Help with a Paper

[Thomas C.]

Hello Everyone,

I am taking a Philosophy of Religion class and want to write a 15 page paper on (what else?) the Orthodox view of God. This is difficult because the arguments for and against God in the class have a Westernized rational bias and Orthodoxy doesn't seem to compartmentalize it's theology in such a way.

In our textbook, Philosophy of Religion: An Anthology, edited by Charles Taliaferro and Paul J. Griffiths, only one of the articles is authored by an Orthodox as far as I know of during the time of publication (Richard Swinburne, recent convert from Anglicanism).

Does anyone know of any works of Early Christian Fathers, Saints, Priests or monks; whether ancient or contemporary, who had a philosophical bent to their works? Please let me know your thoughts, they would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Knowledge3]

St. John Damascene was a ECF who was also a philosopher.

 

[Breaking Babylon]

Forgive me, but would I be wrong to say that Bishop Kallistos Ware is a philosopher? He gives me that impression sometimes, but heck, I'm ignorant sometimes too.

 

[Knowledge3]

I think basic philosophy 101 is a requirement before academic theology.

 

[Breaking Babylon]

I would think so too. It wouldn't hurt to read his works and see if they compare to the philosophic tint you're looking for, Thomas.

 

[MariaRegina]

There is a book you can obtain from many bookstores:

Cavarnos, Constantine (Rev)
Orthodoxy and Philosophy
Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies
Belmont MA
2003

It is available in Paperback.

 

[Sothron]

The Orthodox Way by Bishop Kallistos is written almost entirely about how the Orthodox perceive God and the Trinity. Definitely recommend it.

 

[Grigorii]

Pls consider reading Fr. John Behr's The Mystery of Christ: Life in Death it is thoroughly Orthodox and yet very challenging. Fr. John Behr holds a BA in philosophy and is the current prof. of Patristics at Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary.

Also worthy of consideration is Fr. John Breck's The Mystery of the Trinity: Trinitarian Experience and Vision in the Biblical and Patristic Tradition Fr. John Breck is prof. of Dogmatic Theology at Saint Sergius Institute of Orthodox Theology in Paris.

I think these will definitely be of significant help in writing your paper.

Gregorios

 

[Philothei]

In order to start with the Fathers of the Church I would get information:
1. St. Ireneus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irenaeus

you have to do a search to see what they got at your library about him which books they have available, but he is one of the Fathers that goes deep into the theology of the nature and existance of God.

Pretty much Ireneus uses Justin Martyr, St. Polycarp etc. Also draw comparison with the Platonic idea of God. It pretty much agrees with the monostheistic notion. but you got to be aware that it is dualistic in nature (the good and the evil) Ireneus solves the problem of dualism by the theory of the fallen angel, and free will. That is how I much I can remember.

The E.O. Theology is apophatic in nature. Rather than saying what God is (West) we declare what we do not know about God thus apophatically. i.e. God is not a man. God is spirit.

2.Dionysius the Aeropagite would be a saint you want to research too.

http://www.orednet.org/~jflory/apophatic.htm

also 3. St. Gregory Palamas. We know God only through His attributes. That will cause uproar in your class maybe ...so please check with your advisor/professor. Then again this is a philosophy of religion class and it should be okay.

http://www.theopedia.com/Apophatic_theology


Let me know if that helped and I will try to help you more.

God bless,
Philothei

 

[Thomas C.]

Thank you to all who replied, y'all have been very helpful! One thing's for sure, I am not lacking in sources to research now.