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Tuesday 25 March 2014

Contextual Or Post-Patristic Theology

Contextual Or Post-Patristic Theology
Footnote of Metropolitan Pavlos of Glyfada to the Holy Synod of Greece

September 28, 2010

Protocol: # 1037

"CONTEXTUAL", "POSTPATRISTIC", AND Last "THEOLOGIKAL QUESTS" AT THE Gathering OF THE THEOLOGICAL Academe OF VOLOS

The "Academe for Theological Studies" of the Holy Conurbation of Demetrias, Volos, organized and hosted a theological hearsay with the supporting topic:

"NEOPATRISTIC SYNTHESIS OR POST-PATRISTIC Theology. THE Expedition OF CONTEXTUAL Theology IN Traditionalism."

This hearsay was a "revolutionary theological surprise" in the malicious purpose, for the listener who had not been abundantly position to furrow to a properly "warped" neotheological language. And it was not painstaking for this "language" to be heard by countless, for instance the hearsay was release on the internet TV quarters www.intv.gr with balanced summary in English and Greek. Whichever of these profane distortions heard now the course of this hearsay drive be unfilled a bit anyway down. It is device excluding to paramount intend our explanation on two key terms that lead this "theological gathering" to a "theological shipwreck".

Original, the baptize "Contextual Theology."

The conceptual content of this baptize seems hazy and not merely thought. Maybe it can be seen as a suave lingual neoplasm in order to declare some concepts that continue from the require of formulating some new social realities. This couldn't be anyway from the truth. The baptize "Synafeiaki Theologia" is agreed for at least forty vivacity in inter-Christian literature and spoken in English as "Contextual Theology" or "Cohesive Theology". The baptize became generally agreed by the "Cosmos Gathering on Chore and Evangelism" which was organized in 1972 in Bangkok. The intervening vogue in this hearsay was for the a little Christian confessions to work on top of plug seen branched, to the front non-Christians, as a slash of doctrinal differences, and to anyway differentiate unity by placing a priority on issues of social impartiality and harm of social classes. This would marshal the missionary and preaching harass to tender if at all possible priority to the formulation of methods of restoring social erroneous as contrary to distribution the truths of the Gospel. No one can dissociate from the require for social impartiality, but this can righteous become a fact by living the truths of the Tale of God as spoken downcast the doctrines of the Ecumenical Synods of the God-bearing Fathers of the Minster. The source and the opportunity of "Contextual Theology" was "the recovery of missions featuring in a community of churches in post" (http://www.mission2005.org).

In Honest theology excluding, we do not stand "community of churches" but "One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Minster." The gang of Christian missions promising from a "community of churches" degrades the "One Minster" to a group of denominations that does not reveal the righteous Authenticity and anyway degrades missionary work to a sociological on the other hand of a soteriological slope. The "contextual theology" introduced in Bangkok has significantly long-drawn-out its horizons according to the internet site (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/empowermentsanctuary/blog/2008/04/15/about-holistic-theology-empowerment-sanctuary):

"The notion of contextual theology is to increase the spiritual, indicating, mental and physical converge of life, by exploring a little tradition and concepts found in spirituality, metaphysics, in quantum physics, religion, the illustrative of life, sequential trends and nominal understanding, and plus to synthesize all these together in a undemanding and forceful contextual sum... we intend to consign you with a class of tools designed to help you in your secret collection and movement... and all these regardless if you are confused with Devout Relief, Comprehensive Law, Buddhism, Gnosticism, Christianity, or any sequential, nominal or educated experiences in spirituality."

All over the place arises a definitive question: Did the organizers of this hearsay stand any knowledge of the history of the baptize "contextual theology"? If they did not, why did they use it? To make an knowledge or to found modernism? But if they knew, plus we can without a glitch speak of an run through to "distort theology."

Second, the baptize "Post-Patristic Theology."

This baptize, outside of plug real McCoy, is furthermore unbiblical and profane. Unbiblical, while it contradicts the very source of the patristic theology of our Minster. The Lord Himself has said:

"And the Paraclete, the Holy Take off whom the Opening drive send in My name, he drive teach you all belongings, and bring to your recollect all belongings that I whispered to you" (John 14:26).

"But on one occasion the Paraclete comes, whom I shall send to you from the Opening, the Take off of truth who go back from the Opening, He drive show of Me" (John 15:26).

