Fr John Chryssavgis and Orthodox Ecological Teachings

Dear Parish Faithful,

On Saturday evening, we are going to hear the distinguished Orthodox theologian, Fr. John Chyrassvgis, offer some "ecological reflections on the beatitudes." (For info on this event, please visit our website.) This will hopefully help us to discern the "justice and beauty of the earth."

What I have learned, is that the very words "ecology/ecological" and "environment(al)" are heavily politicized terms in our contemporary culture. I am sure that you agree with me, but to make the point, all I have to say is: Al Gore! Many people swear by Al Gore. They believe that there may have been something "providential" in his loss to George Bush in the 2000 presidential election. That bitter loss then allowed him to discover his true vocation and to shift his focus in life. That was to become the great secular prophet of warning us in apocalyptic language of the present dangers to the environment - especially caused by global warming. All of this was supposedly validated when his film "An Inconvenient Truth" won an Oscar award; and Gore himself won a Nobel peace prize in 2007 together with the IPCC of the U.N. Many other people, however, swear at Al Gore as a charlatan who has no scientific credentials; who is thus way in over his head in this whole debate; and who is being manipulated by political interest groups bent upon promoting a particular environmental agenda based on fear tactics meant to alarm the government into massive spending that is all quite unnecessary. I am not so sure that there are many people somewhere in between those two extremes. Hence, the politicization of the terms "ecology" and "environment" alluded to above.

None of this has much to do with an Orthodox Christian theology of the natural world around us. In fact, what is so sorely missing in today's debate is precisely a theological approach, one that sees the cosmos and hence the "environment" and the "ecological system" in theocentric terms. The world is not divine, but it is sacred, in that it is created and sustained by God and filled with His energies. Usually, however, a genuinely Christian perspective on the environment is treated with indifference or scorn. And actually, many "green" groups blame Christian attitudes for the pollution and exploitation of the environment. But in recent decades, some Orthodox theologians, beginning with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholemew, have endeavored to articulate an Orthodox Christian ecological vision of the world and our place in the world as stewards of the environment. This is, again, a theological vision based upon the text of Genesis that reveals God as the Creator and source of the entire cosmos and our world.

Orthodox Christians may take divergent views on these contemporary debates, and support one or another position, but there exists an underlying unified vision that we are responsible for our stewardship of the world, based precisely upon the text of Genesis. The Lord has entrusted the world to our care and respect for all forms of life, because we are the "crowning" achievement of God's creation, made in His "image and likeness." As a body, we share a "priesthood" of offering the world back to God in thanksgiving and love. We "mediate" between the Uncreated and the created. Human persons are the "voice" of the world as it sings hymns of praise to God for its very existence - and which is "very good." The world itself is a "sacrament" of God's presence. But again, this means that we will "cultivate" the world with loving care. Any pollution or loss of the initial purity of the world is one more grim reminder of human sin and of the world's fallen state. No wonder the world "groans and is in travail" until its eschatological transfiguration. I could be mistaken, but I believe that Fr. John will address such important truths with clarity and eloquence.

Our contribution to a Christian vision of ecological issues is pretty modest, but here are a few titles that have appeared in recent years (links to resellers provided):

• Beyond the Shattered Image: Insights Into an Orthodox Ecological Worldview - John Chyrssavgis

• Animals and Man: A State of Blessedness - Dr. Joanne Stefanatos, D.V.M.

• Man and the Environment: A Study of St. Symeon the New Theologian - Anestis Keselopoulos

• Living in God's Creation - The Ecological Vision of Orthodox Christianity - Elizabeth Theokritoff (forthcoming in June)

- Fr. Steven

Re: Seven Secular Challenges - An Eighth Challenge, "Opinion"

Dear Parish Faithful,

Further commentary from Ralph Sidway ...

_____

Dear Father Steven,

I found this entry of yours most interesting. I believe the secularizing (or perhaps better, "de-sacrilizing") process is so far along and has been gathering momentum for so many decades and generations now, that it is exponentially more difficult now than in decades past for an Orthodox Christian to cultivate a true spiritual life and taste the real 'savor of Orthodoxy' (as Fr Seraphim Rose might phrase it). The analogy of "boiling a frog" comes to mind; if you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will leap out, but if you put the frog into a pot of tepid water and slowly bring it to a boil, it will not notice it is boiling until it is way too late!

