Dave O'Neal
Bishop Cassian Bezobrazov: Traditional and Free
We are perfectly aware that theological research ought to be on the one hand completely free and on the other hand rooted in Tradition. We do not close our eyes to the fact that our encounter with the West has considerably enriched us. Before the First World War we were well acquainted with German, particularly Protestant, scientific biblical literature. During the course of our work in Paris, the treasures of French, English and American theological thought—not only Protestant but also Roman Catholic—have been open to us. For it is in the confrontation of opinions that one is able to discover the Truth. Facing new problems, enriched by new knowledge we are led to formulate responses which our forefathers had not the least idea, nor we ourselves had not wars and revolutions changed the face of the world and had not our points of view been overthrown.
St. Dimitri Klepinine on the free will that accomplishes the will of God…
Saint Dmitri Klepinine: Notebook entry 4 September 1926. St. Dmitri was glorified by the Church in Constantinople together with Mother Maria Skobtsova and others in 2004.
“It Gets Better”: Orthodox Version
In my frustration about the lack of an Orthodox Christian “It Gets Better” video in response to gay teen suicide, I began to wonder what such a response would possibly be like coming from Orthodox clergy or hierarchs. But whenever I sat down to try to write one ( imagining myself in the kamilafka of any of our bishops) the result ended up satirical. So I made a special effort to make it non-satirical, to empathize with someone in the “traditional” position on sexuality and to postulate a compassionate response from that position. The following is what I came up with. I had to make up a fictional “help line” to make it reasonable. I, of course, don’t agree with this response, and I can spell out its flaws very specifically (and may be called on to do so). But this little exercise in empathy may serve the purpose of showing that those of us who support the inclusion of gay people in the church understand to some degree the position of those who don’t. I find it telling that not even something like this has appeared in response to the teen suicide awareness. Only silence.
Fr Schmemann on Homosexuality
I’m posting this problematic bit from Fr. Alexander’s Journals, as I think it contains some interesting points, and serves as a convenient place to examine the issue of discernment of the mind of Christ (and who gets to..). I’ll come back and add my own comments later (I’m actually off to the Liturgy now), but please chime in, all.
Further to Metropolitan Jonah
The following was written by my partner, Eric, in response to Metropolitan Jonah’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” letter, from the perspective of a non-Orthodox-Christian who rightly points out that it affects him as well. The hyperlinks in his addendum unfortunately didn’t come through when I copied this, but I can send some or all of them in a private message to anyone who’d like them. Let me know via private message or email–Dave
Open Letter to Metropolitan Jonah
December 28, 2010
24 Purvis St.
Watertown, MA 02472
davensati@msn.com
Most Blessed Jonah
Archbishop of Washington
Metropolitan of All America and Canada
P.O. Box 675
Syosset, NY 11791
Your Beatitude:
Most Blessed Master, Bless!
This letter is in open response to your letter of 20 May to the Armed Forces Chaplains Board regarding the debate on the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy for the U. S. military, which has appeared on the Internet. You will likely remember me from our days together at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, from our visits in Boston when you were doing graduate study at Holy Cross here in the later 1980s, and though our numerous mutual acquaintances.
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