Father Seraphim Rose

[Mark-Patrick]

I have a question. Is Father Seraphim Rose a Gnostic or not? I have heard many people claim that he is, and there is a book devoted entirely to the subject. A Priest, Father Michael Azkoul I think, wrote the book; he is entirely convinced that Father Seraphim was a Gnostic because he (Father Seraphim) taught about the existence of the toll-houses, the aerial stations in the sky where the recently deceased ascends to be judged on all of their evil deeds throughout their life. Father Azkoul says that the toll-houses have never been a part of Orthodox Doctrine, and that Fr. Seraphim made the whole thing up. However, this, if nothing else, is incorrect. Firstly, in the Prologue by Saint Nikolai Velimirovic, at the end of December we celebrate Saint Theodora, a disciple of St. Basil(not St. Basil the Great), who recounts her experiences of all 20 toll-houses to a fellow disciple of St. Basil. This account is also recorded in the book Eternal Mysteries Beyond the Grave, written by Archimandrite Panteleimon I think. Also in the book Counsels from the Holy Mountain, by Elder Ephraim of St. Anthony's Monastery in Arizona, the toll-houses are mentioned as well. Elder Ephraim also takes the trouble to make a list of all the fathers of the Church who have either directly or indirectly referred to the toll houses in their writings. The list is: St. Paul, St. Makarios of Egypt, St. Basil the Great, St. Ephraim the Syrian, Abba Isaiah, St. Hesychius the Presbyter, St. Diadochos of Photiki, St. Theognostos, St. Athanasios the Great, St. John Chrysostom, St. John of the Ladder(Climacus), St. John of Damascus(Damascene), St. Ignatius Brianchanninov, St. Theophan the Recluse, St. John of Kronstadt, and St. John Maximovitch. Certainly, after having seen this list of prestigious saints of the Church who affirm the toll-houses, we cannot just resign them to the realm of Fr. Seraphim Rose's imaginings. So, is Fr. Seraphim Rose a gnostic or not? Are the toll-houses real or not?

[Father David Moser]

I have a question. Is Father Seraphim Rose a Gnostic or not? I have heard many people claim that he is, and there is a book devoted entirely to the subject. A Priest, Father Michael Azkoul I think, wrote the book; he is entirely convinced that Father Seraphim was a Gnostic

Fr Seraphim is definitely NOT a gnostic. Fr Michael's book was initially prompted more by the dispute between Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Boston and Fr Seraphim in Platina CA. HTM wanted to be THE leader of the convert contingent in ROCOR but Fr Seraphim refused to submit to their claim. HTM then entered into conflict with Fr Seraphim at every turn and whenever they found anyone who had any kind of credibility (or not even) who was willing to speak out against Fr Seraphim, they were sponsered by HTM's large bankroll. Fr Michael Azkoul was firmly in the HTM camp and he was convinced to write this book to try and counteract Fr Seraphim's influence among many converts. Another of HTM's "operatives" whom they encouraged and financed was the Hierodeacon Lev Puhalo (who now identifies himself as "Archbishop Lazar" and was recieved by the OCA in that status despite the fact that he had been defrocked as a deacon by ROCOR long before as a result of his refusal to cease his very loud and very public contention with Fr Seraphim.)

Although I hold Fr Seraphim in high personal esteem as his writings were instrumental in my early years as an Orthodox Christian, I am not an unqualified "fan" of his. There are plenty of real criticisms, but was he a gnostic - No, never, not on your life.

Fr David Moser

[Andrew]

Another of HTM's "operatives" whom they encouraged and financed was the Hierodeacon Lev Puhalo (who now identifies himself as "Archbishop Lazar" and was recieved by the OCA in that status despite the fact that he had been defrocked as a deacon by ROCOR long before as a result of his refusal to cease his very loud and very public contention with Fr Seraphim.)


Father, I do not want to stir up contention. I honor the blessed Father Seraphim Rose as a great ascetic who strove after Christ, and helped sow seeds of Orthodox love for Christ in the hearts of thousands throughout the world (especially so in America). I do not think some of ROCOR's treatment of Archbishop Lazar is fair... he left ROCOR before he was "defrocked" over his own problems with supposedly shady dealings in Alaska. He did not know of the council that was called against him, and was only informed of it later. Also, to his credit, his past problems with Blessed Seraphim are over now, as can be evidenced by what Archbishop Lazar has written, and by pictures of him censing the icon of Fr. Seraphim at Saint John the Wonderworker Church in Georgia.

