In this interview with Kevin Allen, now newly reposed, Fr. Thomas Hopko offers a balanced and insightful discussion of the doctrine of the aerial tollhouses that the Church has traditionally taught we will encounter after our death. The toll houses have been the theme of recent debates so often assuming extreme positions that some have become skeptical of the issue altogether, … [Read more...] about Toll Houses: After Death Reality or Heresy?
Topics in Orthodox Theology
What is Prelest?
Prelest (in Greek, “plani”) is the spiritual correlate of high blood pressure: its progression is slow and silent, and it often goes unnoticed until it reaches a deadly stage. From our friends at Orthochristian.com, here are two articles on prelest (or spiritual delusion) that discuss both its dangers and preventatives against it. Source: Orthodox Christianity By … [Read more...] about What is Prelest?
The Importance and Power of Words
We communicate mainly through word, and it does matter how we do it. Our word is a reflection of the Incarnate Word. The Lord said, "Let there be light." And the invisible received its existence through word. Word is the greatest power in the world. "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth" (Ps. 33:6). So also in us the … [Read more...] about The Importance and Power of Words
The Meaning of Holy Chrism and Holy Unction
By Mario Baghos The Holy Oil used for Holy Unction in the healing prayers and Holy Chrismation during baptism is a symbol but in the Greek, not English, meaning of the term. In Greek the term symbol (σύμβολον) means the place where two realities come together, in this case the oil becomes a concrete means by which the grace (energy) of God is offered. Grace and nature work … [Read more...] about The Meaning of Holy Chrism and Holy Unction
An Open Letter to a “Gay-Rights” Advocate
Editors Note. This essay, written by Dr. David C. Ford, Professor of Church History at St. Tikhon's Seminary, responds to a homosexual activist who argues that the Orthodox moral tradition should be retooled to sanction homosexual behavior. The arguments, while unfamiliar to some Orthodox readers, are not new. They were first used against the Episcopal Church over four decades … [Read more...] about An Open Letter to a “Gay-Rights” Advocate
