Christianity and Classical Culture: The Metamorphosis of Natural Theology in the Christian Encounter with Hellenism (Gifford Lectures Series)

Jaroslav Pelikan


Pelikan seeks to show, with great erudition, that the Cappadocians were able to synthesize Hellenic concepts, not all theological in origin, to meet the needs of their baptism of Greek thought into that of a more or less unified Christian vision. Emphasis is placed upon their use of apophatic theology (talking of God by saying what God is not- negation).

Really a useful book to dispel the myths that the theology of the Church, especially the Greek tradition, is, a al Harnak, a big squabble over an iota or a bunch of clap trap that disguises the gospel. Each culture appropriates the Gospel in a manner that makes it intelligible. Of course there will be some loose ends and need of trimming, but Pelikan expertly demonstrates the genius of these theologians in their synthetic abilities.

The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God

The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God
by Robert Louis Wilken

Wilken is one of the best writers on the early Church around. While each chapter deals with specific issues, he touches on a great deal of relevant points, which makes the read both enlightening and fun. His style is easy to follow, which is something that I cannot always say of the preeminent historian of dogma, Jaroslav Pelikan, who heartily indorses this book. You really won't go wrong with this one. Every page has a distilled quality that comes from teaching and living in the minds of the Fathers for several decades.

The contents are as follows: 1. Founded on the Cross of Christ 2. An Awesome and Unbloody Sacrifice 3. The Face of God for Now 4. Seek His Face Always 5. Not My Will But Thine 6. The End Given in the Beginning 7. The Reasonableness of the Faith 8. Happy the People Whose God is the Lord 9. The Glorious Deeds of Christ 10. Making This Thing Other 11. Likeness to God 12. The Knowledge of Sensible Things

He writes: "The intellectual tradition that began in the early Church was enriched by the philosophical breadth and exactitude of medieval thought. Each period in Christian history makes its own unique contribution to Christian life. The Church Fathers, however, set in place a foundation that has proven to be irreplaceable. Their writings are more than a stage in the development of Christian thought or an interesting chapter in the history of the interpretation of the Bible. Like an inexhaustible spring, faithful and true, they irrigate the Christian imagination with life-giving water flowing from the biblical and spiritual sources of the faith. They are still our teachers today."

In terms of errors or just overstatements, there are few worth noting, none of which deserve to take away from the book's great worth. Even so, he refers to Christ as having a divine and human nature, whereas it should read "natures" in the plural. Maybe a quibble, but we are Chalcedonian Christians, after all. And speaking of the Council of Chalcedon in 451, Wilken seems to think that the Fathers were too vague in that instance. Here I would think that in a way he misses the point of the Council's affirmation, or rather, 'affirmation by negation'. The Fathers were respecting the inherent mystery of the person of Christ and did so in words by remaining apophatic in their teaching by stating, "these things are untrue, of the rest, remain silent". It is a true understanding of that mystery that motivated this approach. It could go too far and lead to heresy to do otherwise. For Wilken this is a lack of clarity, for me, an example of wisdom in the face of the living God's presence. Moreover, a passing remark that Augustine is the premier Father leaves me as an Orthodox a little quizzical. We can say that he is the most widely read Latin theologian, but for us he lacks the Eastern mind and is very much a product and producer of what seperates the Latin and Greek theologies.

If you have an interest in history, you would also enjoy Wilken's Remembering the Christian Past and the works of Georges Florovsky. On the question of the Hellenization of the gospel, a la Harnak, which Wilken (and nearly all modern scholars) rejects thoroughly, see also Florovsky and Martin Hengel's works. Hurtado's Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity is worth buying and having near the desk. Another up and coming patristic scholar from whom we will be reading and hearing much more in the coming years, God willing, is John Behr, dean and professor of Patristics at St. Vladimir's. His new book, "The Way to Nicea" is a very helpful guide on the pre-Nicene Christiological tradition and would make a great companion to Wilken's book. Enjoy!

Eucharist, Bishop, Church: The Unity of the Church in the Divine Eucharist and the Bishop During the First Three Centuries

by John Zizioulas

I found this book to be very informative regarding the nature of ecclesiastical communion and the self-understanding (if such a reflective process even existed I have my doubts) of the Church in the early centuries. While ecclesiology as such is not strictly speaking a subject of dogma, since The Father, Son and Spirit are the center, it is useful in an age when there is such misunderstanding and confusion about ecclesiology on the part of many Protestants, Roman Catholics and Orthodox.

Zizioulas, one of the world's leadingtheologians and ecclesiologists (someone who thinks about hwhat it means "to be Church"), demonstrates that the notion of Church centers around the interrelationship of Eucharist, Bishop, and Laity. Not positing authority in the power of the bishop, nor even in the people, but in the place of Christ's presence- the bread and wine as partaken of by the people of God. The total Christ, Head and Body, is manifested in the eucharistic celebration of the risen Lord, given catholicity a qualitative and not a quantitative meaning. That means that we are the Church catholic when we gather together- we are the fullness of the faith at that point.

This raises the question, "does the Eucharist make the Church or vice versa?" It seems that Zizioulas would say both, but with the particular emphasis upon the former. Church qua Church only dangles off the mouth of the Father. It is always done unto, to use the phrase of Fr. Tarazi (which is why it is not its own object of study). But the context for this dangling is, according to Zizioulas, most manifest in the liturgy. So ultimately the notions of bishop, laity, eucharist are all interdependent. None exist without the other and they are continually in reference to one another.

Eucharistic ecclesiology has weaknesses when the attempt is made to make it cover too many bases, but it does seem to be the primal orientation of the early centuries and has received a wide resurgence in both East and West under such notables as Zizioulas, Afanasief, Meyendorff, de Lubac.

Other books of interest would include Zizioulas' masterpiece, "Being as Communion", which is, in my view, one of the best books to be read about any sphere of theology, "The Eucharist Makes the Church" by McPartlan (a comparison of Zizioulas and Henri de Lubac), "For the Life of the World" by Schmemann, and Werner Elert's classic study "Eucharist and Church Fellowship in the First Four Centuries". Enjoy!

The Pacifist Option: The Moral Argument Against War in Eastern Orthodox Theology

by Alexander F. C. Webster

"[T]he fight for our planet, physical and spiritual, a fight of cosmic proportions, is not a vague matter of the future; it has already started. The forces of Evil have already begun their decisive offensive.... Even if we are spared destruction by war, life will have to change in order not to parish on its own. We cannot avoid reassessing the fundamental definitions of human life and human society. Is it true that man is above everything? Is there no Superior Spirit above him?" Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Harvard Commencement Address, June 8, 1978.

Since the Orthodox tradition does not have, to my knowledge, a systematic doctrine of just war theory akin the Roman Church, this book is highly useful in formulating an informed opinion on the subject, arguing the Eastern approach has a strong tendency toward justice through peace.
I still struggle with this philosophically and, now that we are in Iraq and Afghanistan, the question becomes practical. When does violence in order to protect become legitamate? This book is VERY helpful for me. As a counterpoint, read C. S. Lewis' essay "Why I am not a Pacifist".

The author, an Orthodox priest and sometimes-military chaplain, is also a Lecturer of Religion at American University.

The Free Church and the Early Church: Bridging the Historical and Theological Divide

by D.H. Williams

This is a fantastic book and I recommend it highly, especially for Protestants and even more so for those who are of the Free Church variety- Baptists, Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, etc. Topics covered include the canon of Scripture and the notions behind it, tradition and the nature and role of authority in the Church.

