The Divine Sophia in the Holy Trinity

It was Fr. Bulgakov’s observation that in the Church there is a very well-developed theology of the Divine Persons, but there was hardly any development of the Divine Essence. Convinced that Tradition is a creative rather than a restrictive force, Fr. Bulgakov devoted his philosophers and writers talent as well as his mystical sensitivity to developing this aspect of Orthodox Trintarianism.

“The dogma of the Holy Trinity consists in two basic postulates. The first affirms the triune character of the Deity, Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, who are three distinct Divine Persons together constitute one God. The second postulate is concerned with the consubstantiality of the Holy Trinity, which has but one Substance or Nature.” (Fr. Sergius Bulgakov ‘ Sophia the Wisdom of God’ p. 23).” 

Dogmatic Theology, the expression & charm of Truth

Christianity can really only be expressed by and in dogmatic theology. “The dogma of consubstantiality, which safeguards the unity of the Holy Trinity, thus remains a sealed book so far as we are concerned — for in a religious sense it has neither assimilated nor unfolded.” ~ “Sophia the Wisdom of God” p. 25, Fr. Serguis Bulgakov

“Orthodoxy does not persuade or try to compel;it charms and it attracts.” ~ S. Bulgakov

“And I, when I am lifted-up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (St. John 12:32)

First Council of Nicaea (325)

This first Oecumenical Council is of the highest importance in the history of Christianity. Its convocation by Constantine shows the place which Christianity had become in the whole region and the confines of the Roman empire. And this within months of the conquest of the Eastern provinces, and primarily to deal with the Arian problem.  It should perhaps be noted that for Constantine his main interest was to maintain unity. And besides Bishop Hosius, it seems that Eustathius, Bishop of Antioch took some lead and authority. The two terms that came to the expression of most importance in the Nicene Creed were Homoousion (Gk. of one substance) to express the relations of the Son with the Father. And also perhaps the preferred term Homoiousion (Gk. of like substance with The Father), which was held to leave more room for the distinctions in the Godhead.

And later there was the longer formula, also known as the ‘Niceno-Constanopolitan Creed.’  It needs to be said, that the later Eucharist worship, and the added Filioque in the early Middle Ages, was not and never really accepted with the East and Orthodoxy. And many today in the Anglican Church, as in the Orthodox do not accept the filioque.

Israel…the Jewish People.

With the 60th anniversary of the Nation of Israel earlier this month. Judeo-Christians (all Christians) should ask themselves, where does Israel today fit into our Christian consciousness? Even Vatican II declared: “Israel according to the flesh, which wandered as an exile in the desert, was already called the Church of God (Num.20:4)”. The new Israel will come when the Jewish people rejoin the Gentiles in the Church (Rom.11:25-29). How can we Christians not love and care for our Jewish brethren? As Our Lord said: “for salvation is from the Jews.” (St. John 4:22)

Shalom!

Orthodoxy contin.

The Orthodox and Eastern Church has no creeds in the modern western use of the word, no normative summaries of what must be believed. It has preserved the older idea that a creed is an adoring confession of the Church engaged in worship. The eastern creeds may thus be placed in two classes – the ecumenical creeds of the early undivided church, and later testimonies defining the position of the Orthodox Church of the east with regard to the belief of the Roman Catholic and of the Protestant Churches. The first four councils settled the Orthodox faith on the doctrines of the Trinity and of the two natures of the one person of Christ; the fifth supplemented the decisions of the first four.

Orthodoxy…

“The Orthodox Church is not a despotic monarchy governed from one center and a monarch in whom plenitude of power resides. It is an oligarchy of the great body of bishops, ranging through various grades of metropolitan, archbishop, [exarch] and patriarch. Each head of an autocephalous church (whether patriarch, exarch or archbishop) is supreme and not amenable to any of his peers but is within the jurisdiction of an ecumenical council.”

The great dogmatic work of the Eastern and Orthodox Church was the definition of that portion of the creed of Christendom which concerns theology proper – the doctrines of the essential nature of the Godhead and the doctrine of the Godhead in relation with manhood in the incarnation.  Many in the West have no clue to this great reality!

Relativism

One of our main problems in this postmodern time, is ‘the shifting winds of belief in a secular society’. Our minds have become almost like auditory to our daily messages. But it is often hard to really hear and give attention, at least to things that have not just the needs and aspects to our relativism. We are morally sick and have become dull, and many, perhaps most of us don’t want to think, reason and make or take stock of this kind of interior work - within!  We are lost in a ‘Helpless Guilt’…constant, recurring, even ceaseless guilt!  Who shall disseminate me, and touch my depth and soul? Only a transcendent but immanent theistic God, who has Himself entered and overcome our/my world!  This He did in the historic Cross and Death of Jesus Christ, and now HE is Christ Jesus ascended and reigning above, and still the Incarnate life of LOVE!

‘ Oh God, change my broken column into Your pillar, Your Temple. Take my little dying brand, and make a torch flashing truth and light and love – burn deeply, in me! Awaken my soul, alone your dwelling place, quiet place…new sacred shrine to grow!

Miaphysite, def.

Simply miaphysite (mia-one united) is the doctrine that Christ has one united nature out of two: divinity and humanity. This doctrine goes back to St. Cyril of Alexandria. “The one nature of God the Incarnate Logos/ Word.” Greek, physis of Christ: divine and human. It arose against Nestorianism, and stressed that Christ has one single nature where the divine assumed the human. Thus His Divinity is “indivisbly united” with His humanity in a “hypostatic”. “One incarnate nature (enity)”. This is held by the Coptic Orthodox (British). And the Oriental Orhodox. And some other independent Catholic Churches. I am not sure on the latter? Maybe they can speak up here?