Twentieth Century Theologians

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

Hi all.

In my various theological studies, I find that surveys and engagements with contemporary theologians often neglect the Orthodox tradition, or treat it as an token relic and exoticism of the patristic period. Sts. Athanasius, John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, the Cappadocians, Maximus the Confessor, John of Damascus, Symeon the New Theologian, and Gregory Palamas are mentioned, and then promptly forgotten.

That is certainly not what I want to do in my theological undertakings, especially since Orthodoxy stands almost alongside my own high church Lutheranism in seizing my loyalties.

That said, I'm considerably more interested in finding more contemporary theologians. I don't necessarily need to find the good men who have provided neat little summaries of Orthodoxy (as wonderful as they are, the works of Kallistos Ware aren't what I'm looking for), but rather want to find the ground-breaking and monumental works that compare with the past century's Europeans (Barth, Tillich, von Balthasar, and Rahner come to mind).

So here's who I've come up with so far: Sergei Bulgakov, Nikolai Berdyaev, Vladimir Lossky, Georges Florovsky, Seraphim Rose, Alexander Schmemann, John Meyendorff, and John S. Romanides.

Have I missed anybody particurally important? Have I included on this list that shouldn't really be counted as a giant in dogmatic theology?

Thanks so much, and God bless during this Lenten season.

 

[ma2000]

I can't talk about the importance of those you mentioned, but I can mention two more who aren't known very well:
Andrew Louth and Dumitru Staniloae.

Though mostly unknown outside Romania, Father Stăniloae worked for over 45 years on a comprehensive Romanian translation of the Philokalia, a collection of writings by the Church Fathers. His masterpiece, The Dogmatic Orthodox Theology (1978), makes him one of the most reputed Christian Theologians of the second half of the 20th century. He produced valuable comments on the works of the Fathers of the Church, such as Gregory of Nyssa, Maximus the Confessor, or Athanasius the Great.

 

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

Gosh I'd totally forgotten about Dumitru Staniloae! I'm definitely adding him to the list. Thanks!

 

[Grigorii]

I would probably add:

(St) Pavel Florensky, Fr. Nicolas Afanasieff (whose The Church of the Holy Spirit will be released this summer), Nicholas Lossky, Fr. John Breck (theology proper but mostly ethics), Fr. John Behr, Sister Nonna Verna Harrison, Peter C. Bouteneff, Vigen Guroian (ethics), Dn. Paul Gavrilyuk, Fr. John McGuckin, Archbishop Peter L'Hullier (canon law), Paul Meyendorff (liturgics/liturgical theology), Archimandrite Sophrony.

Gregorios

 

[Vasileios]

I'll second fr. John Romanides. IMHO, the greatest theologian of the 20th century.

I'll also second Archimandrite Sophrony and fr. Florovsky.

As for two names that I have not seen mentioned two bishops:
metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos of Nafpactos and metropolitan John Zizioulas of Pergamos.

I can't fight the urge to mention that above all I'd recommend the writings of the elder Porphyrios and the elder Paisios.

 

[Rick of Wessex]

Hello.

Fr. George Florovsky and Fr. Pomazansky are two personal favorites - and Fr, Schmemman too.


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I'd would stay away from anything written by four horsemen of Apocalipse: Vladimir Soloviev, Nicholas Berdyaev, Pavel Florensky and Sergius Bulgakov.

Soloviev was a "sophiologist" and neo-Gnostic who believed in the incarnation of Divine Wisdom in a being called Saint Sophia, a concept that greatly influenced the young symbolist poets, especially Blok and Belyi. Solovyov advocated a synthesis of Eastern and Western Churches in his book "Russia and the Universal Church" (written in French in 1889, translated into English in 1948). Not to mention he converted to Roman Catholicism four years before he died.

Berdyaev was a Marxist and defended the implementation of a "liberation theology" in the Russian Church. In 1913 he was charged of blasphemy by the Holy Synod of Russia - the World War and the Bolshevik Revolution prevented the matter coming to a formal trial.

