THEO 149C – Principles of Orthodoxy

Weekly Discussion Questions - Answers by Joel Haas

1. In brief, please describe what you think are the most important aspects to remember about creation.

The Uncreated Father, Son and Holy Spirit created everything 'out of nothing' by His will and power (Ps.
32:6). Everything was created to glorify Christ. God transcends all creation and is unknowable apart from
His revelation in creation and, ultimately, in His Son and Holy Spirit. The entire world was created for the
benefit of humanity, who has been uniquely created in God's image with 'spirit' in his nature. God gave
each living thing its own unique, unchangeable form. The universe exists according to the laws
established by God at creation, who ceaselessly holds together and cares for all things.

2. Anthropology can be a difficult subject to teach. Using simple definitions (that you could use when
speaking to a layperson) give examples of what you have been taught about body, soul and spirit.

Humans were created with body, soul and spirit. The body interacts with the material world, especially
through the five senses, and the soul rules and gives life to the body. The soul has three main powers:
mind fo hinking feeling fo de i e ill fo co age and good e il ange The mind le he
'feeling' and 'will'. The spirit is above, and judges, body and soul. It is each person's connection with God
and is seen in fear of God, conscience, and thirst for God. Humans fulfil their God-given purpose when
they use the powers of their soul to become like God.

3. Please discuss your understanding of "original" or "ancestral" sin as taught in the Orthodox Church.
Briefly compare this to the Western understanding. Imagine you are talking to an inquirer. A good point of
reference may be "Orthodox Dogmatic Theology" by Pomazansky.

O iginal Ance al in i he da kening of he mind ha i pa ed on f om Adam and E e h o gh na al

conception. All are born suffering the consequences of original sin: loss of paradise and direct
comm nion i h God inclina ion o in impe fec p a e o o illne and dea h Man in e nal
harmony of purpose, direction and will has been lost. This differs from Western views of the total
depravity of human nature o he pa ing of Adam g il on o all men The fo me al e man e ence
and thus dehumanizes him, and the latter ascribes to nature what can only be personal in character.

4. How do you understand sin?

God created man by nature sinless and with power of choice. Instead of choosing progress in virtue with
the help of Divine Grace he chose to violate God's law, falling into vice through Satan's deceit. Sin
destroys the unity of the soul, cutting off communion with God and bringing self-centredness. The will
becomes directed to comfort, the feelings to pleasure, and the mind to vain knowledge. Whereas the
soul was dependant on the spirit it is now turned toward the body which came from nothing and now
moves toward sensuality, emptiness, and death. Only Christ can heal this diseased nature.

5. What is your understanding of the purpose of miracles in the New Testament?

Miracles were a vital component of the earthly ministry of Christ. Because He had no vain passions,
miracles always served to witness to His Fa he kingdom Fo people p eocc pied i h dail ca e he e
manifestations of Paradise softened hearts and drew attention to reality beyond the material, to the
hea enl Fa he lo e fo Hi o ld Fo ho e den ing God e i ence he e ndeniable manifestations
of divinity confronted people with the presence of God in His world. For those weak in faith or entranced
b he po e of he o ldl a ho i ie mi acle imb ed ene ed fai h in God po e and p omi e o
bring salvation.

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6. How would you compare our understanding of the Eucharist with the Roman Catholic understanding?

While similar on the surface, important differences exist between Roman Catholic and Orthodox
understandings of the Eucharist. Fundamentally, Rome has been willing to define the exact nature of
indefinable Eucharistic realities and expose its teaching to the unnecessary danger of foreign
philosophical influences. The Orthodox Church offers one loaf of leavened bread to the faithful,
proclaiming the oneness of Christ's Body. Rome, in contrast, offers many individual wafers of unleavened
b ead obf ca ing he pi i al eali of he E cha i Addi ionall Rome onl offe he Bod o he
faithful while depriving them of the 'Blood', which is scandalously reserved for clergy alone.