"Calm, on one occasion He, the Take off of truth, has come, He drive guide you featuring in all truth" (John 16:13).

The Holy Fathers are the fruit of the work of the Holy Take off in the Minster. The Fathers accordingly are called God-bearing, while they are the vessels and the organs of the Holy Take off. With unrelenting ascesis and difficult neptic war, they broken the spirit of the flesh to the drive of God. In Traditionalism near cannot be Theology minus ascesis and Theology minus Fathers. The Fathers with their theology limit the preceding words of our Lord. The Fathers do not say anything real McCoy, nor do they take in new thoughtful theories, but while they are spirit-filled and get on in the Crisp of God, they interpret the truths revealed by Christ, empowered by His light.

The Paraclete, the Take off of truth, leads the Fathers of the Minster "to all truth." This way that near can be no become old in the life of the Minster that Fathers do not be located. This would mean that the Paraclete worn-out "holding fast the whole home-based of the Minster" (Vespers of Pentecost). All this leads to the coherent ruling that the baptize "post patristic" theology is carefully unsubstantiated. It is dazed to stand a become old after the Fathers, for instance the Minster drive endlessly mold theologically with the Flimsiness of the Holy Take off downcast the God-bearing Fathers. We do not dissociate from the baptize "neo-patristic theology" while new Fathers drive endlessly decorate supervisor time. But we disgust the baptize "post patristic theology" while it leads us discharge to Protestantism. The Minster minus Fathers would be a "fake Christian Protestant formulation" minus any network to the "One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Minster."

Were the organizers of this "theological" hearsay not intended of the initially and basic moral code of Honest Theology?

If that is true, how do they suppose make level "theological" conferences under the auspices of a delivery service aplomb the high-flown name "Honest Academe," like the prefix/title suffers from theological unorthodoxy? But if they were intended, plus we stand every squeal to speak about a shade quickness to filthy and distort the basic structures of Honest Theology.

To one side from these basic advice set by the hearsay and spoken by the state-owned slogan, near were in the course of meetings a glut of hard points posited by the speakers which produced capacious problem concerning their Honest content.

We herein quote some of these shoddy positions:


- "THE JUXTAPOSITION Between EAST AND WEST Must Bolt" (Marcus Plested, Second Seminar 4/6/2010 and deacon Pavel Gavrilyuk, Fifth Seminar 06/04/2010).

- "IN THEIR Educational Approach TO SCRIPTURE THAT IS SO Lovely TO FUNDAMENTALISTS, THEY Need THAT In the least Custody OF THE BIBLE IS INERRANT" (John Fotopoulos, Fourth Seminar 06/04/2010).

- "Thanks TO JUNG WE CAN Last but not least Spontaneous THE Magnify Belief OF THE Intersect" (George Dimakopoulos, Fifth bring about 04/06/2010).

- "THE CONTEXTUAL Proposal HELPS US TO Differ THE FATHERS With THE NON-ORTHODOX" (Archbishop Hilarion Alfeyev of Volokolamsk, Third Seminar 06/04/2010).

- "THE Sequence OF FR GEORGE FLOROVSKY ON THE MINDS OF THE FATHERS REVEALS A Sensitivity IN HIS Verge on AND Observations" (John Behr, Second Seminar 06/04/2010).

- "A Criticism THAT CLAIMS THE Right Authenticity IS IMPERIALIST" (George Dimakopoulos, fifth Seminar 06/04/2010).

- "Theology Must Do as you are told TO Unregulated WAYS OF Instruction SO IT CAN Take a look at FROM THE PATRISTIC Foundation" (Alexei Nesteruk, Fifth bring about 06/04/2010).

- "TREMBELAS IS Insensible OF ALL THREE VOLUMES OF THE DOGMATICS OF BARTH" (Opening Dimitrios Bathrellos, Fifth Seminar 06.04.2010). Comment: It is utterly true that in the Dogmatics of Trembelas near are omissions, but the fall or dimness of the Protestant rehearsal of dogmatics can shoddily be alleged as a total significant evaluation [in a as rumor has it Honest hearsay].

- "Foundation CAN NOT BE A GUARANTOR OF Authenticity. IF THE INTERPRETIVE [Proposal] OF GADAMER May perhaps BE Identified IT WOULD Insinuation Traditionalism TO NOT See Foundation AS A Castle OF Authenticity" (Assaad Katan, Sixth Seminar 05/06/2010).

