Eastern
Orthodox Theology

A Contemporary Reader

Second Edition

Edited by
Daniel B. Clendenin

© 1995, 2003 by Daniel B. Clendenin

Published by Baker Academic

a division of Baker Book House Company

P.O. Box 6287

Grand Rapids, Michigan 49516–6287

www.bakeracademic.com

and

Paternoster Press

an imprint of Authentic Media

P.O. Box 300, Carlisle, Cumbria CA3 0QS, UK

www.paternoster-publishing.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Eastern Orthodox Theology: a contemporary reader / [edited by] Daniel B. Clendenin—

2nd ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-8010-2651-2 (pbk.)

1. Orthodox Eastern Church—Doctrines. I. Clendenin, Daniel B.

BX320.3.E27 2003

230’. 19—dc21 2003052313

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

UK ISBN 1-84227-234-9

Contents

Preface to the Second Edition

Preface to the First Edition

Part 1 Theology as Worship: Liturgy and Sacraments

1 The Earthly Heaven
Timothy (Kallistos) Ware

2 Concerning the Sacraments
John Karmiris

3 The Meaning and Content of the Icon
Leonid Ouspensky

4 The Virgin and the Saints in Orthodoxy
Sergius Bulgakov

Part 2 Theology as Tradition: Councils and Fathers

5 Doing Theology in an Eastern Orthodox Perspective
John Meyendorff

6 The Function of Tradition in the Ancient Church
George Florovsky

7 The Authority of the Ancient Councils and the Tradition of the Fathers
George Florovsky

8 Tradition and Traditions
Vladimir Lossky

Part 3 Theology as Encounter: God, Christ, and Humanity

9 Apophasis and Trinitarian Theology
Vladimir Lossky

10 The Procession of the Holy Spirit in Orthodox Trinitarian Theology
Vladimir Lossky

11 Partakers of Divine Nature
Christoforos Stavropoulos

Part 4 Theology as Mission: Orthodoxy and the West

12 The Missionary Imperative in the Orthodox Tradition
Alexander Schmemann

13 Moment of Truth for Orthodoxy
Alexander Schmemann

14 Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism: The Status of an Emerging Global Dialogue
Bradley Nassif

15 Looking for Home: Evangelical Orthodoxy
Timothy P. Weber

Bibliography

Scripture Index

Subject Index

Preface to the Second Edition

One of the best ways to get to know a viewpoint is to allow its advocates to speak for themselves. This anthology does just that; it introduces Eastern Orthodox Christianity with selections from its leading voices on the most important aspects of its tradition. I also have added my own voice to this reader in the companion volume Eastern Orthodox Christianity: A Western Perspective. As with the present volume, I have also edited this book by adding an epilogue that explores Orthodoxy’s dialogue with Protestantism ...