I'm sure you know a lot more about these matters than I do... so forgive me if I am misconstruing history.

[Father David Moser]

The version of the events that you provide regarding Fr Lev/Abp Lazar and the Synod of ROCOR is not quite what I recall having happened. (I was a deacon in a ROCOR parish at the time - Fr Lev helped train me when I was first ordained). But rather than rehash history, it is probably better to let it rest as much as possible and simply accept him and things as they are at present. Better we say no more about this in public.

Fr David Moser

[Scott Pierson]

Lev Puhalo (who now identifies himself as "Archbishop Lazar.

I read a book by Archbishop Puhalo about life after death. I forgot the name of the book. If I remember he seemed to support the doctrine of soul sleep untill the resurection of the body is that true ?

[Father David Moser]

I read a book by Archbishop Puhalo about life after death. I forgot the name of the book. If I remember he seemed to support the doctrine of soul sleep untill the resurection of the body is that true ?

Some say that his teaching is "soul sleep" and others deny that it is. The subtle distinctions cited to make the case that it is not escape me. Quite frankly, I have not given it the attention necessary to make an informed statement simply because the whole issue of "what happens when we die" is of essentially minor importance when in fact we are working out our salvation in the here and now, while we are still alive. As long as we follow the traditional practice of the Church offer intercessions for the departed and call on the saints for their prayers, we don't need to understand how it works, just that it works.

Fr David Moser

[Gregorios]

Fr. Seraphim Rose was not a Gnostic.

This I say as one who has read his works and who is very critical of Fr. Seraphim. Imho the only acceptable thing he ever wrote was his booklet on St. Augustine.

But critical as I may be towards Fr. Seraphim Rose I must say it is simply dishonest and incorrect to refer to him as a Gnostic. Fr. Michael Azkoul could and should know better. His critique of Fr. Seraphim may have some truth to it, but when he paints Fr. Seraphim as a Gnostic he is making a mockery of himself and his own scholarship if I may say so.

Gregorios

[Rebecca Gabl]

I don't want to start a debate, but I'd be interested to know (from a patristic point of view) what people's main criticism is about Fr. Seraphim. I know that I personally have relied on a lot of his writings for my own understanding of some aspects the faith, so I think that might give me good perspective. The only thing that I've heard of (besides the false accusations of gnosticism) is that some people think he has a tendancy to overemphasize certain things.

[Fr Seraphim (Black)]

I can not give you, perhaps a patristic point of view, but I can offer a monastic point of view.

It is very improper to judge others, certainly a monk, indeed a hieromonk who so clearly crucified himself to the world.

Were we there whilst he lived? I was not, though I certainly knew of him, through the Orthodox Word, and pilgrims who came to the monastery in England and had spoken with him. Personally, I never heard a negative remark.

Both on the Holy Mountain and in Romania I have seen icons of Fr. Seraphim. There he is regarded as a saint, the same holds true for Russia.

God alone knows the heart. Certainly we know this.

How many American born converts do you know who lived as he did and this in the latter part of the 20th Century? Is lived-Orthodoxy in America so steadfast that it can measure his stature or lack there of? Personally, I would be most circumspect to even assume such a position.

[Jeff Johnson]

Suffice it to say that Fr. Rose was a holy person, who contributed immensely to the good of the Church. For some reason, the Greeks do not seem to care for him, not from my experience. Sometimes he is called an "Orthodox Fundamentalist," a term so loosely thrown around, and in my mind translates as "not a relativist or liberal" in many cases.

I have not read many of his books, but was very impressed by "Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future."

[Fr Seraphim (Black)]

Personally a statement of his which is on the majority of the Romanian and Athonite icons that I saw and which I deeply appreciate is:

"It is later than you think".

Always an appropriate stance to take with oneself!

If not also with the world in its present sad, confused state, where so few, seemingly have any sense of direction.

As Fr. Sophrony stated: 'With few exceptions, all humanity is now living in a state of accidie. People have become indifferent about their salvation. They do not seek divine life. They confine themselves to forms of life which appertain to the flesh, to everyday needs, to the passions of this world, to mundane activities...the absence of concern for salvation is nothing else than the death of the human person.'

