Influencing Your Behavior: Major Eastern Theologians

  • Thread starter Thread starter MorEphrem
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

MorEphrem

Guest
A spam thread made me think of this topic actually: who are the eastern theologians who have had the largest impact on your outlook/theology and from what part of their writings?

For me, I grew up in a Latin Catholic school and God seemed kind of simply reactionary in his treatment of humanity but reading the homilies of Mor Yaqoob dSarug (Jacob of Sarug) I’ve come to understand all prime actions are acts of God’s dispensation [of mercy]. After reading his specific homily on Zacchaeus the Tax Collector I understood that we’ve suppose to be “mirrors” of mercy and implement the mercy of Christ in our lives.

And not to cause an argument, but reading Severus of Antioch’s letters to various contemporaries convinced me of miaphystism over mono- and diaphysitism.
 
Rev. Fr. Alexander Schmemman - his works on theology.

St. John Climacus - even tho’ I’ve not personally read The Ladder of Divine Ascent, it’s been quoth from so often that I’ve been inundated with his theology secondhand.

St. John Chrysosstum - Between codification of the DL and his being quoth so frequently, as well as some of his homilies I’ve actually read…

And, St. Dominic - without his theological approach, his friars wouldn’t have inculcated me to thinking theologically, and their training me is what lead me to the Eastern Churches…
 
Of the Fathers I’ve been pretty influenced by:

Kallistos and Ignatios Xanthopolous
Theophan the Recluse
Ignatius Brianchaninov
Seraphim of Sarov
Basil Poiana Marului
Evagrius of Pontus

Of the more modern theologians I’ve been heavily influenced by:

Archbishop Joseph Raya
Archbishop Joseph Tawil
Archbishop Elias Zoghby
Fr. George Maloney, S.J.
Catherine DeHeuck Doherty
Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia
Fr. Robert Taft, S.J.
Fr. Alexander Schmemann
Bishop Nicholas Samra
 
MorEphrem said:
A spam thread made me think of this topic actually: who are the eastern theologians who have had the largest impact on your outlook/theology and from what part of their writings?

For me, I grew up in a Latin Catholic school and God seemed kind of simply reactionary in his treatment of humanity but reading the homilies of Mor Yaqoob dSarug (Jacob of Sarug) I’ve come to understand all prime actions are acts of God’s dispensation [of mercy]. After reading his specific homily on Zacchaeus the Tax Collector I understood that we’ve suppose to be “mirrors” of mercy and implement the mercy of Christ in our lives.

And not to cause an argument, but reading Severus of Antioch’s letters to various contemporaries convinced me of miaphystism over mono- and diaphysitism.
Click to expand...
Where can I find some of the writings of Mor Yaqoob dSarug and Severus of Antioch? I’ve been looking high and low for some of the sources of the Syriac, particularly the Maronite, traditions but have yet to find much of substance. I have found a few things, but not much as far as Syriac Fathers and other primary sources.
 
I forgot to add a couple to my list:

Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky
Fr. Cyril Korolevsky
 
Among the Church Fathers, St. John Chrysostom, and St. Anthony the Great without a doubt (I also have a certain affinity for St. Clement of Alexandria and St. John of Damascus, although I am less familiar with them than the other two). Modern day, Kallistos Ware more than any other, although I don’t find I read the modern theologians all that much.

Behaviourwise though, it isn’t the theologians I go to, but others. St. Alexander of Munich, died because instead of accepting evil (nazis) he chose to fight it as best he could. St. Innocent of Alaska/Moscow who, given an impossible task - which he wanted nothing to do with at first - succeeded in becoming a new Apostle. Likewise St. Nicholas of Japan who made his first converts with a sword at his belly, and brought the faith to a new land.
 
Phillip_Rolfes said:
Where can I find some of the writings of Mor Yaqoob dSarug and Severus of Antioch? I’ve been looking high and low for some of the sources of the Syriac, particularly the Maronite, traditions but have yet to find much of substance. I have found a few things, but not much as far as Syriac Fathers and other primary sources.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I can’t be of much help as to where you can find them :(. NYU’s main library has a huge collection of Gorgias Press books and all things Sebastian Brock (THE Syriac translator of the 20th-21st century) so that’s where I get my fill. In general though, if you don’t have a place you can withdraw such books it’s quite costly (especially Gorgias Press).

The hymns of Mor Ephrem on Paradise are pretty cheap on Amazon (like $15 for a book) and also pretty findable online.

I suggest you read this though - Mor Ephrem’s Commentary on Genesis. It’s free since it’s a digital copy and it gives a great feel on Syriac anthropology, which is a must in understanding Syriac theology in general (in fact I feel a bit stupid I forgot to mention Mor Ephrem seeing as how it’s my username!).
 
St. John Chrysosstum is quite Catholic, his intrpretation of the versicles that sustain catholic teaching on Petrine primacy is far mor similar to Catholic than to eastern orthodox
 
St Cyril of Alexandria, St John Chrysostom, St Athanasius of Alexandria, and Severus of Antioch are major influences on me.

I also have a preference for Miaphysite Theology (as found in the writings of St Cyril of Alexandria and Severus of Antioch). 🙂
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top