My critique of this book, along with others that Williams has written, is that it does not go far enough, and bear in mind this is coming from an ex-Protestant (Lutheran CMS). You see, it is true that there are many commonalities between the free church movement and the early church, and this book shows that and helps other "free churchers" lose their suspicion of tradition and recover from some of their typical historical amnesia. However, it reminds me of something that Frank Schaeffer said in a lecture about 16 years ago, and I think it is worth at least considering in relation to historically-minded Protestants of both the magisterial and non-magisterial traditions. In response to someone who said that they have decided that they agree with the Church Fathers and personally believe their doctrines, and thus are in continuity with them, Schaeffer replied, "That is like saying that since you enjoy things about French culture and have studied the language you are therefore French." And that is my other point about this book. Suspiciously lacking (and something I have noticed in such works) is a full discussion of baptism, eucharist, ordination and grace. This is more of a litmus test to continuity with the past than free church historians usually give due, and at the root of patristic ecclesiology.

Some books to consider reading in this regard are Werner Elert's Eucharist and Church Fellowship in the First Four Centuries, Common Ground: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity for the American Christian by Jordan Bajis and The Fathers of the Church, Expanded Edition.

At the Origins of Christian Worship: The Context and Character of Earliest Christian Devotion

by Larry W. Hurtado

The great Harnack thought that were the historian of dogma to include within his bag of evidence the liturgy, he would be giving himself over to superstition outright. This book counters and corrects such a claim, which is also a premise in the works of the late Jaroslav Pelikan. Distinct from paganism by its monotheism, and distinct from Judaism with its binitarian (not ditheistic) devotion to Christ, Hurtado argues that the early, and limited, amount of liturgical evidence from the Christians offers an insight into the Christian understanding of God with an application to today's worship.

The whole question of who Jesus was thought to be by his followers and their immediate successors, and thus who we are to think he is, is tied directly not only to the scriptures of the old and new testaments, but to how they were written for and used in the Church's liturgical worship. Make no mistake about it, Christianity is a liturgical religion through and through, and without this hermeneutical principle in place, how we understand Christ will be skewed. To this extent Hurtado's work comes as a welcome read on the whole, since it places Christian worship in its true sitz im leben of Jewish, Roman and Greek religion and public life.

His summary of public and private worship during the late BCE and early CE is worth the cost of the book, fitting it all in the first 39 pages. He moves from there to consider a few key themes of Christian worship: intimacy among believers, especially around the Eucharist, equal participation of all regardless of socio-economic standing through baptism into Christ, fervor and zeal, perception as the redeemed Body of Christ on earth, eschatological hope and participation in the kingdom of heaven here and now as a foretaste and finally, charismatic potency, something that is often overlooked in modern accounts.

Following this, Hurtado considers the strong binitarian nature of their worship, with the Father as the one who is accessed and praised in the Son, Jesus Christ. Hurtado proposes that the role of the Spirit was more of the whole ambiance, imbued with the Spirit's potency, which is the "same Spirit whom Jesus has sent". This is a very useful section for those who believe Jesus "became a God" only in the 3rd of 4th century for political reasons after Constantine. (If you have any background with the primary sources, you understand quickly that this late deification theory is a bunk proposal, long outdated, used to sell books under controversial titles.) Readers may be interested to pursue this idea further in Hurtado's amazingly detailed door stopper, Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity or the short version, How On Earth Did Jesus Become A God?: Historical Questions About Earliest Devotion To Jesus.

Finally, Hurtado tries to apply the previous knowledge to our modern context of confused, silly and downright heretical worship that tries to pass itself off as Christian. He does it rather gently with the typical calls to being clear who is being worshiped (not confusing the persons/roles of the Trinity, e.g. the Father did not die on the cross, etc), not being patriarchal (whatever that means for worship he doesn't exactly say, only that we are not create God in a male image after our own likeness) and worship as a participation in the heavenly worship even now (a shock that most Protestants are wary of given their soft belief or downright rejection of the "communion of saints" idea from Hebrews 11 and 12). See Any Friend of God's Is a Friend of Mine for some food for thought.

There are only a few points that I think could be better explained or corrected. First, he claims early on (46) that the early church had no priesthood (presbyteros). Well, perhaps it is semantics, and I suppose is depends on how you define it, but if it means "someone in a position of spiritual authority who leads the community and deals with a religious sacrifice/offering to God", then by all means they did have a priesthood. Why? Because the early Church understood their Eucharist as an offering of thanksgiving (the meaning of the word) unto God, which was a participation in the "once for all" sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for our salvation. And we know from the NT and the witness of people like Saint Ignatius of Antioch and Saint Polycarp that certain men, not women, officiated at the gatherings doing this action. The NT calls them overseers, which is an English translation of episkopos/oi, which is another way of saying "Bishops". The fact is that the distinction between the episcopacy and a parish priest/elder was blurry in the first century and even in the second in some parts (see Acts 20:17 and Titus 1:5,7), but the role of priest/elder only developed when the house churches expanded in a given city beyond the liturgical participation of the "one bishop to every city" rule and Christ's return was not as soon as expected. In a sense, the Church had to be more structured for the foreseeable future, which could be a long time. But the liturgical action was the same, which is the point. See Elders in Every City: The Origin an Role of the Ordained Ministry and Apostolic Succession for two brief introductions to the topic.

That early worship was rather "informal" may not be the case, and I am not sure that is the only perspective to take from the primary sources. Whatever "relatively informal" means, it doesn't mean "make it up as you go along". Yes, there is was certainly a place for that, but the main structure of readings, homily, meal was set based upon synagogue and temple worship. It was still a very Jewish event. See The Shape of the Liturgy and In the Shadow of the Temple: Jewish Influences on Early Christianity.

I also feel that Hurtado could make much more of the significance of both baptism and the Eucharist, since they are defining liturgical elements in what it means to "do Church". It seems he stayed out of any areas of theology that may ruffle feathers. In this regard, please see Jeremias' two brief studies Infant Baptism in the First Four Centuries and The Origins of Infant Baptism: A Further Study in Reply to Kurt Aland and Werner Elert's magisterial Eucharist and Church Fellowship in the First Four Centuries . Christians were very much of one mind that they participated in the body and blood of Christ and were born again in union with Jesus through participation in baptism for remission of sins (little kids, too, and babes in arms) and regeneration. He skimps out on the Eucharist part, but does show that baptism was more than a "me and Jesus" affair. His explanation of what it means to be "called out" (ekklesia) is very good, however.

His ending discussion on gender, God the Father and idolatry is interesting, but I am not sure where he goes with it. He writes that we are not to think God is a male, so males run the show. It is unclear if he means that woman can therefore lead the Eucharistic assembly as the bishop or elder, or if he means that men and women are otherwise equal, or what. Maybe I need to reread him. Be that as it may, I think it is not a proper use of liturgical theology, if this is what he means to say, that woman can officiate the Eucharist since we are all one in Christ with no male or female, rich or poor, etc. The elder/priest/bishop represents Christ, serves as an icon of Christ. I am not entirely convinced that this excludes woman from that role, but I would not make that sort of argument based upon talk of God as Father. It has everything to do with Jesus and his role, not the Father. When St Paul says that we function as images of the Father and not vice versa, this is not what he is writing about, so I wonder where to apply Hurtado's theme. Since the book is about liturgy, it seems to apply it there, but he never comes out and says it that way. On this point, see Speaking the Christian God: The Holy Trinity and the Challenge of Feminism, This Is My Name Forever: The Trinity & Gender Language for God and Women and the Priesthood.

