Orthodox Fundamentalism

One of the cornerstones of Orthodox Christianity is its reverence for the great Fathers of the Church who were not only exemplars of holiness but were also the greatest intellectuals of their age. The writings of men like St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, and St. Maximos the Confessor have been and will always remain essential guides to Orthodox Christian living and Orthodox Christian faith.

Thus it is alarming that so many Orthodox clerics and monks in recent years have made public statements that reflect a “fundamentalist” approach to the Church Fathers. And unless leaders of the Orthodox Church unite to repudiate this development, the entire Orthodox Church is at risk of being hijacked by extremists.

Like other fundamentalist movements, Orthodox fundamentalism reduces all theological teaching to a subset of theological axioms and then measures the worthiness of others according to them. Typically, this manifests itself in accusations that individuals, institutions, or entire branches of the Orthodox Church fail to meet the self-prescribed standard for Orthodox teaching. For example, when the Theological Academy of Volos recently convened an international conference to examine the role of the Fathers in the modern Church, radical opportunists in the Church of Greece accused it and its bishop of heresy.

The key intellectual error in Orthodox fundamentalism lies in the presupposition that the Church Fathers agreed on all theological and ethical matters. That miscalculation, no doubt, is related to another equally flawed assumption that Orthodox theology has never changed—clearly it has or else there would have been no need for the Fathers to build consensus at successive Ecumenical Councils.

The irony, as identified by recent scholarship on fundamentalism, is that while fundamentalists claim to protect the Orthodox Christian faith from the corruption of modernity, their vision of Orthodox Christianity is, itself, a very modern phenomenon. In other words, Orthodoxy never was what fundamentalists claim it to be.

Indeed, a careful reading of Christian history and theology makes clear that some of the most influential saints of the Church disagreed with one another—at times quite bitterly. St. Peter and St. Paul were at odds over circumcision. St. Basil and St. Gregory the Theologian clashed over the best way to recognize the divinity of Holy Spirit. And St. John Damascene, who lived in a monastery in the Islamic Caliphate, abandoned the hymnographical tradition that preceded him in order to develop a new one that spoke to the needs of his community.

It is important to understand that Orthodox fundamentalists reinforce their reductionist reading of the Church Fathers with additional falsehoods. One of the most frequently espoused is the claim that the monastic community has always been the guardian of Orthodox teaching. Another insists that the Fathers were anti-intellectual. And a third demands that adherence to the teachings of the Fathers necessitates that one resist all things Western. Each of these assertions is patently false for specific reasons, but they are all symptomatic of an ideological masquerade that purports to escape the modern world.

The insidious danger of Orthodox fundamentalists is that they obfuscate the difference between tradition and fundamentalism. By repurposing the tradition as a political weapon, the ideologue deceives those who are not inclined to question the credibility of their religious leaders.

In an age when so many young people are opting out of religious affiliation altogether, the expansion of fundamentalist ideology into ordinary parishes is leading to a situation where our children are choosing between religious extremism or no religion at all.

It is time for Orthodox hierarchs and lay leaders to proclaim broadly that the endearing relevance of the Church Fathers does not lie in the slavish adherence to a fossilized set of propositions used in self-promotion. The significance of the Fathers lies in their earnest and soul-wrenching quest to seek God and to share Him with the world. Fundamentalist readings of both the Fathers and the Bible never lead to God—they only lead to idolatry.

George E. Demacopoulos

Professor of Historical Theology

Director and Co-Founder,

Fordham University Orthodox Christian Studies Center

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The Orthodox Church and Selma

“Our Church has never hesitated to fight, when it felt it must, for the rights of mankind….there are times when we must risk everything, including life itself, for those basic American ideals of freedom, justice, and equality, without which this land cannot survive. Our hope and prayer, then, is that we may be given strength to let God know by our acts and deeds, and not only by our words, that . . . we, too, are the espousers and the fighters in a struggle for which we must be prepared to risk our all.” (Archbishop Iakovos, Selma, Alabama, 1965)

Americans will pause tomorrow (Monday) to honor the memory of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who challenged us to see every person as created in the image and likeness of God and worthy of equal treatment under the law. Archbishop Iakovos’ courageous decision to march in solidarity with Rev. King in Selma, Alabama, is one of the most beautiful and proud moments in the history of the Orthodox Church in this country. Archbishop Iakovos affirmed that the Orthodox faith is not a museum of history but a way of living in the world that must be carefully cultivated and acted upon. The highly visible presence of the most distinguished bishop in American Orthodoxy marching with Rev. King serves as a bold witness and challenge to every Orthodox Christian to work for social justice in America and in the world.

Rev. King’s leadership of the American civil rights movement was deeply rooted in his Christian faith. Archbishop Iakovos’ words in Selma echoed this view: “A Christian must cry out in indignation against all persecution.” His words and example remind Orthodox Christians of their responsibility to strive for justice by working to overturn any laws that discriminatorily deny equal rights and protections to any person. Taking a stand for justice and equality is often met with opposition and censure; Archbishop Iakovos faced considerable resistance to his marching with Rev. King from elements within his own flock.

