On the advancement of Humanity

The Romanian theologian Dumitru Stăniloae, a twentieth century Orthodox priest and writer, continuously considers the place of theology in the twentieth century world. His thought is as relevent today as it was in the mid to late part of that century.

His principle idea is that the world is a gift from God to creation and principally to humanity. The liturgy of the church forms the central point of reference in the giving of thanks towards its creator God.
Every person has the duty and joy to offer to God the thanksgiving for life and in so doing furthers the experience of God in the world.

Theology is not bound by constraints of tradition and convention, but is a living relationship of giver and receiver. Ultimately the purpose of religion is to make the awareness of God present in all things real. It is the responsibility of the church leader to encourage the faithful to acknowledge the workings of God in the world and in the personal lives of each believer.

In reading the second part of Stăniloae's magnum opus 'The Experience of God' I came across a startlingly refreshing thought of this Christian thinker:

A good part of more recent theology puts the idea of hope in the forefront. "Any idea of God that cements the existing social order is abandoned. Today it makes sense to speak about God only if he opens a future and has a function in transforming the world." That is, only if, as God leads the human being toward himself and toward salvation, he is leading him to higher levels.

Here Stăniloae encourages and challenges us as modern Christians to consider the present day operations of God in our world. It is imperative to be responsive to the direction which God calls us in furthering the joy of Christian fellowship as it is the divine desire that the gospel which was revealed some two thousand years ago should find its continual flourishing in our present day lives. The existence of new evils serve only to encourage us to address them as injustices and it is our privilege to overcome them with ever greater actions of that which is good. (p. 194)

The old traditions which bind humanity to convention and law can become constricting in the advancement of the will of God. Stăniloae writes:

St. Paul the apostle opposed the "newness of spirit" to the oldness of the letter or the law as he opposed the life of the resurrection to abiding in death. Now where the law is, there is found a sign that sin reigns. "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law" said St. Paul (1 Cor 15:56). When the law does not prepare men to go beyond the level it has helped them to attain, that is, when man does not draw the conclusion as a kind of constant newness, that Christ is the "end of the law" or that "love is the fulfilling of the law" (Rom 10:4, 13: 10), then the law is the power of sin that leads to death. Moreover, sin is the sign of the survival of the old man. (p. 195)

Ultimately we are called, as priests of creation, continually giving thanks for our existence and that which we experience through our senses, we are called to make God relevant through being ever conscious of the activity of the divine in our world. The consciousness is a marvelous gift for advancement. Humanity strives for ever increasing heights of perfection, towards the attainment of 'theosis', that is, the dwelling of individual humans with God. That which is evil calls for addressing. Goodness always prevails, and so, in what Stăniloae calls 'providence', the present evils are always balanced by ever new goods. 'God is leading the world toward ever new phases' (p. 192).


In conclusion I would say that the tradition of the church is a resource which depicts how humanity has engaged with the life of God in relation to the evils of that age. Tradition can not be convention, something to be followed as law, because it must exist in relation and thus relevance with contemporary issues. Tradition is a resource for the living, indeed tradition itself is living, because much as a person develops and grows in relation to the stimuli that affects him/her, so too does the gospel of Christ relate to the ever changing dynamic of modern life. New problems require new answers; it is through this engagement that the church maintains its relevance with life in the present age and continues to pass on to the next generation the example of God working in the midst of His creation.


Citations are taken from: Dumitru Stăniloae, The Experience of God, vol. 2, (2000), Holy Cross Press, Brooklyn MA.
It may be purchased as a book from the publisher here.

On Theology

Glory to you O Lord, glory to you.

If you are a theologian you pray truly, and if you pray truly you are a theologian. - Evagrius Ponticus c.346-399AD.

It is my aim in the writing of this blog to write in an understandable language. Theology is a beautiful science, it is a record of the mark of love in history, the way that God has touched the hearts of His people. The theologian being a prayerful creature and not exclusively academic or rational, seeks to practice what he preaches, but furthermore, to preach what he practices.