Lastly, in the context of his argument about gender he seems to say we cannot use images in worship, citing Exodus. Yet he could go on to cite a few verses further where God commands Moses to use images and he fails to see that post-incarnation we very much may image God in Christ, along with the saints, who are deified by his grace alone, which is done very early on as seen at Dura Europas and Rome. Seems a little truncated in the conclusion department. And that the book lacks an index is unacceptable. Seriously, what text of a scholary nature should go without an index? A major pet peeve! Still definitely worth the read.

Exploring the Inner Universe

Exploring the Inner Universe
by Archimandrite Roman Braga

Fr. Roman Braga, a priest-monk of the Romanian Orthodox Church, confessor for Christ and a founder of modern Orthodox monasticism in both the U.S. and South America, has blessed us with the publication of this book, part biography, part interview and part essay- all very edifying. The depth of his words come not only from a life spent nurtured in the monastic tradition of Orthodoxy, with its emphasis upon humility, love, work and prayer. For over 11 years he was imprisoned under the Communist regime in Romania, including several years in solitude confinement. Most of the others went insane, yet like so many confessors of the Faith before and since, Fr. Roman delved into his heart through prayer to meet God. In fact, he says it was his prison experience that turned him into a monk, so to speak.

Although 85 years old, I spoke with him recently at the Dormition of the Mother of God monastery and he is still quite stong. While reading the prayers in commemoration of the faithful departed, I stood behind him, looking at the scars on his head from the beatings he took years ago. I asked him once, what he would do if he saw any of his old guards who were so cruel to him. He simply said without hesitation, "I have seen them. I love them." That is where this book is coming from. Please read this book. Each sentence is full of love, humility and penetrating truths like the brush strokes of an icon of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I also ask that you consider reading two other modern classics that will certainly uplift and inspire you to love God and neighbor with a renewed sense of God's presence and will in your life: Mountain of Silence and Father Arseny. Both are true gems waiting in the field for you to uncover. If not now, when?

Conversations With C. S. Lewis: Imaginative Discussions About Life, Christianity and God

Conversations With C. S. Lewis: Imaginative Discussions About Life, Christianity and God
by Robert Velarde

Since my teen years Lewis has played a large role in forming and articulating my thoughts about not only religion, but academics, literature and much else. I try to read as much as I can about the man to gain new insights from his thought, and this book is one of the best introductions in that regard. Reminiscent of Peter Kreeft's Socrates Meets Jesus: History's Greatest Questioner Confronts the Claims of Christ, Velarde's main character finds himself in dialogue with Lewis while at hospital. They begin to wax philosophical, and Lewis takes Tom on a journey that recounts the main historical, philosophical and theological developments in Lewis' life, all the while in dialogue with Tom's own doubtful worldviews.

Again, this has been one of the more enjoyable books about Lewis (and theology/philosophy) that I have read in a while because while it is engagingly written it cuts to the existential importance of the ultimate questions, and does so in a manner that is not preachy or cheesy. It's also a very quick read if you want it to be. It really should be turned into a film.

If you are interested in Lewis and have read most of his books, you may find these useful as well: Jack: A Life of C. S. Lewis, The Life and Faith of C.S. Lewis: The Magic Never Ends, Narnia & Beyond: Chronicles of CS Lewis, The Magic Never Ends - The Life and Work of C.S. Lewis, THROUGH JOY AND BEYOND, The Magic Never Ends: An Oral History of the Life and Work of C.S. Lewis (the book) and C. S. Lewis: Images of His World.

Wishing you the best on your journey further in.

Inhabiting the Cruciform God: Kenosis, Justification, and Theosis in Paul's Narrative Soteriology

Inhabiting the Cruciform God: Kenosis, Justification, and Theosis in Paul's Narrative Soteriology
by Michael J. Gorman

This is a solid book. As an Eastern Orthodox Christian, and as a former Lutheran (LCMS), I have seen two poles of Pauline soteriology expounded from the scriptures, one focusing upon the ontological union of `in Christ' and his Church through his victory over death (which is another way of saying `theosis') and the other `Christ for us' as the ransom from sin death and the devil. While not mutually exclusive by any means, one could argue that Western theology, and Protestant theology in particular, has been a bit myopic when it comes to reading St. Paul, a reading that often has more to do with Augustine, Luther and Calvin and less to do with St. Paul and the liturgy of the faithful. This book serves as a useful corrective by showing that Paul's understanding of God in Christ is ontological, kenotic and plurotic: In God's self-emptying in Christ we are raised into his life (which is what Orthodox mean by grace). In the words of St. Athanasius, that great defender of Christ's person and natures, "God became man that man might become God." Of course this is shocking language to many, but understood scripturally the concept gives full value to the incarnation, which is the center not only of our own personal histories but of History itself, and written in the heart of God before the foundation of the world.

The Protestant theologian Karl Barth wrote in his Dogmatics that all the dubious features of Calvinism come from the fact that, in the end, Calvin separated God from Jesus Christ. I believe this to be very true of most `theology', if the term can even apply. It begins with unrecognized philosophical presuppositions that are read into the text of scripture rather than being read as it is within the context of the liturgical community, which I would argue is the most accurate method of exegesis.

Other books of interest may include: Fellow Workers With God: Orthodox Thinking on Theosis (Foundations), The Ground of Union: Deification in Aquinas and Palamas, The Doctrine of Deification in the Greek Patristic Tradition (Oxford Early Christian Studies), One with God: Salvation As Deification and Justification (Unitas Books), Partakers of the Divine Nature: The History and Development of Deification in the Christian Traditions, On The Incarnation, Christ Present In Faith: Luther's View Of Justification, Problems With Atonement: The Origins Of, And Controversy About, The Atonement Doctrine and Christus Victor: An Historical Study of the Three Main Types of the Idea of Atonement. John Behr's The Mystery of Christ: Life in Death is essential reading in understanding history and theology "in the crucified Lord of glory". Of course, a reading/praying of the liturgical texts of the Christian tradition make very plain that Gorman is more than onto something- he is rediscovering for the West what was at the heart of the early church's experience of God in Christ and the Spirit.

God the Holy Trinity: Reflections on Christian Faith and Practice (Beeson Divinity Studies)

God the Holy Trinity: Reflections on Christian Faith and Practice (Beeson Divinity Studies)
by Timothy George

The publication of this book is a welcome addition to what is becoming a renewed focus in Western Christianity; namely, focus upon theology proper, God in God's self. With all of the anti-this & that and solas of the Reformation, God the Father, and thus a proper understanding of both His Son and Spirit, had been distorted and neglected. For a variety of reasons, not the least of which is renewed contact with the Eastern Orthodox liturgical/theological tradition, Western theology, both Roman Catholic and Protestant, is recovering from its amnesia. While this slim volume is not one that I would put on a top ten list of books to read when thinking about Trinitarian theology, it does have its merits.

Alister McGrath's essay on Evangelicals and Trinitarian theology isn't too engaging (is he ever?), but does rightly call us to have a mental humility before the mystery of God. Without limiting God to transcendence, he rightfully remarks that we must stick to our data, and not get so absorbed in our thoughts about God that we forget that loving God covers over a multitude of "unknowings", and that this is just fine. This is akin to the Orthodox approach to apophatic, or negative, theology. God is fundamentally a mystery in which we participate, not understand. This is a good way to set the tone for reading the other essays.

Massey's essay on African-American spirituals notes the role of the Holy Spirit. While useful, I found it to be rather narrow for a larger reading; likewise can be said for Packer's reflections on the Puritan John Owen. In at least two other conferences I have heard him present on Owen and at this point it just doesn't do it for me. Too narrow for general readership.

