DISCUSSION ON PATRISTIC THOUGHT

A SPIRITUAL CHECKLIST Orthodox Christians recite a prayer during Great Lent that is described by Fr. Alexander Schmemann as a “check list” for our spiritual lives. This prayer, given by St. Ephraim the Syrian in the fourth century, is commonly called the “Lenten Prayer:” O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, faint-heartedness, lust …

In the 11th century, at the time of Emperor Alexios Komninos, the common feast of the three great Fathers of the Church, Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, Saint Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople and Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia was established to honour their supreme contribution to education, their unshakeable and zealous faith in God …

Where God Wills The Order Of Nature Is Overruled “And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered” (Lk. 2:6). Concerning the birth of Christ, the Prophet Isaiah spoke thus: “Behold she that travailed brought forth, before the travail-pain came on, she escaped it and brought forth a male” (Is. 66:7). …

By Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos Pleasure and Pain According to St. Maximus the Confessor In his Centuries on Theology St. Maximus the Confessor refers to the nexus of the dualism of pleasure and pain, which, by any standard, is an important subject. This means that we cannot discuss Orthodox Theology if we fail to face this crucial point, because the transcendence …

Prologue The following work is a summary of a recent parish fellowship discussion. The theme as the title suggests was a discussion that explored some of the key themes of the work and life of St Gregory Palamas. This is not an exhaustive study but an outline of what was examined, and a basic appraisal for Orthodox Christian spiritual practice. …

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSTtM_4uH98] Introduction The experience of Lent is a spiritual journey whose purpose is to transfer us from one spiritual state to another, a dynamic passage. For this reason the church commences Lent with the great repentance Canon of St Andrew of Crete. This  repentant lamentation conveys to us the scope and depth of sin, shaking the soul with despair, …

Introduction The purpose of this article is to explore St Gregory Palamas’ use of the analogy of the sun in his work The One Hundred and Fifty Chapters[1] in order to assess its value within the context of his exposition of the various doctrinal themes covered therein. Focusing on those chapters which express the sun analogy, the article will discuss …

St Macarius, a Syrian monk from the 4th century whose true identity remains quite mysterious[1], is positioned as one of the main sources and influences to the spirituality of the heart, so fervent within the Christian Orthodox tradition. This article will attempt to examine the contents of his homilies, drawing out the main aspects of his spirituality, and also the …

Throughout the entire treatise of the unity of Christ one cannot evade the strong, determined, and authoritive voice of St Cyril. The entire work is a mysterious dialogue because it is between an anonymous friend called ‘B’ and Cyril himself, referred to as ‘A’. The conversation between the pair covers many issues, some more prominent than others however the major …

The purpose of this article is to provide a summary of St Athanasius’ treatise On the Incarnation highlighting important themes with respect to his Soteriology and Christology. The Incarnation is for St Athanasius the historical event par excellence, in which the Word manifests His salvific work.[1] In demonstrating the purpose of the Incarnation, he provides or rather requires on the …