7. When considering the suffering and death of our Lord, what is your understanding of suffering as
viewed by the Orthodox Church? If possible somehow tie this in to popular notions of suffering in the west
seen in such things as the stigmata, etc.

Suffering is the direct result of the original sin. Christ released humanity from captivity to suffering by
taking our suffering and death into Himself on the cross and bursting their power through His Life-giving
resurrection. Because of Christ our suffering can also be transformed into a witness to His victory, as
through it we allow Him to loose our souls from slavery to passions and death as He has already done to
the cosmos. By contrast, popular Western culture, consumed with experiencing pleasure and
convenience, finds no meaning at all in suffering and seeks to alleviate it at all costs.

8. Imagine you are talking to a Roman Catholic. Please give a brief answer to the issues with the filioque.

The trinitarian dogma is the heart of Christian teaching. Unfortunately, in teaching the Filioque Roman
Catholics make grave theological errors. A fundamental theological principle is that an attribute is either
shared by all three Persons or else is unique to each Person. However, the Filioque teaches that the
Father and the Son share a manner of existence that the Spirit does not. Another important principle is
distinguishing between the ontological and economic inter-trinitarian relations. The Son is the co-sender
of he Spi i in God p o iden ial ac i i a Pentecost, but this does not imply an eternal role in the
Spirit's procession.

9. What is your understanding of what "The Church" is and how would you explain that to a Protestant
who felt that "The Church" comprised all believers?

The Church is the assembly of Orthodox Christians, on earth and in heaven, united in faith and love in the
one Orthodox faith. The one Church as a body, with Christ as her head, cannot be divided within herself.
Her teaching and experience of faith and life are preserved without corruption by the Holy Spirit through
her Tradition and by the mediation of her lawfully ordained bishops and priests. Correct opinions and
morality may be found anywhere, but those people and groups not in communion with her bishops nor
sharing the same teaching and worship, are outside of the Church.

10. Please discuss your understanding of the priesthood as it compares to the Catholic understanding of
the priesthood.

The Church has bishops, priests and deacons. The synod of bishops, all equal in authority, manifests the
ni of he fai h and o hip of he Ch ch b he bi hop m al comm nion in lo e Each bi hop
lead i h he help of p ie and deacon i h each bi hop dioce e eflec ing he ancien I aeli e
structure of High Priest, priests and Levites. By contrast, Catholics hold that the only legitimate
priesthood is that confirmed by, and in agreement with, the bishop of Rome, who has immediate
ni e al j i dic ion Thi ba icall n all bi hop in o p ie in he Pope dioce e ne ering their
authority and significance.

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11. The role of the Theotokos in our Church is unique among the various groups that refer to themselves
as "Christian". What are your thoughts on the importance of our understanding of the Entry into the
Temple of the Theotokos in regards to salvation history?

The Theo oko en ance in o he emple gi e impo an in igh in o he al a ion hi o of God

people. She was the embodiment of the purpose for which God had chosen the Israelites as His people:
to become a purified vessel - through prayer, asceticism and obedience - worthy of being the dwelling
place of God for the salvation of the whole world. The Divine inspiration of the High Priest to allow her
into the Holy of Holies, into which only he was allowed to enter once a year, symbolized its fulfilment in
he a he niq e place in hich God o ld conde cend o man

12. Briefly describe the symbolism of the church building.

God showed Moses the heavenly throne room as the template for Israel's worship (Ex. 25:40; Heb. 8:4-6),
which also shapes Orthodox worship. Worshippers face East because the Divine Light has dawned in
Christ. The building has three sections: the Altar, signifying the heavenly Kingdom which meets us in the
M e ie and he cle g ble ings; the Nave, which signifies that all Christians are a holy priesthood, as
this was only open to priests in the Old Covenant; and the narthex, set apart for penitents and
catechumens. The iconostasis shows the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven who intercede for the world.