WHAT IS ORTHODOXY?

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

WHAT IS ORTHODOXY?
By Protopresbyter John S. Romanides of
blessed memory.

Orthodoxy is not a culture as Toynbee refers to it as “Orthodox culture.” Why? Because Orthodoxy is a science. And according to today’s criteria, it is a medical science. It is not a culture, Orthodoxy is neither a culture nor a political system, because it is concerned WITH OUR PERSONAL SALVATION, WITH THE SALVATION OF OUR SOULS. Orthodoxy is based on two facts: “the Logos/Word became flesh” and “in hell there is no repentance.” Of course, Orthodoxy contains within itself all that is necessary for the creation of culture, but Orthodoxy IS NOT A CULTURE. Orthodoxy is not even a religion. Orthodoxy is not a religion like all the other religions. Orthodoxy is distinguished from the rest by a unique phenomenon that is not present in any other religion. This phenomenon CONCERNS THE ORIGIN, NATURE AND DESTINY OF HUMAN BEINGS, AS WELL AS HOW HUMAN BEINGS CAN BE CURED. It makes Orthodoxy different from the rest of the religions. Orthodoxy IS A THERAPEUTIC COURSE OF TREATMENT THAT HEALS THE HUMAN PERSONALITY.

A genuine doctor concerns himself with the treatment of anyone who is sick, without exception and without discrimination. He does not single out only certain people from the rest for treatment. He is not interested in people’s social standing, their educational level, their economic situation, their religion, or their ethical conduct. A genuine doctor only notices whether or not the people who come to him are sick. And if they are sick, he takes an interest, tries to treat them, and to heal their infirmities. He is obligated to treat them. In the Orthodox tradition we have something similar to this, but even more so. And it is precisely this something more that constitutes our way of fighting back against westernization.

God loves not only saints, but all people, without exception, including sinners, people in hell, and even the devil. And He desires to save and heal every one of them. He wants to heal them all, but He cannot, because they do not all want to be healed. We know this — that God is love and that He desires to heal everyone and loves everyone — because it has been verified and continues to be verified by the experience of those who have attained THEOSIS (Deification), in which God is seen and they have seen God.

Nevertheless, God cannot heal everyone, because He DOES NOT VIOLATE THE HUMAN WILL. God holds man in high regard and loves him. He cannot, however, HEAL SOMEONE BY FORCE. He HEALS ONLY THOSE WHO WANT TO BE HEALED AND WHO REQUEST THAT HE HEALS THEM. Normally, someone who is physically ill, or even mentally, goes to the doctor on his own accord and not by force in order to get well –that is, if he is still thinking rationally. The same thing happens in the Orthodox therapeutic course of treatment. We must go to Church freely of our own accord, without being forced or pressured. We must go to competent people who have reached illumination, are experienced, and possess the curative method of the Orthodox tradition. And then we must be OBEDIENT TO THEM IN ORDER TO FIND HEALING. [Resources: Patristic Theology]

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“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +
With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George