Essays that I found more general and insightful would include Matthew-Green's reflections on the Eastern Orthodox approach/experience of God as Father, Son and Spirit in Her art & architecture. She reminds us that it is in the context of worship that we come closet to "knowing" God in a communion of love, as the Church is the Body of Christ. That can never be said enough, and one might find in this approach a useful metric to just how Christian much of what passes for worship actually is (or isn't). Dulles' essay echoes the liturgical aspect of theology, with his reflections upon the nature of baptism.

Charry's critique of Barth, Jenson and LaCugna is through her Augustinian lens. This means that she wants to temper the "social" aspect of the Trinity with Augustine's notion of divine simplicity. I am not exactly sold on this at all, but it will resonate with classical Western theology. It can be a tricky conception, but it does serve to guard against tritheism.

Most useful for myself has been George's critique of Muslim critiques of Christian trinitarianism, showing that Mohammed fundamentally misunderstood Christian theology on this point by believing that Mary was the third member of the Trinity and that she had sexual intercourse with God to spawn Jesus. While Mohammed may have been exposed to a heretical Marian cult, and developed his ideas of Christianity form that, it dose show that the Quran is off-base in its critique of the Faith.

Robert Louis Wilken's Remembering the Christian Pasthas an excellent chapter on this topic as well. There are a few other essays that are included that yo can see in the index above. I would steer readers who are interested in this topic to a few other books before buying this one: Being as Communion: Studies in Personhood and the Church (Contemporary Greek Theologians Series, No 4), Energies of the Spirit: Trinitarian Models in Eastern Orthodox and Western Theology (American Academy of Religion Academy Series), The Tripersonal God: Understanding and Interpreting the Trinity, Trinity and Incarnation: The Faith of the Early Church (Theology), The God of the Gospel of John, The Cruelty of Heresy: An Affirmation of Christian Orthodoxy, The Mystery of the Trinity: Trinitarian Experience and Vision in the Biblical and Patristic Tradition and, needed in any approach to theology, Vladimir Lossky's The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church.

On Pascha: With the Fragments of Melito and Other Material Related to the Quartodecimans (St. Vladimir's Seminary Press "Popular Patristics" Series)

On Pascha: With the Fragments of Melito and...
Translated with notes by Alistair Stewart-Sykes

 As lent began, I thought it would be a good time to read On Pascha, with its liturgical reflections on the deliverance of humanity from the bondage of sin, death and evil through the life, death and resurrection of Christ. It is certainly very much worth the brief amount of time it takes to read, and I am left with a deeper appreciation of the early Asian church's understanding of the interplay between the Passion of Jesus Christ and the "deliverance history" of the Old Testament. Nothing is random in salvation history, and Melito's typological approach is beautiful to read and reflect upon.

The actual translation is euphonic, and I actually found it more powerful when I read it aloud. This is connected to Melito's oratory power, and the superb introduction to the text gives a detailed account of how Melito's style fits into the oratory context of the second century. And speaking of the introduction, readers who have more than a devotional interest will be highly impressed with the succinct and detailed overview of the following themes: the role of Judaism in Christianity in the second century in Asia and the West; liturgical rites of Paschal (Easter) celebrations in use at the time, including the resulting controversies (namely, the Quartrodeciman); rhetorical traditions of the time; the Asian church's eschatology, Christology, liturgical rites, and much more. An extensive bibliography and index are included. Please also check out the translator's detailed The Lamb's High Feast: Melito, Peri Pascha, and the Quartodeciman Paschal Liturgy at Sardis (Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae).

Evangelicals and Tradition: The Formative Influence of the Early Church (Evangelical Ressourcement: Ancient Sources for the Church's Future)

Evangelicals and Tradition: The Formative Influence of the Early Church
By D. H. Williams

For those Protestants who have their reservations about the Christian tradition (largely quite "unProtestant") this book is for them. The author is himself a Baptist and very well-versed in both Church history and the Church Fathers. His goal is fourfold: 1) Demonstrate that Scripture and early tradition go hand in hand and that Scripture is part of tradition, given by the Church to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ correctly., 2) theology exists as a part of the worshipping community, and not as an abstraction. Without right worship, there is no right doctrine 3) our personal liberty in the Holy Spirit is a corporate liberty. That is, we exist as "members one of another" who cannot go off and "do our own thing" 4) the Protestant tradition must be reintegrated into the greater catholic tradition to properly understand itself and the Gospel. In short, the author doesn't try to make a Protestant into a Catholic, but to dispel the myths surrounding the Tradition to show the Protestant what it means to be a Christian in context.

I would recommend the author's other book, Retrieving the Tradition and Renewing Evangelicalism: A Primer for Suspicious Protestants, more than this book, good as it is.

The God Delusion

By Richard Dawkins

Nearly ever book that I review is one that I would want others to read. THIS IS NOT THE CASE FOR THIS BOOK. After hearing so much hype about it in the press, and thinking I must be missing something, I have read and reread the book. But my assessment has not changed one bit, but only become stronger. I suggest that Dawkins should stick to his day job. Although he's a superb biologist when dealing with observable facts, he isn't a philosopher and he shouldn't play one in print. He doesn't seem to have the mind for it. Why? Because the philosophical mistakes that he makes in this book are so silly that one has to wonder what his editor was thinking (or drinking). What one finds are the jumps in logic that I would expect from someone like Shelby Spong trying to eliminate the miraculous or a high school freshman who is trying to dismiss religion to justify his binge drinking.

And this gets to the heart of the problem of the book. It is mostly an emotional rant against Dawkins' concept of God, which I admit I do not believe in either. So don't get me wrong, I am not exactly bashing his atheism (which is not logical in my view), just the oddly weak nature of his strawman arguments that only saw the light of printed day owing to his stature in his proper field of expertise, which is not theology or philosophy.

Major example of silliness: Since the more complex a thing is the more unlikely it is to exist, God is most likely not there, since God would be hypercomplex. But this proves nothing and doesn't even follow logic. Of course any idea or concept of God will include the "beyond beyond" apophatic category, but isn't that logical and doesn't it allow for the simplicity of God at the same time? Both arguments are circular, but his is the diameter of a basketball hoop. It holds very little grey matter. Moreover, it assumes God must be complex. That is just his prejudiced assumption. God doesn't have to be complex. In fact, it is just as logical or not to assume divine simplicity. Look at the Western Theological Tradition with people like Aquinas or Augustine, i.e., real philosophers. Divine simplicity is part of the package for them. Or, to put it plainly, he is applying biological ideas and categories wrongly to the divine, which last time I checked no theologian of the Christian tradition ever does. Why not? Because it doesn't make sense to speak of God as just the most complex creature in the universe, just the biggest kid on the block. That would be changing what Christians, Dawkins' main object of ridicule, mean by the term "God". But that is what little kids (and Dawkins) think about God, not philosophers and theologians (or hopefully adults). And it's sad his editor didn't ask him, "Uh, Rich, you never proved your premise. Not even attempted to prove it." Again, poor logic.

At any rate I am not sure that theists need to even speak of the probability of God existing. It is not probable for God to exist; but that aside, his confusion of probability with impossibility is unwarranted and a basic redefining of the terms. I can guess that he doesn't believe in the possibility of eleven-sided triangles, but whatever.

