Theoria

[Rick H.]

From Slade to Pontus and Back Again

I have just returned from a very beautiful trip to Slade, Kentucky. There in the Red River Gorge area I encountered natural bridges carved by water and wind, and experienced other sights in nature that are truly beyond words. The huge variety of trees and plants, the rivers and streams running through the mountains, and the many caves yielded a very reverent place. As we entered a path to the Rock Bridge, my wife and I found ourselves walking slowly and softly through this place, and maintaining a reverent silence. When we spoke, although we were the only humans in the woods, we instinctively whispered to each other as if we were in a holy place. The farther we moved into the woods the more overwhelmed we were by the presence of the Spirit of Life. We were together, but we were in solitude as one with a quiet mind. In this sense we were passively yielded to the energy that was invading us on an increasing basis with each step. Both I and my wife, while growing up, have lived in many states around the country from coast to coast, and we are both widely traveled within the US. We always choose oceans, lakes, mountains, and woods to spend our time away. But, this was the first time we have experienced anything like this. This quiet mind, this nourishment, this experience/encounter was unique and has prompted me to start this new thread as we may consider among other things:

--Theoria as Contemplation

--Theoria as a Perception of Beauty

--Theoria as it Pertains to Holiness

--Theoria as it Pertains to the Contemplative Life

--Theoria as it Pertains to Theosis

And, as I have said, we seek out such places as the above, in the hope of finding such experience/encounter . . . places that are separate from other men. So it could be said that this solitude that we seek is contrived and is a spiritual exercise with the hope of experiencing the Spirit of Life through the eye of the soul in just this way/tenour.

And, as it relates to "seeing" and "hearing" in this way there is a parallel to be found in the life of St. Basil as he retired to Pontus, circa 358. He traveled to Pontus for the purpose of seeking solitude and silence. He traveled to a remote spot hoping to quiet his mind and to ascend to the contemplation of God.

It is here, in his letter II, that St. Basil teaches how to move from being as one who is as a new traveler at sea, one who is distressed and sea sick, to being one who 'transcends' the world and 'ascends' to the contemplation of God. Whereby, St. Basil says the first step in this ascent and our sanctification is a quiet mind.

Some define theoria along the line of a state of being akin to a spectator. And, I can fully appreciate this; however, possibly in light of all of the above we may consider theoria as well as a state of being in participation as well.

Orthodox seeds of contemplation anyone?

<<<<<<< Richard >>>>>>> are you still out there? :)

In Christ,
Rick

[Nina]

Theoria-vision of God (http://www.pelagia.org/htm/b05.en.the_illness_and_cure_of_the_soul.04.htm)

[Rick H.]

On Theoria: Not Organization; but, Organism

Thank you Nina. The link you supplied is very good. I appreciate the question that is asked at the very bottom of the first page in this link:

-"However, why has all of this tradition, which you develop for us here, been lost? asked Basil.

Why have we come to be unaware of essential elements in our Christian life? Why is this "maternal language" of our Church not spoken today? Why have we lost the living patristic word? I understand, as the time goes by and the conversation unfolds, that this is the real Orthodox life. Only in this way can we understand that the Church is not a religious organization, but a living organism, which enlivens man and makes him a member of the Body of Christ. Thus we realize that Christ is the life of people. Christ is the life of the world and of people, because He heals man and helps him pass the stages of perfection.

Why, I repeat, have we lost this tradition?"

[Nina]

On Theoria: Not Organization; but, Organism

Thank you Nina. The link you supplied is very good. I appreciate the question that is asked at the very bottom of the first page in this link:

-"However, why has all of this tradition, which you develop for us here, been lost? asked Basil.

Why have we come to be unaware of essential elements in our Christian life? Why is this "maternal language" of our Church not spoken today? Why have we lost the living patristic word? I understand, as the time goes by and the conversation unfolds, that this is the real Orthodox life. Only in this way can we understand that the Church is not a religious organization, but a living organism, which enlivens man and makes him a member of the Body of Christ. Thus we realize that Christ is the life of people. Christ is the life of the world and of people, because He heals man and helps him pass the stages of perfection.

Why, I repeat, have we lost this tradition?"

This 'why' is asked in chapter 4 (http://www.pelagia.org/htm/b05.en.the_illness_and_cure_of_the_soul.04.htm) of the book The illness and cure of the soul in the Orthodox Tradition (http://www.pelagia.org/htm/b05.en.the_illness_and_cure_of_the_soul.00.htm#mor e) of Metropolitan Hierotheos and of course it is answered and explained in the same book in chapters 5 (http://www.pelagia.org/htm/b05.en.the_illness_and_cure_of_the_soul.05.htm) and 6 (http://www.pelagia.org/htm/b05.en.the_illness_and_cure_of_the_soul.06.htm)

P.S You are right Rick that the link is very good and there is so much material from the books of the Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos. It is so wonderful of him to permit this, so that people can access for free all this amazing knowledge and help for their salvation. I also received an email where it said that the Metropolitan Hierotheos is one of the speakers in the Chrysostom Symposium.

[Effie Ganatsios]

Rick, you and your wife are very lucky to have experienced this.

