Thank you.
I guess as far as Christological questions go, I'm interested in what the church teaches about the union of the spiritual and human natures of Jesus, and the significance of His crucifiction (did he die in our place/ was he the final sacrifice/ did He atone for our sins/ etc.).
I believe there is a Greek Orthodox a few cities over. I might email the priest, but in the meantime, I value your input. I've always been impressed in the level of theological understanding you have of your church.
Ohhhhhhhh ......
The hypostatic union and theories of Atonement!
(Sorry, I get enthusiastic about theology!)
Much as I want to answer you with what limited understanding I have at this point, I know that someone else can do MUCH better. I've only just been received into the Church formally.
I will let someone else talk about the Incarnation and the hypostatic union and the divine and human will, etc.
Theories of atonement are completely wonderful to me. Someone else can explain that better than I can too, but I can't help from saying just a little bit.
The Orthodox Church - afaik - doesn't insist on a single atonement theory. However, I think you will find by far the most emphasis given to Christ as victor over death. Even though He was God, he died and thus He defeated death. We sing "Christ is risen from the dead, Trampling down death by death, And upon those in the tombs Bestowing life!" during the Pascha season. I once heard a priest explain it like blowing up a balloon. A balloon is meant to hold a certain amount of air. Humans dying are to death like blowing up a balloon. Christ God dying was to death like attaching a huge tank of air and completely bursting the balloon because death cannot hold Him. Thus death was destroyed. (Of course we still die, but death can no longer hold all it takes, and resurrection is now possible - and of course one day death will be abolished finally and completely.)
There are elements of other atonement theories too. Often if you ask "was Christ doing this, or this, or this, or this, or this?" the answer is ... yes.
However, I would say penal substitution is either nonexistent or so far off to the side to be almost so. There is not the sense of the dichotomy of God - a vengeful Father-God that must have his anger assuaged by a sacrificial Christ who "protects us from God the Father" by being killed in our place. That is not an Orthodox view of God the Father.
Also various ransom theories - depending on how you play them out - have problems. Who is the ransom paid to? Can God owe satan? (So the ransom cannot be to Satan) etc.
We are also careful not to see God as having a "problem" ... ie, He wants to forgive us, but He is simply not able to.
Much of the talk of salvation has more to do with healing us from the sickness of sin rather than removing the legalistic obligation to pay for it. The grace of God provides medicine to our souls. BTW, healing and salvation are very connected in Scripture - in the Greek, the word is interchangeable, and not only that, but Christ was explicit at times, "rise up and walk, your sins are forgiven".
Sorry. I'm just excited about the whole idea.
Like I said, someone else can do better. But I just had to say a few things. It's a very rich and deep set of ideas that encompass far more of restoration of the entire person (and indeed with an eye to restoring all of Creation) and accomplishing our reconciliation to God as well as us being transformed into His image - so much more than a simple legal transaction.