A further example of silliness is his idea that evolution writ large, especially neurological evolution, disproves God since it is random, and thus unlikely. But how so? It only disproves a particular type of literalist fundamentalism, which even most Christians in the past rejected anyway. From very early on, Christians at least (I am thinking of Basil and Macrina in the fourth century, among many others) have said that God does what God does, and if science shows how it is done, great, but it never can answer the "why" behind the purpose. That is a cosmogogical question, not a cosmological one. It is a purely philosophical/theological question. And besides, something's being unlikely doesn't disprove its existence, only its unlikely existence. That is a huge distinction and it is just, if not more, supportive of theism's claims about creation. But again, Dawkins is dismissing a childish view of God and claiming he dismissed the Great Tradition. Simply strawman silliness that people get duped by, since it reinforces their own atheistic fundamentalism.

Can't we have open, logical minds? Richard Dawkins, or at least his editor, should have actually read some theology or philosophy before writing the book. It would have made his arguments stronger and my review shorter. Again, it is simply astounding to read how much faith Dawkins puts in the god of Chance. The role of chance once the universe is created is reduced (to odds that are still much larger than he admits), but his premise of a one in a billion chance of DNA to arise is way too optimistic by hundreds of trillions and would require way more than the 13-odd billion years the universe has existed.

And no matter how we understand the process of evolution, it is simply an article of faith to say that no god created whatever it is at the beginning; as much a leap of faith as any theists'. This is where Dawkins' own god of the gaps enters in: chance. For him, anything is possible, even the impossible, except for the existence of God, since he uses a very gigantic and unwarranted understanding of the idea of chance, which is NOT a cause of anything, to replace the reality of god. But he offers absolutely no logical basis for the belief. None whatsoever. He should at least be an agnostic if he followed logic and not bias. (Oh yes, atheists have faith.) And finally, although this is perhaps being petty, the cover speaks more than it perhaps may have intended. You will notice that his name is what you really notice before the title. This is so true. The book is about his half-formed and ill-willed rants more than it is about anyone's supposed delusions. Were it not for the seriousness of the subject, this book would be a sad, but somewhat humorous, tale.

Please see these for better arguments for and against religion: Does God Exist?: A Dialogue, The Restitution of Man: C. S. Lewis and the Case Against Scientism, Miracles, The Abolition of Man, There Is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind, Does God Exist: The Craig-Flew Debate and Answering the New Atheism: Dismantling Dawkins' Case Against God. On the lack of scientific objectivity, which is often erroneously a subtheme of the atheist/theist question, see not only the previously mentioned books, but also Discerning the Mystery: An Essay on the Nature of Theology (Clarendon Paperbacks) (which is twenty dollars in paperback) and Truth And Method (Continuum Impacts). Lastly, just take a few hours and read this newer book The Devil's Delusion: Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions. It is a primer by a highly respected agnostic on why authors like Dawkins are in no position to speak with any authority on philosophical questions, even if "they can recite the periodic table" front and backwards, and why the new strand of militant atheism is not based upon rationality, but upon faulty preconceptions, bigotry and a misconception of the role of science itself. Being an expert in one field does not automatically cross-pollinate into other fields. A notable exception, however, is the author of The Devil's Delusion, David Berlinski, who has a Ph.D. from Princeton University and has taught mathematics and philosophy at universities in the United States and in France.

You see, it isn't as simple as Richard pretends it to be, and his rants are much more about himself than either science or religion.

How to Read the Church Fathers

How to Read the Church Fathers
By A. G. Hammon

This is the first book I ever read on the Fathers and it served me very well. Anyone interested in learning about the pioneering figures of Christianity should start here. Tracing the story from the beginnings in Jerusalem, Hammon blends large sections of primary sources, maps, charts and concise and detailed background information to take you by the hand through what can be a rather confusing story. You'll learn all about the philosophical backgrounds that the Fathers worked in and among, the nature of martyrdom (so different form what we think now with the rise of militant Islam), early eucharistic worship and creeds, eastern vs. western theological trends, the role of bishops and the canon of scripture. The attractive layout helps you stay connected to the main points and gives you some entertainment, too. Very well done and highly recommended.

See also Evangelicals and Tradition: The Formative Influence of the Early Church (Evangelical Ressourcement: Ancient Sources for the Churchs Future), Tradition, Scripture, and Interpretation: A Sourcebook of the Ancient Church (Evangelical Ressourcement: Ancient Sources for the Churchs Future), By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition and Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers (Penguin Classics).

Praying with the Orthodox Tradition

Praying with the Orthodox Tradition

By Bishop Kallistos Ware

Prayer is the breath of the Christian life, as it unites the heart and mind to God an reminds us that we are our brother's and sister's keeper. This very slim volume is a handy book to have in the glove box, desk drawer, purse or backpack. Broken down by time (sunset, midnight, 9 am, noon etc), the prayers come right out of the Orthodox Christian monastic prayer cycle that all Christians can use for profit.

Some sections are longer than others, but usually you can pray any given section in about five minutes, or, if you need a shorter prayer, you can do it in 30 seconds. God knows what we need and can do. And the introduction by Bishop Kallistos Ware is very much worth reading over a few times a year, showing how prayer is something we do with the body and mind and heart, a recognition of God's holiness and mystery, a rejoicing in His love and intimacy, how it is Trinitarian and, since we ar emade in teh image of the Trinity, how our prayer is never individualistic- we belong to each other.

The Mystery of Christ: Life in Death

The Mystery of Christ: Life in Death
By Fr John Behr

Behr begins with a quote from Kierkegaard: "We only understood life backwards, but we must live forwards." This he takes as the starting point for his discussion on what "doing theology" in the manner of the Apostles and Fathers is exactly about, which, he argues, is often misunderstood or rejected today. He writes "Most modern expositions of theology exemplify Kierkegaard's observation that we understand backwards, yet fail to take adequate account of this fact. That is, they begin with the results of the theological debates of the early centuries, especially Trinitarian theology and Christology, but separate these theological formulas from the way in which they were in fact learned and from the exegetical practice, the manner of using scripture, in and through which they were articulated." So by starting with the wrong premises of a fixed Scriptural canon or defined dogma we are drawn away from the true hermeneutical lens of the crucified Christ and replace him with our own ideas of him, usually the result of post-Reformation debates about authority or post-modern debates about "the real meaning of the text."

Such historicism, secular or Christian, either presupposes what it is trying to debate and understand, thus missing the Christological nature of scriptural interpretation inherent to the Apostles and Fathers, or it rejects the search as too far removed from the sources to allow for any encounter with truth (which can be argued away through various deconstructions concerning socially constructed meaning and linguistic contortions). Or, to return to my museum experience, it is assuming that the image on the tapestry, if it is to even be trusted as a representation of something true, is obvious and always known, not understanding the process of working from the back to the front, even though the Apostles and Fathers had only known the gnarled threads until the crucified Lord opened the scriptures to them in the breaking of the bread (Luke 24). So for the Apostles and Fathers, only God can reveal His ways to mankind and it is in the context of the broken bread, the Eucharist, that we encounter Christ, which rightly proclaims His death until He comes again (1 Corinthians 11:26). As Behr observes, "It is these two complimentary ways, the engagement with the scriptures and the sharing in the Lord's meal...that Paul specifies that he had received...and then handed down to later generations."

Our scientific and historic methodologies, useful as they are, must not be used as first principles in our encounter and understanding of God, even if we are the recipients or byproducts of a tradition that encountered God crucified in the flesh. Only by seeing the crucified Lord as the starting point for understanding salvation's meaning could the Apostles and Fathers retrospectively grasp the meaning of the Jewish scriptures. Christ is read into the Old Testament; or, rather, the Old Testament is read out of Christ. Christ's revealed meaning of His death is the rainfall that brings the scriptures to bear fruit. And without His Spirit, the veil will remain over our eyes when we read Moses and the Prophets, as it does for those who put their preconception of God before the revealed nature of his death and resurrection, serving as "a stumbling block for some and foolishness for others," as it does most strongly for Muslims who claim that God would never be caught dead in a body, ironically limiting God to transcendence.