[Rebecca Gabl]

I never had any doubts about his asceticism or the holiness of his life. But I just wanted to know if there were any legitimate arguments that there was something amiss with his theology, which it sounds like there aren't. (Actually, I just saw the answer to my questions under "similar threads" at the bottom of the page!)

[Andrew]

I never had any doubts about his asceticism or the holiness of his life. But I just wanted to know if there were any legitimate arguments that there was something amiss with his theology, which it sounds like there aren't. (Actually, I just saw the answer to my questions under "similar threads" at the bottom of the page!)

http://www.new-ostrog.org/t_m.htm

Again, even if you come to the conclusion that Father Seraphim wrote some things not quite sound, he should not be judged for this. Father Seraphim Rose served the Church and the whole world, and continues to in the glory of Our Lord. He helped pave the way for more Americans to make their way into the Ark of Salvation, and witnessed to the martyrs in Russia and throughout the world. The depth of his repentance and the seriousness of his pursuit of Christ truly put me to shame...

I once asked my spiritual father about reading Blessed Seraphim's books... he said, "His translations are fine. Some of his theology isn't so good. Read Elder Porphyrios, Hierotheos Vlachos, and Elder Sophrony."

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

I never had any doubts about his asceticism or the holiness of his life. But I just wanted to know if there were any legitimate arguments that there was something amiss with his theology, which it sounds like there aren't.

I think there is something very important in this question if we mean it in a positive way.

Sometimes there are things which are plain wrong in a person's theology. Other times though it is more that it is not possible for any human being, no matter how holy, to have a theological presentation which, if read alone, is complete. The criticisms of Fr Seraphim came from both of these directions I think.

Here I can only speak of my own my own sense from having read Fr Seraphim for many years. I don't think there are any real theological problems with Fr Seraphim. Mostly those critical of him on this score refer to his so called teaching on the toll houses. Many people, especially during his life time, were also deeply critical of his ascetic other-worldly sense. Much of this fit into the context of the time when Orthodoxy in the west was involved in a fierce debate about the role of asceticism and the writings of the Fathers. At the time there was a grave danger that Orthodoxy was going to fall into two opposed camps each defined by their take on these issues. Thankfully for the most part this time has passed. But Fr Seraphim fit into this time along with his message. And most of his readers understood him according to how they were also struggling with similar issues.

This indeed is what gives some of Fr Seraphim's writings- especially his earlier ones- the polemical edge they do. Personally though I don't find anything really wrong with them on the theological level. No matter what anyone may say, things such as toll houses and radical asceticism, are clearly referred to in the Patristic testimony of the Church. If this means Fr Seraphim is a gnostic- well he's in pretty saintly company.

When it comes to balance however I think it's very important to keep in mind what he stresses and why. As already said, much found in his writings was shaped by the debate and discussion occurring in his day about the proper way to be Orthodox.

He clearly chose the ascetic route. He was aware of the Byzantine ascetic tradition, especially in its Russian 'northern Thebaid' form. But he rarely seemed to express the more mystical or neptic tradition. Whether this was from his personal hesitation to express what was related to his personal spirituality is difficult to say. Certainly he was a person of deep prayer as those who knew him continually testify. But it is also undoubtedly true that in the polemical atmosphere in which he found himself he consciously promoted a late 19th Russian spirituality of a certain kind. At times this gave a certain colour to his ascetic message.

Fr Seraphim's main message was the importance and preservation of Tradition. The question however is not only what in the past was a valid expression of Tradition. Rather the critical question is what from this past should be kept and how if it is kept can it be shaped for the present. I'm not sure that Fr Seraphim in his writings got to the point of clearly distinguishing between these two. Although the way in which his life was moving leads one to suspect a fuller understanding of Tradition. The later books which Platina published- especially the Optina Elders series- certainly implies this direction. And the present day Orthodox Word which they publish tends to confirm it.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Rebecca Gabl]

Other times though it is more that it is not possible for any human being, no matter how holy, to have a theological presentation which, if read alone, is complete.

Thanks, Fr. Raphael. That is a really good point. I should diversify my readings. Unfortunately, I'm not reading anything at the moment. I've read lives of saints, works on prayer and monasticism (a little), and homilies on scripture and feasts of the church, but not much theology, except in a general sense. Any recommendations, or is that off topic?

