere.

[Celinda Grace]

Owen,

I appreciate your concern and would agree with you whole heartedly. My search is not intellectual curiosity, but spiritual and is motivated as a result of my own relationship with God and where He is leading me. The Orthodox Church is not the only place where a living relationship with Christ can be developed.

"The kingdom of God is in potency in all those who believe, and in act in those who have completely laid aside all life of the body and soul in a natural way to gain the mansion of the Spirit, and who can say, “I live now, not I, but Christ lives in me.”" Maximus, Chapters on Knowledge (92)

". Our mind does not in this first encounter hold converse with the naked Word, but with the word made flesh, certainly in a variety of languages" (60)

The Protestant church may 'clothe' the Word in a different language but it is Christ nevertheless and He is present. The problem I am fighting is not a lack of Christ but a lack of words, 'clothing'. Protestant doctrine is a bit bare in this area.

[Celinda Grace]

Ryan and Herman,

Thank you for the suggestions. I appreciate you taking the time to reply.

[Peter Farrington]

God bless your studies Celinda.

I pray that they might be most fruitful and a blessing to you.

Peter

[Owen Jones]

We Orthodox should be jealous of the fervency of our Protestant friends -- but it also should be stated that Orthodox fervency is represented in a different way. In Protestantism, fervency and commitment to Christ is typically represented through acts of the will. In Orthodoxy it is, in a certain sense, just the opposite. We crucify the will through simple virtues of humility, self-denial, often in little things, like not speaking out when silence is better and so on. The difference is that these virtues are intrinsic to the transformation of the mind, body and soul, whereas in Protestantism, virtue is seen as a kind of add-on to salvation, which is seen as a confirmation of the will. In Orthodoxy, salvation does not have an on-off switch. It's more as if the soul makes progress from darkness into light, as if it were controlled by a reostat, not an on-off switch. Protestants typically confuse this with "works righteousness" which is a serious misinterpretation of the true path to Christ. And so the Protestant looks for some absolute sign of salvation in the form of a personal act of faith commitment. Paradoxically, the Protestant insistence on a guarantee of salvation leads to the psycho-therapist, because how does one really know he is saved? The Orthodox person who is truly practicing his faith because he does not create for himself a false goal of absolute knowledge; rather he practices his faith as an ongoing inner revolution of the soul and is confident that the Church provides the proper means. This is what Orthodoxy means: right praise or right worship. It is not simply a matter of right worship in the formalistic sense, but worshipping in and through the right attitude toward creation -- and meditating on the things that God has made so that they can be seen in their true nature, and we become one with that true nature. Which is why Orthodox worship is so physical in nature. It is a physical representation of the Kingdom which we can taste and see. Thereby, we enter into the Kingdom now. We do not have to wait until we die. And when we abandon all thoughts of self the result is an ecstatic union with God, not just Christ, but God as Holy Trinity, in which our minds, our souls, our bodies, find all that they require for true joy and happiness.

[Father David Moser]

Owen/Seraphim,

I just wanted to mention that this little description of the process and nature of salvation was really good. I'll keep it for future use.

Fr David

[Celinda Grace]

Owen said,


" in Protestantism, virtue is seen as a kind of add-on to salvation,
which is seen as a confirmation of the will.In Orthodoxy,
salvation does not have an on-off switch. It's more as if the soul
makes progress from darkness into light, as if it were controlled by
a reostat, not an on-off switch. Protestants typically confuse
this with "works righteousness" which is a serious misinterpretation
of the true path to Christ."

Well said, and I agree that there is a serious problem in this. Traditionally we call the growth of virtue the process of sanctification. In 'Protestant speak' salvation is roughly equivalent to Maximus's kingdom of God in potency and the process of sanctification to the kingdom of God in act. Those who confuse "works of righteousness" as a substitue for sancitification are called legalists. And legalism is certainly rampant in certain parts of the Protestant church, particularly in the ones who are loudest and most noticed in the news and such. The ones who are actually practicing Christianity as they ought are the ones you will never hear of unless you happen to know them.

The crucification of the self-will is a teaching that is sadly neglected and poorly understood. There have been a number of Protestant teachers that have stressed this- Andrew Murray and Oswald Chambers are two of the most popular but it is a hard teaching. For every Christain that enters wholly into the way of the cross there are myriads that are barely hanging onto the hem of His garment. It is so in the Orthodox as well as the Protestant church.


"how does one really know he is saved?" By faith- There is nothing visible upon which we base the knowledge of our salvation- I believe that I am saved, not because the church tells me, nor because I am a righteous person (I'm not) but it is wholly based on trust in the fact that God is good and honors His covenants. You put your trust in the Church we put our trust in the faithfulness of God. In this the knowledge of our salvation is a progression from darkness into light, a progression from doubt into certainty. In faith we have abandoned means, method and end apart from Christ alone. It is a much more interior approach and geared toward uniting the will with God, but we have lost much in the way of the practices for forming the body and mind to God. Sigh... I think I am getting out of my depth and starting to talk about things I still see only as shadows in the twilight.

I have enjoyed the discussion but if you want to continue we probably ought to move it over to the proper board. Please e-mail me if you post something, elsewhere.

[Celinda Grace]

Correction I should have said, "A much more interior practice and geared toward..." rather than approach.

[Iulian Cabasila]

Hi, Celinda!

I would suggest "The Experience of God" by Dumitru Staniloae, a Romanian Orthodox theologian. I read and re-read this book and keep finding it inspiring.

Other theologians you may want to read are Vladimir Lossky ("The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church" and "The Vision of God"), as well as John D. Zizioulas ("Being as Communion").

St. John Climacus' "The Ladder of Divine Ascent" is a wonderful and inspiring book as well.

Iulian