From this hermeneutical lens of Christ, Behr draws out the implications of such an approach as found in the Fathers and Apostles. First, Christ's death is already a victory, not the unfortunate event that had to happen in order to get to the resurrection, and much less the necessary Anslemian price to pay in order to satisfy the wrath of the angry Father. "The empty tomb is the confirmation of the victory wrought upon the cross. Christ's exaltation, the lifting up spoken of by Isaiah, is precisely his exaltation on the Cross..." As the Orthodox sing each Pascha, "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death." And it is in the context of his victorious suffering that he is revealed as I AM, the Christ of God that mere flesh and blood cannot reveal to us (John 8:28).

Secondly, Behr extends the centrality of the crucifixion of God to the very premise of creation, which leads into an insightful discussion about the nature of sin, death, free will and grace. He argues convincingly from the scripture and Fathers that the incarnation and crucifixion were the original intent of God when He created us. Christ is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, the revelation of God and the purpose of our creation. Thus the cross is the axis mundi, around which the world turns and history unfolds. Again, God's incarnate suffering is the main point and "for this we were created." Therefore the Fall is part of the economy of history, and history is a part of the economy of salvation. Again, the Fall is not the mistake that made it necessary for God to take upon himself our wounded nature, as if it were a backup plan that God came up with after He recovered from the initial shock of Adam and Eve's fruit debacle. It is the felix culpa.

This is a point worth lingering on a bit more since it gives us an insight into the Apostle's way of "doing theology" often so foreign to our own. Karl Barth once remarked that Calvin's main problem was in the fact that in the end he separated Jesus Christ from God. I didn't fully understand this until I thought about it in conjunction with Behr. This is something that I tend to do when I assume that the crucifixion didn't have to happen. It is looking at history in a manner foreign to the Apostles and Fathers. To quote Behr: "But to do this [separating God from Christ] would be to envision creation without Christ, a creation in which, had human beings not sinned, there would have been no need for Christ. In short it would posit a hypothesis or first principle other than Christ himself, who, as the crucified and exalted Lord, opens the scriptures so that we can see the whole of creation and its history in his light. On this basis, the apostle Paul can view the sinfulness of human beings- and even the very creation of Adam, "as a type of the one to come," and the light which shone in darkness- within the overall plan of God which culminates in the Passion of his Son. "For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth...the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus, our Lord" (Eph 1:3-11)."

Thus the Apostles worked backwards to understand the Old Testament, their only scriptures, and the very foundation and purpose of the world in the light of Christ crucified and exalted. "`Salvation history' is written from the perspective of the cross [unlike historical narratives about how it `really happened'], with its totality- creation, human sinfulness, the giving of the law, the preparation, and the work of salvation- simultaneously revealed in and through the proclamation of the crucified and risen Christ, the eternal plan of God."

A third point Behr emphasizes is the role of the Church as our Virgin Mother, with the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos, as the symbol of this bringing forth of God into the world while still betrothed, again working backwards form the crucifixion, or from the "tomb to the womb." While defining ecclesiology as such was not of primary concern to the Apostles or earliest Fathers (not until St Cyprian perhaps), the lived reality of the Church as their Mother was continually observed. Through our baptism and regular participation in the Eucharist, they posit, the Church gives us birth and nourishes our new life in Christ crucified and exalted, as we are united to his death in the hope of the glory to come, provided we suffer with him (to paraphrase St Paul). By giving full ontological meaning to the Church as the very body of Christ, moving it beyond a vague feeling in my heart regarding an invisible connection with other Christians, Paul and our fathers in the faith challenge us to be united in faith and love, sharing one Eucharist and one baptism.

For myself, the dominical prayer that all be one is imperative and central, since the unity of the Church is that of one bride (Christ is no polygamist after all), and Behr challenges me to rethink the "least common denominator" approach to the question of "What is Church?" If all of creation takes place for the sake of knowing and experiencing Christ crucified and exalted, and if the Apostles and Fathers have handed down by their blood this proper understanding, then perhaps I can give them more credit than I often do in relation to the question of sacraments, episcopacy and liturgy. Certainly the denominations can do a better job at manifesting this oneness of the Bride based upon a closer understanding and incorporation of the Patristic liturgical mind.

Lastly, Behr takes up the command to glorify God in our bodies. In a way it is the answer to the question "So what?" after reading the previous chapters. Just as Christ crucified is the center of life's meaning and the revelation of God's character, so our own participation in this death and life must be based upon our own small deaths and bearing of the cross. This section includes an extensive discussion on the nature of the passions, sin, death, grace, will and the resurrection-all of which are questions that engage in the importance of the material body as equally spiritual and essential to our humanity, as it is to Christ's. The struggle to manifest the victory over sin and death, by the grace of God, comes down to our own cross bearing with the promise of glory and rest for those who finish the race.

In conjunction with this book, I would heartily recommend reading Marianne Thompson's The God of the Gospel of John, Martin Hengel's The Cross of the Son of God, Oskar Skarsaune's Incarnation: Myth or Fact?, as well as the works of St. Irenaeus, the latter being extensively discussed by Fr. Behr's work.

Common Ground: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity for the American Christian

By Jordan Bajis

Eastern Orthodoxy is not just another version of what you heard in Sunday school or saw on tv. It is the ancient faith of the apostles and their followers handed down through the centuries, rooted in the worship and experience of the God who has revealed Himself to us in Jesus Christ. If I had one book to give to someone interested in Eastern Christianity who was coming out of a Roman or Protestant background, this would be it! After rereading the book a few times over the past 15 years, I am more convinced than ever that this is the best book to give to friends who are interested in the Eastern Church, or to read for yourself if you are looking eastward!

Why read this book? He's done his homework! If you read this book several things will happen. You'll get a great introduction to Eastern Orthodoxy, geared to the Protestant and Catholic mindset. You'll get an incredible reading list by reading the very extensive endnotes (almost another book). In addition, you will most likely learn more about your own history, whether you're Protestant or Catholic. It will challenge your assumptions and sterotypes as well as help you rethink what the New Testament actually is for and about. You cannot go wrong with this book. Please buy it. Light and Life publishers sells it currently as a 2006 reissue.

Other books of interest: "Not by Scripture Alone" by Sungenis, "The Orthodox Way", "The Orthodox Church", and "How are We Saved?" by Bishop Kallistos Ware. Congar's "Tradition and Traditions" is a great work of Catholic scholarship by one of the masters. "The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church" by Vladimir Lossky will reshape your brain (and your nous)! For those of you who are more daring and looking to bite into something more meaty: "Being As Communion" by John Zizioulas; "Energies of the Spirit" by Duncan Reid; "The Ground of Union" by Williams. They deal with east/west theologies of the Trinity and the Holy Spirit, but they touch on everything else in between! Very deep stuff, takes time to read, but highly recommended!