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Thanks, Fr. Raphael. That is a really good point. I should diversify my readings. Unfortunately, I'm not reading anything at the moment. I've read lives of saints, works on prayer and monasticism (a little), and homilies on scripture and feasts of the church, but not much theology, except in a general sense. Any recommendations, or is that off topic?

I think that Fr Michael Pomazansky's Orthodox Dogmatic Theology is very good.

Apart from this, reading the Holy Fathers is wonderful especially as they can each be approached on so many different levels.

I've developed the following reading list for the Survey of the Fathers course of the Online Pastoral School of the Mid-west Diocese (rocor). It's only meant though as an experimental beginning & foundation. Perhaps it would be of interest for someone just beginning to read the Holy Frs.

The Church is in great need of a multi-volume collection of basic Patristic texts in English (one perhaps about 3 volumes, the other more extensive divided by period; post-apostolic, apologetic, etc) accompanied by basic interpretation.

I haven't yet decided on the reading for St Symeon the New Theologian so there's nothing there beside his name. But I will choose one or more of the discourses from the SVS Vol 1 of his Ethical Discourses.

Patristics Course Outline & Schedule
Spring Semester 2007

Suggested readings on how to read the Holy Fathers:
i) How to Study and Communicate the Words of the Fathers, by Archimandrite Vasileios
ii) Following the Holy Fathers; Fr Georges Florovsky & the Patristic Mindset

Week 1- Feb 19: Apostolic Fathers:
i) Didache
ii) 1st Letter of St Clement of Rome to the Corinthians

Week 2-Feb 26:
i) St Ignatios of Antioch; Letters to Trallians, Romans, Smyrneans
ii) Letter to Diognetes

Week 3- March 5:
i) St Justin Martyr;1st Apology (excerpts)
ii) St Irenaeus of Lyons; Against Heresy Bks I-V (excerpts)

Week 4: March 12- Early Western Frs: (2nd-3rd cs)
i) Tertullian; Testimony of the Soul, Baptism (excerpts)
ii) St Cyprian of Carthage; On the Unity of the Church


Week 5: March 19- Exam

Week 6: March 26 -First Monastics & Desert Fathers
i) St Anthony the Great; Life of St Anthony by St Athanasius the Great of Alexandria
ii) St Pachomios the Great; read: Palladius: Lausiac History- The Monks of Nitria, Pachomius & the Tabennesiots, the Tabennesiot Nuns, The Nun Who Feigned Madness (watch out!- this version not completely corrected in online version)
iii) The Desert Fathers of Egypt- Sayings of the Desert Frs (excerpts)

Week 7: April 2- Holy Week (No assignment):

Week 8: April 9- Bright Week (No assignment)

Week 9:April 16
i) St Athanasius of Alexandria: On the Incarnation chaps 1-32, 54-57
ii) St Cyril of Jerusalem: The Procatechesis; Catechetical Lecture IV; Mystagogical Catechesis I-V

Week 10: April 23-The Cappadocians
i) Gregory Theologian: 2nd Theological Oration (1st Theo. Orat. Optional)
ii) Sts Basil the Great: On the Holy Spirit Chaps 1-11; 27: 66-67 (Homily 1 from Hexaemeron- optional)
iii) Gregory of Nyssa: The Great Catechism; Part I: Chaps 1 &2; Part II: Chaps 5, 7, 9, 10, 22, 23 PartIII: Chaps 38 & 40
Luminous Darkness ( a short essay on St Gregory’s Life of Moses)

Week 11: April 30
i)St John Chrysostom: Homily 4 on the Gospel of St John; Letter to a Young Widow
ii)St Cyril of Alexandria: Third Epistle of St Cyril to Nestorius with 12 Anathemas; 1st Paschal Homily

Week 12: May 7 Exam

Week 13: May 14-Later Western Frs
i)St Augustine
The Place of Blessed Augustine in the Orthodox Church- Fr Seraphim Rose Book 8 Confessions; Expositions on Psalms 122 & 123 (Note !!!: in our versions of the Psalter these are actually Psalms 121 & 122. Confusingly even the RC New Advent site uses wrong non RC numbering, perhaps because they are relying on the Protestant ccel translations)
ii) St Gregory the Great: Register of Letters, Book V, Letter 43: Gregory to Eulogius, Bishop of Alexandria & Anastasius, Bishop of Antioch
Life of St Benedict: Chaps: 1-3, 7,11, 14, 15, 20, 23, 31, 33, 35, 37
Last Page of the Moralia

