All this took place to fulfill what had been said by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him “Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”—Matt. 1:22-23 May the Lord bless you with peace, and good will, and joy. From Matthew’s Gospel: “Now, the…
Continue readingEntering the Temple with the Mother of God
“Today Anna bequeaths joy to all instead of sorrow by bringing forth her fruit.Today with joy she brings to the Temple of the LordThe true Temple and pure Mother of God the Word.” (Troparion in Tone 4) As faithful Orthodox navigating a tumultuous world, what does the upcoming Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos…
Continue readingAn Ordinary Exile: Fr. Bulgakov’s Spiritual Diary
by Andrew Kuiper Russian Sophiology has returned. For decades, speaking of Fr. Sergius Bulgakov or any of the Russian Sophiologists was usually to invoke a niche interest. Yet today, judging by translations and secondary literature, Fr. Bulgakov in particular has emerged as a force in systematic theology that far exceeds mere historical or confessional interest….
Continue readingBaptism à la Carte: Or Why the Orthodox Need to Discuss Human Identity Seriously
by Nikolaos Asproulis | български | ქართული | ελληνικά | Română | Русский | Српски It was a normal Greek summer day in July 2022, before an Orthodox baptism provoked a fervent debate, or another episode in the “culture wars,” regarding the requirements (are there any?) of a child being baptized in the Church. Although Greeks are accustomed to reading about Church activities…
Continue readingMemory and Commemoration in The Lord of the Rings: An Orthodox Christian Perspective
by Stavros Piperis Late in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic The Lord of the Rings, Samwise Gamgee finds himself in darkness and likely near death. Enemies have captured his dearest friend, and Sam lies alone, shivering and impossibly far from home. He tries to make sense of the situation, but “even of the days he had quite…
Continue readingFalling into the Future: The Respite of Eschatological Awareness
by Very Rev. Dr. Isaac Skidmore In his 1985 Being as Communion, Metropolitan John Zizioulas described two distinct, yet complementary notions of the Church’s Apostolic identity. The first pertains to the unbroken historical succession of bishops from the time of Christ—in other words the preservation of the Church’s identity through the faithful handing over of…
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