Florensky, who has never been canonized, was also a sophiologist and defended same-sex unions in a non-sexual way he referred to as "chaste bonds of love".

Bulgakov was another Gnostic sophiologist and follower of Soloviev, and an enthusiastic poponent of the union between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Church of England.

Rick

 

[Theophorus]

Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov (1807-1867)

 

[Matrona]

four horsemen of Apocalipse: Vladimir Soloviev, Nicholas Berdyaev, Pavel Florensky and Sergius Bulgakov.

You're a big fan of them, I see....

I'm finding it hard to keep Florensky and Florovsky straight in my head. Ugh. Which does what? My school library has stuff by Fr Florovsky (Aspects of Church History(?) and something else) and something I think is by Pavel Florensky (Iconostasis?). Which is which and are either of them any good?

 

[Grigorii]

Just a note not to start a debate but to suggest that a different pov than the one expressed by Rick is also possible:

Though caution should indeed be taken in reading Vladimir Soloviev yet many of his ideas come to us through his friend Fyodor Dostoevsky where Solovievan philosophy is translated into Orthodox prose.

As far as Nicholas Berdyaev goes, I've enjoyed some of his works but have some doubts about his speculations concerning freedom. It seems to me that freedom in Berdyaev is too close to Jacob Boehme's Ugrund to be acceptable from an Orthodox pov. He was never condemned as a heretic though and many Orthodox Christians have read him with great benefit.

Concerning Fr. Pavel Florensky, within ROCOR some regard him as a saint because he is assumed to be one of the New Martyr's despite Metropolitan Vitaly's claim to the contrary. The Protection of the Mother of God Church
under the umbrella of ROCOR celebrates (St.) Pavel December 15th (see their online calendar of saints). I put "St" in brackets because of it's controverted status. As far as I am concerned he is one of the New Martyrs and I celebrate his memory without any problems. Fr. Pavel's thought on "brother-making" (an old tradition in the Church) has been (ab)used by the gay-historian John Boswell as evidence in favor of same-sex unions, a thought completely alien to Fr. Pavel's actual intent (see Fr. Michael Plekon's article on this aspect of Fr. Pavel's thought). John Boswell is well known for misreading his sources in favor of his stated goal: the defence of gay same sex union from a so-called "Christian" pov.

Fr. Sergius Bulgakov was tried for heresy and exhonorated by his own Metropolitan and is recommended reading by no-one less than Fr. Thomas Hopko (who thinks he is one of the greatest Orthodox theologians of the 20-ieth century but disagrees with his kenotic trinitarianism). Fr. Sergius' sophiology (with which I am very familiar) is not Gnostic it is in fact built on the theology of St. Gregory Palamas (through a German Idealist lense). Thanks to the superb translation work being done by Boris Jakim many of Fr. Sergius works are availabe in English. Fr Nicholas Afanasiev, Nicholas Zernov, Fr. John Breck, Paul Evdokimov (in particular), St. Maria Skobtsova, Fr. Dumitru Staniloae (who learned Russian just to eb able to read more of Fr. Sergius) have all adopted significant amounts of Fr. Sergius' sophiological theological vision. Yet in MOSPAT and ROCOR Fr. Sergius legacy is viewed in a negative light (His Grace Hilarion Alfeyev, who thinks Fr. Sergius is a great 20-ieth century Orthodox theologian, being an exception to this rule). Fr. Sergius was transfigured on his deathbed before the eyes of Sister Joanna Reitlinger ( influential iconographer) who has left us an account available in English in Boris Jakim's translation.

Gregorios

 

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

Bulgakov was another Gnostic sophiologist and follower of Soloviev, and an enthusiastic poponent of the union between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Church of England.

Well, considering where I'm coming from, the second part sounds just peachy...

But boo Gnosticism....