I am reading "Wounded by Love" Elder Porphyrios at the moment and last night I read this :

"I climbed up on my own towards Mt. Athos to a height of about eight hundred metres. I had the Old Testament with me and I looked at the clear blue sky, at the sea which stretched out endlessly, at the trees, the birds, the butterflies and all the beauties of nature, and I shouted full of enthusiasm :"Christ is Risen". As I shouted like this I stretched out my arms passionately and they remained stuck firm.................... I became completely absorbed in these divine words (something he had read in the OT). I stayed for hours without being aware of the passing of time..............."

Effie

[Marie-Duquette]

From Slade to Pontus and Back Again

I have just returned from a very beautiful trip to Slade, Kentucky. There in the Red River Gorge area I encountered natural bridges carved by water and wind, and experienced other sights in nature that are truly beyond words. The huge variety of trees and plants, the rivers and streams running through the mountains, and the many caves yielded a very reverent place. As we entered a path to the Rock Bridge, my wife and I found ourselves walking slowly and softly through this place, and maintaining a reverent silence. When we spoke, although we were the only humans in the woods, we instinctively whispered to each other as if we were in a holy place. The farther we moved into the woods the more overwhelmed we were by the presence of the Spirit of Life. We were together, but we were in solitude as one with a quiet mind. In this sense we were passively yielded to the energy that was invading us on an increasing basis with each step. Both I and my wife, while growing up, have lived in many states around the country from coast to coast, and we are both widely traveled within the US. We always choose oceans, lakes, mountains, and woods to spend our time away. But, this was the first time we have experienced anything like this. This quiet mind, this nourishment, this experience/encounter was unique and has prompted me to start this new thread as we may consider among other things:

--Theoria as Contemplation

--Theoria as a Perception of Beauty

--Theoria as it Pertains to Holiness

--Theoria as it Pertains to the Contemplative Life

--Theoria as it Pertains to Theosis

And, as I have said, we seek out such places as the above, in the hope of finding such experience/encounter . . . places that are separate from other men. So it could be said that this solitude that we seek is contrived and is a spiritual exercise with the hope of experiencing the Spirit of Life through the eye of the soul in just this way/tenour.

And, as it relates to "seeing" and "hearing" in this way there is a parallel to be found in the life of St. Basil as he retired to Pontus, circa 358. He traveled to Pontus for the purpose of seeking solitude and silence. He traveled to a remote spot hoping to quiet his mind and to ascend to the contemplation of God.

It is here, in his letter II, that St. Basil teaches how to move from being as one who is as a new traveler at sea, one who is distressed and sea sick, to being one who 'transcends' the world and 'ascends' to the contemplation of God. Whereby, St. Basil says the first step in this ascent and our sanctification is a quiet mind.

Some define theoria along the line of a state of being akin to a spectator. And, I can fully appreciate this; however, possibly in light of all of the above we may consider theoria as well as a state of being in participation as well.

Orthodox seeds of contemplation anyone?

<<<<<<< Richard >>>>>>> are you still out there? :)

In Christ,
Rick

Dear Rick,

Beautiful! Awesome! Illuminating!

thank You!

marie_duquette

p.s. "Why has this tradition been lost to us?" questioned St. Basil.
Bishop Hierotheos in his Orthodox Psychotherapy on p. 40 quotes and paraphrases St. Maximus the Confessor:

"Certainly according to St. Maximus' teaching, theoria is not independent of praxis. 'Praxis is not safe without theoria, nor is theoria true without praxis. For praxis must be intelligent and theoria must be efficacious ...'. Maximus does emphasise that ' in case of the more learned, theoria precedes praxis, whereas with simpler people praxis comes first.' In both cases however, the outcome is good, they lead to the same result, the purification and salvation of man."

As I read Rick's beautiful post concerning Theoria - Vision of God, Contemplation, I couldn't help but think of this ref. to Maximus' understanding of the necessity of both Praxis and Theoria are needed to live the full Orthodox Life.

and, in relation to St Basil's query, reiterated by Rick:

"Why have we lost this tradition?"

it seems that too often the two (PRAXIS and THEORIA) are not offered as a unified, balanced teaching in our parishes. Perhaps too much emphasis is placed on the exterior "practices" --prayer, fasting, vigils, psalmody, standing, candles, icons, pews, etc. and not enough on "theoria" which is contemplation and vision of God. I am not saying this to be critical, but only as an observation on my part. Why do the "practices" exist except to point towards "Theoria" - Vision of God - Contemplation!

May there not be too much "caution" or FEAR of what is called "prelest" by the Fathers or "illusion" or "plani"? Thus keeping the faithful at an elementary level, always repeating the ABC's over and over again,?

Jesus in the Gospel narrations asks His disciples for "practice" but certainly not to the detriment of "Theoria" as is evidenced especially in the Gospel of John where the Living Waters of the Holy Spirit, and the Living Bread of the Word of God, the indwelling Presence of the Trinity, etc. are presented so beautifully as attainable by anyone who would follow Him completely!

These are simply a few thoughts that have come to me upon pondering the beginning of this Thread. Hopefully others more learned than I am will be able to fill in the many blanks leading from "Praxis" to "Theoria"

The first post that I wrote was lost in the ether, so I tried to simply present these few thought.

All to the Glory of God, as we keep our feet on the ground and our hearts and minds in heaven!

marie_duquette