Thoughts on the calling of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew Matthew was a tax collector. When Jesus gave him the invitation to “follow me”, he responded with hospitality. He opened his house to the Lord, his disciples, fellow tax collectors, and unspecified sinners. Just to make sure everyone had a good time, this was […]
The Challenge of Post-Hoc Moral Decision Making
March 10, 2015 By
The Rational Decision-makerIn the post-enlightenment west, we have this idea that man is rational; that when he approaches a decision, he gathers the available data, calculates the costs and benefits of each alternative, and selects the one that he determines is most likely to be the best (i.e. expected utility maximization). Very few people […]
Homily for the Sunday of Orthodoxy: Extreme Orthodoxy (notes)
March 1, 2015 By
A Note on Extremism Extremism is the only way to become perfect in God Extremism? Yeah it can be dangerous That’s why we’d better get it right What does Extreme Christianity look like? Orthodoxy! But what does that mean? Danger of Orthodox fundamentalism: the primacy of rules, Phariseeism, and judgmentalism How do we do Extreme […]
What is a “Peacemaker”? A Reflection
March 1, 2015 By
Then Jesus Christ said; “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” (St. Matthew 5:9) We sing this every Sunday as part of the Beatitudes (sung during the Little Entrance, when the clergy process to the Holy Doors with the Gospel), but what does it mean? Let’s start with the […]
The REAL Reason People Leave the Church!
February 24, 2015 By
Google “why people leave the church” and you will get a bazillion links to articles describing why people leave the church (okay, there may be fewer than a bazillion… I stopped counting at a hundred when I ran the search this morning). Put the same query in at Amazon and you will get similar results. In […]
Wolves in the Guise of Prophets: The Problem of Orthodox Fundamentalism
February 4, 2015 By
There is no doubt that fundamentalism is a problem, and Professor Demacopoulos provides a good introduction to it in its Orthodox form. I dare say that the negative reactions to this article will come from two sources: one is the real fundamentalist who doubles down on his pharisaical pride and the second is the conservative […]
The Publican and the Pharisee in Film: Leviathan and The Island
February 4, 2015 By
This is an excellent review. Corruption in politics and the Church is nothing new. Christ is always the remedy, and sometimes he speaks through the witness of the holy fool. Here is my favorite quote from the article; “If Zvyagintsev has the gumption to offer us a vision of what happens when Christians allow themselves […]
You do NOT have to hate the west to be Orthodox!
February 3, 2015 By
The rhetoric from Moscow – to include from the Moscow Patriarchate and its daughter Churches – may be great at gathering support for Putin’s domestic and foreign policy goals, but it is dividing Orthodox Christians in the West and threatens to do serious damage to Orthodoxy’s ability to spread the Gospel here. There is no […]
Homily: Repentance, not Fundamentalism
February 1, 2015 By
https://youtu.be/uyNc1lKK3fE?t=23m7s Notes for a Homily on the Publican and the Pharisee (St. Luke 18:9-14) What was the purpose of this parable? Best to look at the context. In this case it isn’t hard. Here is the sentence right before the parable, in which St. Luke gives the context and purpose of Jesus’ words: “And […]
Fr. Stephen Freeman: Gifts and Talents and the Road to Hell
January 28, 2015 By
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, […]