Another addition to the list of challenges might be "opinion." Thanks to the internet, everyone can share their opinions about anything constantly. Everyone seems to be blogging, chatting, sharing opinions, and arguing vehemently over them, but is anyone listening or being benefited? This surely extends to Orthodoxy, where the temptation exists for us "moderns" to assess and judge the veracity and Orthodoxy of previous generations, even holy fathers and mothers of recent times when we have barely dipped our toe in the sea of sanctity in which they swam. How many have been shipwrecked because they trusted in themselves and their own opinions. This might be a patristic starting point for further commentary on identifying and combatting these seven challenges.

in Christ,
Ralph

Re: Seven Secular Challenges - The Prayer of St Ephraim

* Revised 3/6/09

Dear Parish Faithful,

A very insightful commentary from Alexis Callender ... For those who may not have, or be aware of, the Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim, I have attached a copy with some explanation*. It is meant to be used in the home as well as in the church.

Fr. Steven

* Webmaster's Note: The Prayer of St Ephraim in PDF format can be found on our Great Lent page. Scroll towards the bottom and the SPECIAL FEATURES section.
_____

Good Morning Fr. Steven,

Father bless,

I would like to share with you some further thoughts on the Seven Secular Challenges Facing 21st-Century Catholics. (Obviously, we can easily replace "Catholics" with "Orthodox" - Fr. Steven). In my humble opinion, we as Orthodox Christians must be prepared to respond to each of these seven challenges. This is indeed essential and critical. Although we are not “of the world”, we are “in the world” and therefore must be armed for the battle against such vices. They are all in direct contradiction with the Orthodox Way…the Way of Christ. They are the anti-thesis of our lives as Christians.

When we pray, “O Heavenly King, The Comforter and Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere and fillest all things, come and abide in us and cleanse us from very impurity and save our souls O Good One”, we are asking to be protected from the worldly ways, which are sadly, “ever present” and “fill all things” in the secular society in which we live. While these challenges are very real and very much present in our daily life, God gives us the shield and armor to protect ourselves “from every evil and adverse work of the Devil”.

While contemplating further on this list, the beautiful and powerful prayer of St. Ephraim came to mind. This prayer in its profound meaning clearly guides us to beseech the “Lord and Master” of our lives to take from us “the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power and idle talk”, which directly correlate with the secular challenges outlined by the author.

• Lack of respect for authority – lust of power and sloth
• Cynicism – idle talk , lust of power, judging our brethren
• Uncritical openness – idle talk
• Ideology – which can breed despair in our longing for what we want or desire or feel should be.
• Learned helplessness – sloth
• Anti-intellectualism – idle talk
• Political correctness – idle talk
• Although not part of the list from the book, we may consider adding desensitization or indifference and possibly hopelessness to the list of challenges, all which can breed despair and slothfulness.

Further in the prayer of St. Ephraim, we ask God to grant to us “the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love” to His servants. These virtues can be our response to the challenges we face as Christians living in the world. They are the weapons against the *seven deadly passions. (*An interesting parallel to these seven challenges.)

The world teaches us to be self-centered and focused on how I can glorify myself so that others will glorify me. These seven challenges, which are fed by the seven passions play right into that line of thinking. But, through Christ and His Holy Church we are taught to be Christ-centric and focused on how I can glorify God so other others may glorify Him. Through prayer, fasting, “humility, patience and love”, we stay on course. Not considered a popular path by the worldly, but truly, there is no other way. “…I would rather be a doorkeeper in house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” – Ps.84:10

Thanks be to God for His infinite mercy which He bestows upon His children, for the wisdom and teachings of the Holy Church Fathers through which God nourishes us, and for the protection of Christ and His Holy Church as we continue our “spiritual warfare.”

In Christ,
Alexis

Seven Secular Challenges

* Revised 3/6/09

Dear Parish Faithful and Friends in Christ,

I like looking through book catalogues when they come through the mail. I recently noticed a book by a Roman Catholic scholar entitled Seven Secular Challenges Facing the 21st Century Catholic. Admittedly, I don't intend to read the book, but the seven challenges that this writer saw from secularism are the following, and it is a quite an interesting list:

1) lack of respect for authority
2) cynicism
3) uncritical openness
4) ideology
5) learned helplessness
6) anti-intellectualism
7) political correctness

Answering those secular challenges as Orthodox Christians is not an option for us - but an urgent necessity.

- Fr Steven