Is Catholic really philosophical and Orthodox spiritual?

[tomo_pomo]

Because I have found deep spirituality in Catholic, but I haven’t found philosophical in Orthodox.
I haven’t explore as much Orthodox so I could be wrong

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Both of these statements are overly broad generalizations. You could easily find many Catholics who are “spiritual” and I’m sure there are some Orthodox who were philosophical.

 

[phil19034]

Both of these statements are overly broad generalizations. You could easily find many Catholics who are “spiritual” and I’m sure there are some Orthodox who were philosophical.

Agreed.

@tomo_pomo

If you wanted to make a generalization between West & East: I would say: The Latin Rite is scholastic while the Eastern Rites are mystic.

But even that might be overbroad.

 

[Bonaventurian]

The Orthodox are philosophical in more of the neo-platonic, patristic sense blurring the lines between their philosophy and mysticism. They also were not exposed to as much of the philosophical writings as the West. Therefore, their theology did not develop in the same manner as the West.

The reason Catholicism comes across as more philosophical is due largely in part to the scholastic movement a thousand years ago and the implementation of rigid philosophical argumentation into theology. This does not mean that Catholicism has shallow spirituality, the Franciscan and Carmelite mystics refute such a view. I would even go as far to say that some Carmelites like St. Teresa de Avila and St. John of the Cross have a much richer mystical spiritualism than the Hesychasts in Orthodoxy.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

One other thing to note is that not all Catholics are into the philosophical argument side of their faith. I’m not terribly into it myself. I enjoy mystics and those who preached or wrote from a more practical standpoint much more than I enjoy philosophical arguments. The philosophy of course has its place, but not every Catholic, and not every Doctor of the Church, follows a philosophical approach.

 

[Lenten_ashes]

I’m Catholic and consider myself to be both lol.

We use big terms like transubstantiation to describe things we both believe in. Obviously you can see the Thomas Aquinas influence on us. But I think we are just as spiritual.