reading project - St. Justin Popovic

archer75

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Kindly suggested by @SingularityOne, our book is Orthodox Faith and Life in Christ by St. Justin Popovic.

For the first "discussion," I suggest the first chapter, "The Inward Mission..." along with tue Preface and Introduction for background if you want that.

I suppose in a couple days, someone can make a seed post.
 

Phronema

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That was a quick read, and I enjoyed it.

I'm not too familiar with how this will work, or what a seed post is so I'll let someone else do that.

All in all I think these 3 books in what we're reading will be packed full of good stuff considering who Fr. Justin admired as far as Saints go.

Of note he lists humility several times in his lists of virtues. I'll admit I was surprised to find that humility was not listed first especially when compared to St. John Climacus, and in what high regard St. John put it as a virtue. Not a bad thing mind you, but it was something that stuck out to me, and maybe they're listed in no particular order.
 
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All4Christ

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I sympathise entirely with Popovic's frustrations of national churches turning to nationalism. My local church is entirely Greek, and I am the only native to attend (and attend, I do wearily).
I am cautious however to enforce a uniformity in the whole Church.
Presently, I am also reading 'The Stripping of the Altars' by Eamon Duffy, and he speaks vividly of how the faith was embelished by local traditions, which spoke to the culture of the English in the late middle ages (pre-Reformation). I feel there needs to be a great sense of Saint Augustine's understanding of 'when in Rome'. Local customs, provided they are wholesome to the spirit, are permissable, however if they are exclusionary, they are in error.

As national institutions, it is ludicrous for Orthodox churches outside of their native lands, to become clubs for the ex-patriated (or descendents of migrants who, though nationally registered in a new land, perpetuate the diaspora mentality).

It is a delicate question, and though I agree with Popovic so far, I feel there is much room for discussion.
Personally, I have a great deal of sympathy for a Western Use of the approved Orthodox liturgy of John Chrysostom (note, not 'Rite', but 'Use').† The appropriation of terms where they have direct English counterparts may lead to a sense of division from one's own Christian heritage. To call the Stole an Epitracheleon may lead the Christian to suspect that a stole is somehow less than the Greek form. It is curious that the English have not also adopted the Greek term for Chalice (though perhaps this is outside of my experience).

I repeat, I am in agreement with Popovic's argument in relation to the Church and the threat of nationalism, however I greatly welcome discussion on how it should be implemented (perhaps in a different thread to this one).

Anyway, I am on page 25, so perhaps there is more to be learned further on.
When reading texts such as these, I take my time, reading out loud and making notes. It is a laborious use of time, but my mind is slow to absorb information by reading with my eyes alone (I tend to start skimming and reading as a researcher, and not as a disciple).

"It is now high time-the twelfth hour-time for our Church representatives to cease being nothing but the servants of nationalism and for them to become bishops and priests of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church."
Amen, Amen, Amen!

† I also sympathise with those who use the Western Rites, however I feel this is also a much larger question in regards to the Church and culture; particularly the cohesion of the Christian body [of the Orthodox].
:) I can never remember all the names of the vestments. It’s hard enough to remember the English names since I came from a Pentecostal group where a suit or dress was the standard “vestment”. Trying to remember Greek or Russian names for it totally confuses me even 12 years later after chrismation. I remember cassock, stole and mitre.... ;)

I’m better at remembering the musical terminology, but that’s probably because I see the name of the pieces of music each week in the choir.
 
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~Anastasia~

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I’m interested, but may participate only sporadically. I’m a couple chapters behind in other reading. But I did want to pop in.

is the suggested book something I could skip chapters and read the current one if need be? I don’t think I’ve read it before.
 
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archer75

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I’m interested, but may participate only sporadically. I’m a couple chapters behind in other reading. But I did want to pop in.

is the suggested book something I could skip chapters and read the current one if need be? I don’t think I’ve read it before.
I think so. They seem to be little essays.
 
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archer75

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That was a quick read, and I enjoyed it.

I'm not too familiar with how this will work, or what a seed post is so I'll let someone else do that.

All in all I think these 3 books in what we're reading will be packed full of good stuff considering who Fr. Justin admired as far as Saints go.

Of note he lists humility several times in his lists of virtues. I'll admit I was surprised to find that humility was not listed first especially when compared to St. John Climacus, and in what high regard St. John put it as a virtue. Not a bad thing mind you, but it was something that stuck out to me, and maybe they're listed in no particular order.
By "seed post," I just meant a first response to start the discussion, which you did. Thank you. I'll reply to the reading soon, when I can.
 
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SingularityOne

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"Meek, gentle Lord, assuage my fierce soul!"

"Long-suffering Lord, give me forbearance; make me magnanimous and meek!"

These two prayers really hit me as I read through this first section. I was also interested in the order of the virtues as @Phronema said.

I also found the way he explained prayer and fasting being essential to the existential experience of asceticism towards transfiguration near the end. Christ-like love and humility seemed to be intertwined with that as well.
 
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SingularityOne

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Thinking back to this reading. I have a question for everyone... "What does it mean to be magnanimous and what does it look like?" It seems to be linked with meekness in this reading, but I'm curious as to what it means because it isn't spoken about a lot by the Fathers and Saints.
 
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