It belongs to the inner genius of the Orthodox faith, corresponding to the Incarnational entry of God Himself into a particular time and place on earth, to embrace the particularities of the places in which it is practiced. A fine example of this is the use of pussy willow branches on Palm Sunday in Slavic lands where palms are not traditionally available. And as Orthodoxy … [Read more...] about The New South Wales Christmas Bush: Indigenizing Orthodoxy to Australia
Spirituality
Loud Storms Surround Me, But My Heart is Tranquil: Selected Sayings of the Hieroconfessor Roman Medved
Sometimes the trials and irritations of everyday life seem almost impossible to bear gracefully, and at such times we may wonder how it would be possible to endure a far more harsh and hostile environment, such as a Soviet Gulag. Here, in excerpts from letters written from a labor camp where he was imprisoned from 1931 to 1935, Hieroconfessor Roman Medved gives us glimpses … [Read more...] about Loud Storms Surround Me, But My Heart is Tranquil: Selected Sayings of the Hieroconfessor Roman Medved
What is the Difference Between Orthodoxy and the Western Confessions?
The irreducible difference between Orthodox Christianity and the Western Confessions (Roman Catholicism and Protestantism) writes Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky) is that the former understands Christianity first as ascetic effort and the latter perceives it as moral perfection. The differences are grounded in conflicting views of Christ's atoning work. Where Orthodoxy … [Read more...] about What is the Difference Between Orthodoxy and the Western Confessions?
St. Paisios of Mt. Athos on Love and Kindness
“He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love” (I John 4:8). So explains St John, Beloved of Christ. Love is at the center of our Orthodox faith, and indeed as the epistle reminds us, at the center of being itself. Assembled here is a selection of short sayings or aphorisms from St Paisios of Mt Athos, whose love for God, for his fellow humanity, and for … [Read more...] about St. Paisios of Mt. Athos on Love and Kindness
Holy Tradition is a Living Voice of Revelation: An Interview with Elder Cleopa of Romania
God speaks to man writes Elder Cleopa and His living voice is the means of His self-revelation to man. God’s word was first passed on orally and constitutes what we call Holy Tradition and only later was written as scripture, both Old and New Testaments. Holy Tradition then constitutes more than the written word of scripture. This does not weaken the authority of … [Read more...] about Holy Tradition is a Living Voice of Revelation: An Interview with Elder Cleopa of Romania