Rev. King turned the tables on his critics with the following words: “But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.’ Was not Amos an extremist for justice: ‘Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream.’ Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: ‘I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.’ . . . So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love?”

“Letter from Birmingham Jail” is not just a call for social action; it is also a critique of Christianity, including our own Orthodox Christian witness today. Rev. King has some harsh words for Christians who place more value on social order and acceptance than on being icons of truth and justice. “Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists.” Armed with faith, Rev. King forever changed the United States; Archbishop Iakovos challenged us to fight for justice for those who suffer and to give voice to those who have none.

The words of Rev. King and the image of Archbishop Iakovos marching with him in Selma, Alabama are not mere nostalgia from a bygone era. Their witness is not confined to history books. They represent an urgent question for every Orthodox Christian. What type of Church will we be? Will we fearfully and selfishly choose to turn inward or will we courageously turn outward, embracing the virtues of love, equality, and justice that led Archbishop Iakovos to Selma, Alabama in 1965?

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Request for Assistance

Throughout the history of Christianity, vibrant monasteries have always been key to the spiritual health of the Church. Keeping that in mind, we at the Orthodox Catholic Monastery of Our Lady Joy of All Who Sorrow strive to live out a new monasticism rooted in the spiritual tradition of the early Church.

We are a small religious community, spiritually affiliated with the Orthodox-Catholic Church of America (OCCA). Our particular charism is intercessory prayer, wherein we daily pray for the peace and welfare of the whole world, as well as for the specific intentions of our benefactors and for anyone who asks for our prayers. All mundane activities are subordinated to prayer and to giving one’s attention to God.

We rely on donations to support our mission of prayer and spiritual outreach via our website/blog. Entering a new year, we humbly ask the faithful to financially help us to maintain our life of prayer. Please click here to make your tax-deductible donation.

Wishing you many blessings,

Father Vladimir

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Reading the Bible – Part 1

The Bible is a mind-blowing, earth-changing book; but prior to reading the sacred text, it is important to determine one’s purpose for reading the Bible. Exegesis and Eisegesis are two conflicting approaches in Bible study.

Exegesis is the exposition or explanation of a text based on a careful, objective analysis. The word exegesis literally means “to lead out of.” That means that the interpreter is led to one’s conclusions by following the text. Exegesis involves four steps: 1) observation: what does the passage say?; 2) interpretation: what does the passage mean?; 3) correlation: how does the passage relate to the rest of the Bible?; and, 4) application: how should this passage affect my life? Exegesis is concerned with discovering the true meaning of the text, respecting its grammar, syntax, and setting (context).

The opposite approach is Eisegesis, which is the interpretation of a passage based on a subjective, non-analytical reading. The word eisegesis literally means “to lead into,” which means the interpreter injects one’s own ideas into the text, making it mean whatever the person wants. Eisegesis involves three steps: 1) imagination: what idea do I want to present?; 2) exploration: what Scripture passage seems to fit with my idea?; and, 3) application: what does my idea mean? Notice that, in eisegesis, there is no examination of the words of the text or their relationship to each other, no cross-referencing with related passages and no real desire to understand the actual meaning. Scripture serves only as a prop to the interpreter’s idea. Eisegesis is a mishandling of the text and often leads to a misinterpretation. Eisegesis is concerned only with making a point, even at the expense of the meaning of words. Eisegesis easily lends itself to error, as the would-be interpreter attempts to align the text with one’s own preconceived notions.

Exegesis allows us to agree with the Bible; Eisegesis seeks to force the Bible to agree with us. Obviously, only exegesis does justice to the text. An honest biblical seeker will be an exegete, allowing the text to speak for itself.

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Repose of Righteous John of Kronstadt (1908)

Commemorated December 20 / January 2

“Saint John of Kronstadt was a married priest, who lived with his wife in virginity. Through his untiring labours in his priestly duties and love for the poor and sinners, he was granted by our Lord great gifts of clairvoyance and miracle-working, to such a degree that in the last years of his life miracles of healings — both of body and of soul — were performed countless times each day through his prayers, often for people who had only written to him asking his help. During his lifetime he was known throughout Russia, as well as in the Western world. He has left us his diary My Life in Christ as a spiritual treasure for Christians of every age; simple in language, it expounds the deepest mysteries of our Faith with that wisdom which is given only to a heart purified by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Foreseeing as a true prophet the Revolution of 1917, he unsparingly rebuked the growing apostasy among the people; he foretold that the very name of Russia would be changed. As the darkness of unbelief grew thicker, he shone forth as a beacon of unquenchable piety, comforting the faithful through the many miracles that he worked and the fatherly love and simplicity with which he received all. Saint John reposed in peace in 1908.” (Great Horologion)

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