Theology is a continuing dispensation of wisdom to human individuals. It is a living science because it is concerned with the living God, the giver and sustainer of all life.

Moses receiving divine wisdom (theology) at the burning bush.

Perils of Theology

The theologian should never glorify himself, through the expression of their finely formed thought and musings on the divine, rather, they, like the Virgin Mary, should point away from themselves to their creator and the source of that glory. 'My soul magnifies the Lord'

There is a danger which the theologian must be very aware of. Though they may understand in their minds the theology which has been revealed to them, they must be able to translate that effectively so it may be understood, or at least, made legible, by the persons they wish to speak it to. 

Theology can be an effective tool in the healing of souls.

This is particularly difficult with theology because too often it is not concerned with dogmatic, objective, or conveniently set down and recorded apologetics which can simply be reworded into contemporary language. Rather more, theology is concerned with the heart, which is to say, that instinct, 'feeling' which draws it to God. Love.

§14. When a man begins to perceive the love of God in all its richness, he begins also to love his neighour with spiritual perception. This is the love of which all the scriptures speak. - Diadochos of Photiki (5th Cent.), 'On Spiritual Knowledge'. 

To be lost for words is a good thing for the theologian.

To be incapable to share the experience of that love is a fortunate thing in that it is certain proof of the irrational origin of that experience or thought. God speaks irrationally, which is to say, beyond reason. Love is irrational, it causes people to do things which they would never consider under usual circumstance. God wills that all may come to enjoy the love which he offers to all.

Every theological statement falls short of the understanding of the speaker. Our understanding is weak, and our tongue is even more defective. - Basil the Great c.330-379AD.

C. S. Matthew, MMXII 

Eyes to See

Glory to you O Lord, glory to you.

To see, to hear, to think, to search, to comprehend.

We are sensual creatures, processors of that which we interact with.

Everything which interacts with the soul leaves a trace of itself and the soul is constantly interacting with newness, newness of already existent things.

To speak is to love.

Language, that act of love, the desire to engage with another, is performed through the usage of sensational things which are commonly understood.

Today being Saint Lucy's day I am contemplating the idea of communication.

She who had her eyes removed, and received them again through a grace of God.

Last summer I spent three months in a very foreign environment to my own, working alongside agricultural communities in North-East Brazil, I had to communicate with people in a language and culture I did not understand. It soon became apparent that the tiny lexicon I had with me would be sufficient.

Living with a family cut off from the rest of the village on the top of a canyon, where night was deepest black and the bathroom consisted of a bucket with a dried squash skin for a ladle, I quickly realised that any difficulty of living was on mine, not their part. These people knew how to live, they did it naturally yet I, I found every movement challenging. I haven't even mentioned the rats which would run across the rafters throughout the house.

Anyway, I was greatly received by them in expression of love and curiosity. And though I didn't speak much, if any, of their language, I was willing to learn. But learning did not consist in practicing calls and responses, it was to be found in interaction with them, in watching television, feeding the hens, eating the food. My actions, my gestures, my presence. These were the real forms of communication. Language was only secondary to that.

I became quite desperate in my desire to communicate with these persons with whom I had been made in  contact. All this change of scenery had been, for my soul, a great deal of new information which needed to be made sense of.

My eyes saw not as their eyes,

A bucket remained in the shape of a bucket, that which the bucket spake of was different.

We relate to this on an every day basis. For some, the water may be hot, for others, tepid or even cold.The difficulty of language is made easier when it is understood as being that act of communion with another person, another human, weak and precious as oneself.

It is to Saint Lucy that I owe this insight.

Lamenting in these struggles, and continuing to unpack my possessions, I looked above the bed to see a weather faded image of a lady with two eyes on a plate, and I understood her to be Lucy. Seeking her aid, I prayed that she may intercede for me so that I can be granted a closer understanding of what it means to be there for others as guide, listener, and counselor.

§78 We share in the image of God by virtue of the intellectual activity of our soul; for the body is, as it were, the soul's dwelling-place. - St Diadochos of Photiki, 'On Spiritual Knowledge'

C. S. Matthew, MMXII