Week 14: May 21- Syriac Frs
i) St Ephraim the Syrian: Hymns on the Nativity 1 (ccel), Nisibine Hymns 36, (ccel), Nisibine Hymns LII (52) ‘Concerning Satan & Death’; Hymn XIII Hymn of the Baptized (from 15 Hymns for the Feast of the Epiphany) (ccel), (read three of these);
Homilies: On the Sinful Woman; On Admonition & Repentance
ii) St Isaac the Syrian: texts (attachment)

Week 15: May 28
i) St Maximos the Confessor (ca. 580-662);
From Selected Readings: The Four Hundred Chapters on Love- first 20 of each chapter; Commentary on the Our Father; The Church’s Mystagogy;
ii) St John of Damascus (c. 676 – December 5, 749)
An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith- Book I

Week 16: June 4
i) St Symeon New Theologian
ii) St Gregory Palamas: On the Entry of the Mother of God into the Holy of Holies (Homily 53)

Week 17: June 11- Review

Week 18: June 18- Final Exam

[Rebecca Gabl]

My friend is doing the online pastoral school, and he says it's a ton of work. :) Would these texts all be found in a bunch of different books?

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

My friend is doing the online pastoral school, and he says it's a ton of work. :) Would these texts all be found in a bunch of different books?


It could be I'll be adding to the weight of reading as it were! :).

To avoid having the students buy so many books we've purposely designed the course so that the students will be able to refer to as many online texts as possible. Amazingly 90% or more of these texts were found online (quite a few here at Monachos or by using Monachos Patristics resources). Some texts can be used 'as is' as found on site. Other readings have been shortened into 'excerpts' and then formatted as separate Word Documents.

All of this material, links to readings, reading excerpts, course outline and explanation of the course have all been uploaded to a Google Docs & Spreadsheets site where they are available by email 'invitation' to students & anyone else interested. I'm still learning how the Google site works but so far it seems that invitations are for individual documents and not for the whole site at once.

So this seems to mean that for now each reading needs its own 'invitation', which means it would be easier, like the students, to get access to each reading week by week rather than all the readings at once.

Please contact me privately if you would like this material emailed to you.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Owen Jones]

Regarding Fr. Seraphim Rose, I think what happened is what often happens in a life of asceticism and withdrawal from the world. The experience of detachment from man, world and history ends up being objectivized into an expectation of the imminent end of man, world, history, which is what the ascetic has personally experienced. In other words, the individual and personal experience becomes not an example but an historical template. There is a tinge of gnosticism to any claim to know the end of history. The theology of "end times" is in fact the theology of the Church, however it is an experiential movement of the soul, not a historical prediction. I suspect that people will still be debating this a thousand years from now. Now, I say this while also confessing that I am very much a worldly person and I admit there are things that I am incapable of seeing that others can see. But I do not think, based on the historical record of disappointment regarding the "end times" that we should concern ourselves with this. I see this as somewhat of a contradiction within Fr. Seraphim, not as a reason to condemn his life or writings in general or the good works and miracles he performed.

[Rebecca Gabl]

The idea that detachment and asceticism leads to a sense of the end times is interesting. Maybe one could also say that it's spiritually good to live as if we are in the end times-- be spritually prepared to meet the bridegroom, be skeptical about new spiritual trends outside the Church, etc.

[M.C. Steenberg]

Regarding Fr. Seraphim Rose, I think what happened is what often happens in a life of asceticism and withdrawal from the world. The experience of detachment from man, world and history ends up being objectivized into an expectation of the imminent end of man, world, history, which is what the ascetic has personally experienced. In other words, the individual and personal experience becomes not an example but an historical template. There is a tinge of gnosticism to any claim to know the end of history. The theology of "end times" is in fact the theology of the Church, however it is an experiential movement of the soul, not a historical prediction. I suspect that people will still be debating this a thousand years from now. Now, I say this while also confessing that I am very much a worldly person and I admit there are things that I am incapable of seeing that others can see. But I do not think, based on the historical record of disappointment regarding the "end times" that we should concern ourselves with this. I see this as somewhat of a contradiction within Fr. Seraphim, not as a reason to condemn his life or writings in general or the good works and miracles he performed.

I just want to thank Owen for this post -- and for a tremendous lot to contemplate.

INXC, Matthew

[Owen Jones]

cheap at half the price!