The goal of the Christian religion is not the idolizing of Christ, not christolatry, but that we all "are in Christ," as the mystical expression goes, that we have a part in the life of Christ. This savior is a wounded healer, and he heals so that we may become as he is. Be as …
Translating 2 Corinthians 5:19
It hit me the other day, out of the blue, while driving: "For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself." I looked it up immediately when I got home. 2 Corinthians 5:19 expresses Saint Paul’s faith in concise and unprecedented simplicity, and yet it is one of the deepest expressions of theology anywhere …
Babies grow up. When will ‘baby Christianity’ grow up?
This year has taken a huge toll on our lives. Next to the millions who got sick, the rest of us have suffered emotionally and spiritually. We have lived in fear for ten months, and the anxiety will continue for many more months. Our sentiments of love and affection have been put on lockdown, and …
Continue reading "Babies grow up. When will ‘baby Christianity’ grow up?"
On the bridge with Hans Urs von Balthasar
Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905–1988) was a Swiss theologian widely regarded as one of the greatest theologians and spiritual writers of the 20th century. What an amazing century it was! In the midst of so much spiritual darkness there shone luminous spirits like von Balthasar. I offer here four very short quotes that I came across …
Continue reading "On the bridge with Hans Urs von Balthasar"
How heretical are we willing to become?
In the midst of the worst pandemic in over a hundred years, much of the Orthodox world is addicted to magical thinking. There is unyielding resistance to changing the mode of distributing Communion. After all, it is the Body and Blood of Christ, isn't it? Of course it is the Body and Blood of Christ. …
The Emptiness of God
A provocative title? What could I possibly mean by such a seemingly contradictory title? How could I associate emptiness with God? God, who is the fullness of everything? Jesus Christ, whose fullness becomes our fullness? (See Ephesians 3:19 & 4:13.) Ah, but that's the problem with language, with human language! We interpret God's fullness in …
Rilke: The Buddha
As if he were listening: stillness, distance. We hold our breath and cease to hear it. He is like a star surrounded by other stars we cannot see. He is all things. Do we really expect him to notice us? What need could he have? If we prostrated ourselves at his feet, he would …
Trinitarian Thoughts
I recently had lunch with a friend who has always impressed me with his knowledge of the Bible. Though I must admit - as I have also told him more than once - the Bible for him is mostly the letters of Paul. Nevertheless, with Paul as his anchor and guide he has in the …
The Logos of Advent
Advent is a time of rich liturgical and popular traditions in the western churches, especially in the Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches. But it is a much undeveloped liturgical time in the eastern churches, where it is primarily observed as a fasting season, probably thanks to the disproportionate influence of monastics in the evolution …
Does the Orthodox Church have a political theology?
Lately I have been reading some pieces of political theology coming from a variety of Christian sources. And I'm not referring to political agendas or endorsement of political parties. Political theology is not partisan politics under the cover of Christendom. What is political theology? True political theology is neither Left nor Right. Political theology is bringing the …
Continue reading "Does the Orthodox Church have a political theology?"
Ancient Answers 