Light from the Christian East

Light from the Christian East
By James Payton

After reading it through and having discussed it with friends who have read it, I would rank this book as in the top 6 of introductions to Orthodoxy for Protestants. This is also something of a primer on Protestant theology, so it serves a double function. I recall from my Lutheran days being shocked at the "Catholic" side of the tradition, being raised in a rather romaphobic parish and school. This book would have helped me gain a better perspective of both my own Protestant position and that of the more authentic/established/universal Tradition. It gets into some deep waters. True, it is intended as a college textbook and is based upon the author's lecture notes (who is Protestant), but it may be a little too much for Protestants who are used to guitars, clowns and mimes in church. Even so, if you are seriously thinking about these issues, this would be a good place to start to wade into the deep end of the ocean and away from shore (once you begin to realize that your theological sandcastles were never meant to resist the tide of historical truth, perhaps, as it was for me).

He covers almost all of the bases in a very clear and sympathetic manner. Other books of interest may include the outstanding Common Ground: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity for the American Christian, the mroe aggressive Dancing Alone: The Quest for Orthodox Faith in the Age of False Religion, the brief but direct Discovering the Rich Heritage of Orthodoxy, the solid duo Retrieving the Tradition and Renewing Evangelicalism: A Primer for Suspicious ProtestantsTradition, Scripture, and Interpretation: A Sourcebook of the Ancient Church (Evangelical Ressourcement: Ancient Sources for the Church's Future), and the two profound introductions to the spirituality of the Eastern tradition, The Mountain of Silence: A Search for Orthodox Spirituality and Father Arseny, 1893-1973: Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father : Being the Narratives Compiled by the Servant of God Alexander Concerning His Spiritual Father. Of course, The Orthodox Way is a classic standard.

Mary: The Untrodden Portal of God

Mary: The Untrodden Portal of God
By George Gabriel

From the Introduction: "This discourse is a small offering toward a unified view of the mystery of Mary the Mother of God. Her mystery belongs to the seamless unity of the theology of the one Holy, Orthodox, Catholic and Apostolic Church, a theological integrity that is absent from heterodox churches, eastern and western, professing to honor the mother of Jesus Christ... The single theme underlying this study is the indivisible oneness of the doctrine and veneration of the Mother of God with the single theology and biblical methodology of the Ancient Church and the holy fathers." I have found this book to be the single most useful book in English on the Subject of Mary, the Mother of our God. I cannot recommend it highly enough and superlatives could be piled upon each other easily writing its praises. Let it suffice to say that this book is one-stop-reading for anyone from the generally curious to technical theologian when it comes to Mary. You will come away form the text with a very rich understanding of who Jesus Christ is (e.g. not a human person, but a divine person with a human nature), who Mary is, how the scriptures portray her, how the Church lauds her, how the Eastern and Western traditions differ significantly regarding her (a major benefit of the book) and a brilliant analysis of how all of this ties intimately together into the melody of theology and salvation. It really is top notch all around and a great introduction to Christianity, for that matter, since sometimes it is useful to go from the particular to the universal instead of starting with generalities. Please read it.

Here are the contents: Ezekiel's prophecy and the East Portal Introduction I. THE MYSTERY OF MARY The mystery hidden from the ages A succession of chosen and hallowed generations Mary's free choice or predestination? II. MOTHERHOOD TO GOD The seedless and virginal conception The second angelic annunciation: "Thy Son is risen." III. EVER-VIRGINITY Ever-virginity and motherhood to God are one. Joseph "knew her not till she brought forth..." Jesus, Mary's "firstborn son" The "brethren" of Jesus "This portal shall be shut, and no one shall enter by it." IV. "IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF CHILDBIRTH" "The firstborn male that opens the womb..." V. THE FINAL MYSTERY The third angelic annunciation "Your tomb heralds your translation to Heaven in the body." VI. THE PAPAL CHASM The Immaculate Conception The Assumption Orthodox perspectives VII. TWO SALVATIONS Two views of divine justice The wages of sin Two different salvations, two different Virgins VIII. THE INCARNATION: CAUSE OF ALL THINGS MADE, AND CAUSED BY NONE "Rejoice, O fulfillment of the Creator's economy. IX. "NOT BY WORDS ALONE" Abraham's tent prefigured the Virgin's womb. "He Who was not come as yet was present." The Father never appears to men. If He was seen by the Prophets, Mary was His mother. Mystical models of the future X. MARY, THE TOUCHSTONE OF TRINITARIAN FAITH Orthodoxy in collision with forbidden images "The Lord is depicted at times as white haired and at times as young." "O Christ, we know no other God but Thee." The doctrine of prototypes Mary, the guardian of the dogma of the Holy Trinity Mary's Son is the Father's only Image. XI. MARY THE MEDIATRESS One mediation of the Mediator and the Mediatress Power to do all that she wills Mother and symbol of the Church PLATES AND DESCRIPTIONS APPENNDIX A: 1. Predestination in Western Theology 2. The 1666 Council of Moscow on Icons of the Holy Trinity APPENNDIX B: Homily on the Sunday of the Myrrh Bearers by St. Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica, About the author, Index

Communion and Intercommunion

Communion and Intercommunion
By Kallistos Ware

"Why can't we all just have communion together and get over our petty differences?" Such is the heartfelt wish of so many Christians who long to have an expression of unity with fellow believers. But unity in what belief is the critical question. Bishop Kallistos Ware provides an excellent tool for those interested in this key question, or active in the ecumenical movement. Drawing upon Scripture, Patristics, Liturgy and modern orthodox theologians, Ware outlines the Eastern Orthodox position on the question of intercommunion and communion. While he does not support intercommunion (of the interdenominational sort), he compassionately and clearly explains why such a stance is grounded in the unbroken tradition of the Church. Basic to this premise is that communion is a sign of a preexisting communion of faith and order, a joyful proclamation of unity in belief and practice. In this sense, intercommunion is a bit illogical and untruthful since the parties involved do not always hold a common faith, thus negating the very act of communion. An unfortunate result of such practices is the rationalizing away of any so-called "minor" differences between the parties, leading to a "least common denominator" approach to the faith which is so typical in our times. The end result is an anemic Christology and Ecclesiology, leading many to ask, "What exactly does such a Eucharist represent other than warm feelings?" (Although Ware himself is not a bit polemic in his presentation.)

Ware also addresses the question in relation to baptism. Some argue analogically that if baptism is seen as Christ's and not the Church's, then the eucharist is as well. Ware points out that this is a flawed view, since all of the sacraments/holy mysteries are both vertical and horizontal in their meaning. They are Christ's, but the Church is the very Body of Christ, and the Church is a visible unity of that one Body. Again, more can be said about the important difference between heretics and schismatics, since that has some bearing on the issue, as does the Orthodox notions of oikonomia (economy). An invisible ecclesiology is more convenient for superficial patch-up jobs that gloss over real differences, but such a view has nothing to do with either the New Testament or the earliest (or later) patristic/liturgical tradition, as demonstrated by Werner Elert, John Zizioulas and others. I am afraid that conclusions to the contrary are more rooted in starting with a conclusion and twisting texts and ignoring strong evidence to the contrary. The intention is correct, but not the conclusion.

Those who will want communion at the expense of doctrinal unity should consider exactly what it is that constitutes the faith once delivered to the saints, and this becomes a question of what constitutes authority and what constitutes legitimate tradition (see The Meaning of Tradition and Tradition & Traditions). If the least common denominator theology is true, then Orthodox, Lutherans and Roman Catholics are wrong.