- "WE Must Rummage FOR THE SEEDS OF POST-PATRISTIC Theology IN THE FATHERS THEMSELVES" (Deacon John Manousakis, Sixth Seminar 06/05/2010).

- "IT IS Time TO DO On view With STEREOTYPES AND Tradition FROM Theology" (Daniel Ayuch, Fourth Seminar 04/06/2010).

- "FROM THE EIGHTH CENTURY [Honest] Theology LACKS Cleverness AND THEOLOGICAL Cock-and-bull story" (Daniel Ayuch, Fourth Seminar 04/06/2010). Comment: Mr. Ayuch seems to be uninformed about [manifold theologians, remarkably] St. Gregory Palamas.

- "Minster IS ALL THE Last CHRISTIANS" (Opening Emmanuel Clapsis, Tenth bring about 06/06/2010).

- "IT IS Need TO GO Higher AND Historical THE FATHERS Seeing that THEY COMPROMISED With THE Take off OF THE Cosmos" (Pantelis Kalaitzidis, Tenth Seminar 06/06/2010).

- "WE Insolvency TO GO Historical THE FATHERS" (Deacon Pavel Gavrilyuk, Fifth bring about 04/06/2010).

- "THE Honest [THEOLOGICAL] SCHOOLS Have to Catch the attention of NON-ORTHODOX THEOLOGIANS TO Keep fit" (Deacon Pavel Gavrilyuk, Fifth bring about 06/04/2010).

- "WE Must SEE THE WESTERN FATHERS SUCH AS THOMAS AQUINAS AS CO-WORKERS Fair OF OUR Devotion" (Deacon Pavel Gavrilyuk, Fifth bring about 06/04/2010).

- "WE Must Casual TO Leader On the way to AN Honest Theology OF RELIGIONS" (Opening Emmanuel Clapsis, Tenth Seminar 06/06/2010).

- "SPOUSES Have to BE Benefit TO Spring Holy COMMUNION Lacking SPOUSAL Sedateness ON THE EVE OF Blissful LITURGY" and "Holy COMMUNION Have to BE Available TO WOMEN Concerning THE Act OF MENSTRUATION" (Pantelis Kalaitzidis, Tenth Seminar 6/6/2010 and Helen Kasselouri-Chadjivassiliadis, Sixth Seminar 5/6/2010). Comment: We boost roughly speaking that St. Timothy of Alexandria has abundantly responded to these issues in his canonical questions and answers, as recorded in the "Rudder" and validated by the Fourth, the Sixth and the Seventh Ecumenical Synod.

- "Bestow Must BE A REINTERPRETATION OF OUR Rigid Foundation" (Pantelis Kalaitzidis, Tenth Seminar 06/06/2010).

- "THE Belief OF Evolution DOES NOT Instability With THE Philosophy OF Founding" (Opening Andrew Louth, Seventh Seminar 06/05/2010).

- "THE FATHERS Bring into being TRANSCENDED THE Past it CHRISTIAN Theology... AND WE Must NOW TRANSCEND [GO Above AND Higher] THE FATHERS" (Pantelis Kalaitzidis, Tenth Seminar 06/06/2010).

- "In the least Natural HAS Natural PANGS, BUT OUT OF IT Impulse Cultivate No matter which NEW" (His Excellence Metropolitan of Demetrias and Almyros Ignatius, Gathering closing remarks, Tenth Seminar 06/06/2010). Comment: It requirement be emphasized roughly speaking that the dogmas of the Minster were, in fact, a slash of a shrewd severe, neptic and theological course, and as every child is untutored righteous behind similarly the dogmas do not require not be reborn or, as it was acknowledged countless mature in the Gathering, to be "redefined".

All of the earlier [painted] selections of some of the positions of the speakers at this hearsay are in require of rounded explanations.

We do not dissociate from universe of dissertation in the maintain of Honest theology, but we can not play universe of feeling to end up as Protestant feeling. The organizers of the hearsay are desirable to come up with fair explanations in order to elude unwarranted clashes for wasteful "births."

Our Theology desires to strengthen in the Flimsiness of the Holy Take off. And this can be done downcast the Saints, who are endlessly serve in the Minster.

In anticipation of the Hierarchy to intercede hence concerning this atrocious crime on top of the bunch of Christ, I resolve yours,

With the cordial prize,

The lowest together with the bishops


+ Metropolitan of GLYFADAS PAVLOS

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