626. Mystical Prayers of Saint Symeon the New Theologian

Who? I fear that is the reaction of many Orthodox, till lately including myself. The Orthodox Church has given the title “Theologian” to only three men: 1)  Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist, 2) Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, Patriarch of Constantinople, one of the great Fourth Century Cappadocian Fathers, defender of the Holy Trinity against […]

Read More »

624. Many Things – each important but too short for a full Post

1) American Orthodox wealth and education and more 2) How American Orthodoxy is changing. 3) Abortion statistics 4) How to find out what much of the American press ignores. 5) Israeli settler attacks on Christians on the West Bank 6) Old-fashioned dancing for two or more sexes 7) Religion in the White House 8) Patriarch […]

Read More »

623. Saint John the Theologian, Apostle and Evangelist

Commemorated on September 26 Introduction: Do not believe everything you read. If you look up the life of Saint John the Theologian, in many places you won’t find much, or else you’ll read skeptical theories about him, contrary to the Church’s tradition about him. For example, modern (and even a few ancient) skeptics decided that […]

Read More »

622. Is Orthodoxy conservative or liberal?

    That was a trick question.  The answer is Yes and No and Both and Neither, depending. Here’s why. Orthodoxy is Traditional, grounded in the Holy Tradition of the Church. While everything else in the world keeps shifting, mutating, coming and going, moving right and left, the Church is unchanging. Well, almost unchanging. But […]

Read More »

621. Last Sunday morning the Orthodox Church made the news! (briefly)

The topic today is The Orthodox Environmental Movement and the contemporary Anti-Environmental Movement. The headline just above is what’s called a “grabber”. I thought if I led with today’s topic you’d all go away. That’s what happens every September when I talk about the environment. Boring, eh? So the future of mankind is boring? Back […]

Read More »