One final note in this book: It is a very slim volume and has large type. I found the print annoying to read. Read Werner Elert's Eucharist and Church Fellowship in the First Four Centuries for a detailed account of the early communion and intercommunion practices in the Church. For a modern account of "Eucharistic ecclesiology" see The Eucharist Makes the Church and Sacrament of Salvation: An Introduction to Eucharistic Ecclesiology, which compares the thoughts of two leading 20th century exponents- John Zizioulas and Henri de Lubac. Alexander Schmemann's, For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy, is a great intro into sacramental theology for all Christians. Louis Bouyer's Eucharist: Theology and Spirituality of the Eucharistic Prayer and The Banquet's Wisdom: A Short History of the Theologies of the Lord's Supper are also detailed accounts of the Eucharistic celebration throughout history.

Discovering the Rich Heritage of Orthodoxy

Discovering the Rich Heritage of Orthodoxy
By M. Charles Bell

Bell does an excellent job in presenting the ancient Tradition. A former Protestant himself, Bell takes up the following issues with honesty and faithfulness:1)The True Church? 2)Worship in the Church 3)What About Mary? 4)Saints Alive! 5)The Physical Side of Spirituality 6)The Eucharist 7)Scripture and Tradition 8)The Path of Spirituality. He does this in the context of his own search. This is very strongly recommended for any Prostestant who is interested (or fighting against) the Church since the author is very winsome.

If you want something more "in your face" but along the same lines, sort of, you may want to check out Frank Schaeffer'sDancing Alone: The Quest for Orthodox Faith in the Age of False Religion. Bishop Kallistos Ware's The Orthodox Way is very readable, but it doesn't interact with Protestant theology in the same way as Bell since it is meant more for Orthodox. If you want to chew on something for a while or if your friend is more critical and needs some strong documentation, I would always go with Common Ground: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity for the American Christian by Jordan Bajis. A recent addition to this discussion, from the Protestant perspective, is Light from the Christian East: An Introduction to the Orthodox Tradition which I found very useful.

Christ in His Saints

Christ in His Saints
By Patrick Reardon

I believe that next to the scriptures themselves, the next best thing to read as a Christian is the lives of the saints. From the beginning Jews and Jews who became "Christians" have looked to their forefathers and mothers in the faith as examples, heroes and guides. A skim of Hebrews 10 and 11 confirms this, along with many other examples. But they did not gloss over the foibles and follies of the saints, but saw them examples of the grace of God working itself out in their lives. Fr Patrick's book on the saints is something of a primer for all Christians to help introduce us, or just to remind us, that we are part of a great cloud of witnesses that are not only fine examples of repentance, faithfulness and perseverance, but also of one Body with us in Christ our Lord. As the early Christians would say, "One Christian, no Christian." We are saved together as a body, while the only thing we can do alone is go to hell.

There are 14 main sections that focus upon various types of personalities from the bible, both Old and New Testaments. Each section contains about 10 or 11 devotionals that are each about 3 pages long. Topics include repentant saints, loyal saints, saints in need of improvement, saints in worship, suffering saints, clever saints, interceding saints, saints under pressure, gentle saints, zealous saints, visionaries, questioners, and persevering saints. For Protestant readers who may feel uncomfortable with the idea of talking about "saints" in a way that sounds too "Catholic", they may ease into the idea by knowing that it is more like a hall of fame that is held up as an ideal, just as St. Paul says, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." There is no competition between the honor we give to the saints and the worship we give to the Holy Trinity. Besides, "God is glorified in his saints," the Apostle declares in 2nd Thessalonians 1:10. Moreover, this book is only concerned with saints from the bible, so that is safe enough if you are hesitant. Who knows, maybe you will find yourself wanting to know what the disciples of the Apostles thought about the faith and how they lived and died for it.

While I highly recommend Butler's Lives of the Saints (4 Volume Matched Set) , they can be rather bulky and intimidating, and expensive. On the other hand, this slim volume is sure to become a standard as it is both educational and devotional, aimed at nourishing the soul without breaking the bank. Readers may find the following books useful as well: Any Friend of God's Is a Friend of Mine, St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Francis of Assisi: With Introductions by Ralph McInerny and Joseph Pearce, Father Arseny, 1893-1973: Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father : Being the Narratives Compiled by the Servant of God Alexander Concerning His Spiritual Father.

A Short History of the Doctrine of the Atonement

A Short History of the Doctrine of the Atonement
by L. W. Grensted

All Christians agree that Jesus is the Messiah and Savoir, but what exactly does that mean? What did his death actually accomplish and for whom was it done? Is God the Father angry at us and needs to have his wrath given out on someone? Does Jesus redeem the world, the universe, or just the elect? Is the devil holding us hostage and in need of a ransom? Is the state of death what needs to be "satisfied" and broken? What do the Gospels tell us? St Paul? The earliest church writers? The Fathers East and West? The Medieval theologians? The later Romans and Reformers? These are the types of questions that are at the heart of Grensted's classic, and until recently out of print, text. Such questions are at the very heart of what we think about the nature and "personality" of our God. Grensted rightly says that from the beginning, all Christian theology is soteriology, having to do with the stuff of salvation.

I have used this book extensively in my own study and have found it a fantastic jumping off point, since he has extensive footnotes to the Fathers, theologians and reformers, and he almost always provides a full quotation in the footnotes in the original language after he translates it in the main body of the text. Also be warned that this edition is a copy of the original text, so some pages are a little faded and there is brief underlining by a previous owner, who provided the "proof pages", but they are minimal and neatly scribed. I have found no pages missing, although the publisher's preface warns of it. I think that it must be a general disclaimer. Something that I thought could have been made much more of is the Eastern doctrine of deification (theosis), since that is to my mind the heart of eastern soteriology, and I provide a title for a book on that subject below.

Other books that go along the lines of this one are: Cur Deus Homo, On The Incarnation, Christus Victor: An Historical Study of the Three Main Types of the Idea of Atonement (which is VERY useful), The Nature of the Atonement: Four Views, Problems With Atonement: The Origins Of, And Controversy About, The Atonement DoctrineThe Background And Content Of Paul's Cultic Atonement Metaphors (Academia Biblica (Society of Biblical Literature) (Paper)), The Atonement: The Origins of the Doctrine in the New Testament (but if you can find Hengel's "The Cross of the Son of God" you will get this book along with two of his others on the subject in one binding. For a new view of Luther, see Union With Christ: The New Finnish Interpretation of Luther. For an Orthodox view, see Partakers of the Divine Nature: The History and Development of Deification in the Christian Traditions. Jordan Bajis' Common Ground is also a good comparison of Eastern and Western models.

The Fathers of the Church

The Fathers of the Church
By Mike Aquilina

Give your ancestors a vote. Christianity is not something that is derived from me and my bible in my prayer closet, but rather the great body of our Lord Jesus Christ who has bestowed upon us this new creation, beginning in the Church and spreading outward. The reason why we think about God in the way that we do if we are traditional Christians, and especially if we are Eastern Orthodox, is very much the result of the prayers, worship and hard work of a group of men who the Church has labeled "Fathers", meaning that they are the ones to whom we look for guidance in terms of reading the bible, trusting which books are in and out of the bible, learning how to worship rightly (just anything won't do) and how to pray, basically showing us what to believe and how to "be Christian" by guarding the great deposit of the faith "once delivered to the saints."

You won't go wrong using this book as a starting point, but you should know that the commentary is very much edited to reflect the Western Roman tradition. You may also consider reading Reading Scripture With the Church Fathers, Learning Theology With the Church Fathers, Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers (Penguin Classics), Mary and the Fathers of the Church: The Blessed Virgin Mary in Patristic Thought, Greek Orthodox Patrology: An Introduction to the Study of the Church Fathers, The Early Church Fathers (38 Vols.) (if you want to get into it seriously), Beginning to Read the Fathers and The Mass of the Early Christians.