Some little while ago, I found myself sitting in the grounds of the Danilov Monastery in Moscow, delighting in the spring flowers and being treated to a prodigious display of bell-ringing. I reflected at the time that the Russians have few peers among other nations in their great love for church . . . . Continue Reading »
On the outskirts of Moscow, there is an Orthodox Christian memorial. The site, known as Butovo, once belonged to a private estate. The Soviets expropriated the land after the revolution and turned it into a firing range. It was there during Stalin’s purges that more than 20,000 “enemies of the . . . . Continue Reading »
Modern Orthodox Thinkers: From the Philokalia to the Present Dayby andrew louthintervarsity, 383 pages, $28 When I saw Fr. Andrew Louth a couple of years ago and asked him what he was doing, he said he was writing some “little books.” Now that we have one of those books, we can see how modest . . . . Continue Reading »
The Council at Crete turned out to be different from what both optimists and pessimists had expected. It did not resemble any icon of the Ecumenical Councils that we usually imagine. It was a council with a lot of pain and anxiety, before and during the event. But it was a true conciliar event. Continue Reading »
The Council’s official statements join a list of human rights declarations by religious bodies, all of which conceive of dignity and rights in ways that differ from the standard Western versions. Continue Reading »
The Church of Antioch, a traditional bridge between cultures and nations, refuses to attend the Holy and Great Council—and not just because it objects to the council documents. Antioch is seeking to defend its territorial integrity against militant Islam and incursions by a sister church. Continue Reading »
Eastern Orthodoxy's first ecumenical council in over a millennium is at risk of being derailed at the last minute. Catholics may find some of the issues rather familiar. Continue Reading »
A majority of the Orthodox Churches desire to “walk together” towards unity, while a minority desire ethnic isolation. The Pan-Orthodox Council must not and will not be postponed due to this minority. Nor will the nonparticipation of a minority invalidate the proceedings of the Council. Continue Reading »
Last Sunday Orthodox Christians around the world finally celebrated Pascha and proclaimed Christ risen from the dead. As in Western Christendom, Orthodox Easter is preceded by Holy Week—the liturgical pinnacle of the Orthodox Church. In this week of preparation and commemoration, our services, . . . . Continue Reading »
Already there is much talk about the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church. Between now and June 19, 2016, when the council officially opens on the island of Crete, there will be many rumors and much spin. Some will be justified; like other patriarchal institutions, Orthodox Churches are not . . . . Continue Reading »
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