Fr. Sergius Bulgakov was tried for heresy and exhonorated by his own Metropolitan and is recommended reading by no-one less than Fr. Thomas Hopko (who thinks he is one of the greatest Orthodox theologians of the 20-ieth century but disagrees with his kenotic trinitarianism). Fr. Sergius' sophiology (with which I am very familiar) is not Gnostic it is in fact built on the theology of St. Gregory Palamas (through a German Idealist lense). Thanks to the superb translation work being done by Boris Jakim many of Fr. Sergius works are availabe in English. Fr Nicholas Afanasiev, Nicholas Zernov, Fr. John Breck, Paul Evdokimov (in particular), St. Maria Skobtsova, Fr. Dumitru Staniloae (who learned Russian just to eb able to read more of Fr. Sergius) have all adopted significant amounts of Fr. Sergius' sophiological theological vision. Yet in MOSPAT and ROCOR Fr. Sergius legacy is viewed in a negative light (His Grace Hilarion Alfeyev, who thinks Fr. Sergius is a great 20-ieth century Orthodox theologian, being an exception to this rule). Fr. Sergius was transfigured on his deathbed before the eyes of Sister Joanna Reitlinger ( influential iconographer) who has left us an account available in English in Boris Jakim's translation.

Sounds even better, then! St. Gregory Palamas is unquestionable, and I'm actually really interested in the relationship between the personified Sophia of Proverbs 8 and the Logos (which comes out, I believe, in the writings of Philo of Alexandria and some of the Jewish pseudipegrapha).

Just a note not to start a debate but to suggest that a different pov than the one expressed by Rick is also possible:

Oh by all means, start a debate. Nothing advances academic work like wrestling matches over sources and scholarship.

Thanks all! So far, this has been really helpful.

 

[nestoj]

Try this:
Archimandrite Justin Popovich - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Popovic, http://www.sv-luka.org/library/howtoread_jp.htm, http://www.sv-luka.org/library/perfectgod_jp.htm

 

[nestoj]

If you find Justin interesting, try to find :

1. Orthodox Faith and Life in Christ,
2. THE ORTHODOX CHURCH AND ECUMENISM
by St. Justin Popovich

and most certanly - Nikolai Velimirovic http://orthodoxwiki.org/Nikolai_Velimirovic

 

[Rick of Wessex]

Hi, Matrona!

You're a big fan of them, I see....

I'm finding it hard to keep Florensky and Florovsky straight in my head. Ugh. Which does what? [...] Which is which and are either of them any good?

Anything written by Archpriest George Florovsky is exceptionally good. You can find some of his best essays here.

I also have some of his books in .doc format. If you'd like to read them, PM me your e-mail and I'll send them to you.

Grigorii,

Sorry but I'm lost...

Fr. Sergius Bulgakov was tried for heresy and exhonorated by his own Metropolitan and is recommended reading by no-one less than Fr. Thomas Hopko (who thinks he is one of the greatest Orthodox theologians of the 20-ieth century but disagrees with his kenotic trinitarianism).

Well, why would I waste my time with a theologian whose works I have to pick-and-chose in order to avoid reading some trinitarian heresy if I could chose another one whose theology is sound and 100% Orthodox? Like Florovsky or Schmemann, for instance?

Fr. Sergius' sophiology (with which I am very familiar) is not Gnostic it is in fact built on the theology of St. Gregory Palamas (through a German Idealist lense).

I said Soloviev, Bulgakov's mentor, was a neo-Gnostic, not a Gnostic. The difference is subtle but still there is a difference. And the fact that he (Bulgakov) was a sophilogist neo-gnostic is reason enough to keep me away from his works.

Not to mention that the use of "German Idealist" lenses is enough to distort the works of any Church Father, including St. Gregory Palamas.

And please, don't turn this into a debate, because we're at the beginning of lent, ok?

In XC,
Rick

 

[repentant]

Konstantine (Kostas) Zalalas.

Scroll down.

http://www.pigizois.net/arxodariki/In_English.htm


Great contemporary theolgian. He is well versed in ancient and Koine Greek. Has read the original writings of the Father's in Greek, and is very true to the faith. I would suggest you check out his audio sermons.

 

[buzuxi02]

One overlooked theologian is Archbishop Demetrios of the GOA. Not to many theologians can say they edited into english and then wrote a study on a gnostic writing from Nag Hammadi (Transcendant God of Eugnostos).