A SHORT COURSE IN ORTHODOX STUDIES St Spyridon Parish of South-East Sydney Kingsford 30 November 2011

Revd Dr Doru Costache Senior Lecturer in Patristic Studies St Andrew s Greek Orthodox Theological College

Why Every Orthodox Service Concludes with : Through the Prayers of Our Holy Fathers!

Status Quaestionis

Although this was not the custom from the beginning, we end our services by evoking the Church Fathers: } Through the intercessions of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us and save us!
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Status Quaestionis
We end our services by evoking the Church Fathers

Johannes Quasten, Patrology: } Today only those are to be regarded as Fathers of the Church who combine these four necessary qualifications: orthodoxy of doctrine, holiness of life, ecclesiastical approval, and antiquity.
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A Series of Unfortunate Misunderstandings

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The Fathers as belonging to the past disinterest of many people lack of interest in history, tradition and wisdom in modern times the age of whats new? (the ultimate sign of boredom for a society reduced to its pointlessness and mortality)
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A Series of Unfortunate Misunderstandings

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The Fathers as contributors to the development of theology (= reflection on faith) disinterest of many people lack of interest in theology reduction of Orthodoxy to pietism; depravation of life of its spiritual dimensions
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A Series of Unfortunate Misunderstandings

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The Fathers as infallible authorities disinterest of many people the modern myth of free thinking refusal of guidance

The Need for Guidance

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Two facts: Even when we are willing to take the road less travelled, of perfection, we ignore the rules of travelling There are spiritually experienced people who can take us by hand and lead the way

The Need for Guidance

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Against peoples disinterest in theology, guidance and the spiritual life, see the message of the Byzantine prayer , (Grant, Lord):
Teaching Understanding Enlightenment

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The Need for Guidance

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the novice naturally needs a guide, for until the advent of the grace of the Holy Spirit the soul is involved in fierce struggle against her foes, and is unable to disentangle herself if the enemy offers her his delights. Only the man with experience of the grace of the Holy Spirit can understand this. He who has savoured the Holy Spirit recognises the taste of grace.
St Silouan the Athonite, Diary (On prayer)

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St Silouan the Athonite: Merciful Lord, listen to my prayer and see that all the nations of the earth know You through the Holy Spirit

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What is a father ? A deified person and a God-bearer, partaking of the divine life and mediating divine participation to others The living tradition, or an incarnation of the ecclesial mindset (= set of criteria) and wisdom Witness and confessor of the apostolic teaching and life
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John Chryssavgis, The Way of the Fathers: } while there was indeed a remarkable working of the Holy Spirit in the early years of Christianity, this immanence should be regarded as the beginning of a Tradition, not the end.
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Panayotis Chrestou, Greek Orthodox Patrology: } The Church has never excluded the appearance of renowned teachers in her bosom, who are outstanding bearers of the divine grace of the divine Spirit, and she has never restricted this appearance to any particular period of her history. Orthodox ecclesiastical consciousness, which attributes the title of father in every epoch to elect vessels of grace that lived in previous epochs, has already pushed the patristic period to the end of the Byzantine era and is pushing forward beyond it more and more. This does not exclude the habit of regarding the fathers of the first Christian centuries, when the foundation of the Christian institutions were first laid and the dogmatic teaching was specified to a large extent, as occupying a privileged position.
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The permanence of the Fathers Diachronically, the Church is blessed with Fathers in each generation, throughout history Synchronically, the teaching of the Fathers of old is always relevant to the ecclesial experience

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To explore tradition in an ecclesial way means more than acquiring mere information about the Fathers; it means to be open to the path of guidance, wisdom and transformation

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The ecclesial study of the fathers is at the same time retrospective (what it was) and prospective (what it should be)

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} tradition

is not so much a treasury of structures and forms but rather a living current of life, a way of existing, thinking and feeling tradition is not just a way of handling matters of major or minor importance, but rather the spirit which leaves its creative traces through all possible expressions.
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The Question, again, and an Answer

Why do we end our services by evoking the Church Fathers? } Because
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They are our unwavering guides, illustrating a certified/canonical lifestyle, and prayerful leaders on the path We are a traditional Church and they embody tradition
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