“For everything in the Orthodox Church points toward a way of life; the Church is connected to all aspects of life.”
+ Fr. Alexander Schmemann
Orthodoxy is an ocean without shores. Such magnanimity cannot be confined within the four walls of a church building. Reducing orthodoxy to a few performative rituals is the greatest distortion one could possibly make of it. Orthodoxy is not a religious ideology but the most organic lifestyle initiated, practiced and traditioned to us by Jesus Christ for the integral healing of human beings and the wider creation. There is not a single aspect of human life and ecosystem which Orthodoxy does not encompass. A genuine inculcation of this lifestyle would lead us to the cross of Christ where we would discover our true life which is “hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3).
Organic Orthodoxy envisions to theologically engage with the social evils of the world that strive to upend the divine order and impede the realization of the reign of God on earth.
LATEST POSTS
Keep Awake
The Gospel of Mark is a rapid gospel for the transition between the narratives is quick. This is corroborated by the frequent occurrence (41 times) of the phrase καί εὐθὺς which means “and immediately.” Thus Mark’s Gospel is sometimes called “the breathless gospel.” The Gospel of Mark does not at all squander time but attributesContinue reading “Keep Awake”
Gardeners Of The Earth
Human beings are fundamentally gardeners of the earth. The primary purpose of God placing human beings in the Garden of Eden was to till the earth and keep it (Gen. 2: 15). However we miserably failed in our divinely bequeathed vocation and therefore Christ had to remind us of our basic identity. Reminiscent the PaschalContinue reading “Gardeners Of The Earth”
Economy On The Mountain
Jesus transfigures only before them who show the nerve to ascend the mountain. His glory can be beheld by those who are ready to transcend the apparent enticements offered by the “six days” (Matt 17:1) of the world so as to reclaim our true yet lost glory reserved in the timelessness of the seventh day,Continue reading “Economy On The Mountain”
Theological Themes of the Vespers
The Church is primordially a worshipping community. The doctrines fall secondary to worship. It is in the corporate and communal experience of worship the Church identifies its being as the realized eschatology and the extension of the love of the triune God. The uniqueness of Orthodox ecclesiology lies in its “coming together” rather than “goingContinue reading “Theological Themes of the Vespers”
Colossians: Through An Imperial-Critical Lens
“No one can serve two masters” (Matt. 6:24) There is an African adage which goes; “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” This confronts the Empire(s) of our modern times. The history from the margins is either silenced or deliberately unheard for the survivability ofContinue reading “Colossians: Through An Imperial-Critical Lens”
Theology of Human Body
Christianity is a faith that affirms the dignity and sanctity of human body. We believe in an embodied God; a God who chose to take flesh and dwell among us. We do not perceive God in metaphysical categories but very specifically in the person of Jesus Christ. For Christianity, the truth is not an abstractContinue reading “Theology of Human Body”
Mother Maria Skobstova: The Unorthodox Orthodox Saint
“Piety, Piety, but where is the love that moves mountain?” ~ St. Maria Mother Maria happens to be one of the most unconventional Orthodox saints to have ever lived. Having born in the early decades of the twentieth century (1891) in Russia, she witnessed two World Wars and the Russian Revolution. Growing up in suchContinue reading “Mother Maria Skobstova: The Unorthodox Orthodox Saint”
A Kaleidoscope of Theophany
Fasting was the primary injunction given by God to human beings soon after we were created. We were admonished not to consume from the tree of knowledge for we were not yet mature enough but had to grow in perfection in order to do so. Our fallacy of considering this divine commandment to be expendableContinue reading “A Kaleidoscope of Theophany”
Embrace Our Mortality
We live in a death-defying culture and therefore the only thing that can unify human beings is the threat of death. We no longer seek genuinely to live but only the ways to keep ourselves alive. Yet all our pursuits of survival would inevitably lead us to death for that is what we are bornContinue reading “Embrace Our Mortality”
Deconstructing The Wisdom of the Wise
As many have gotten tipsy celebrating Christmas promoting the consumer culture by buying expensive gifts thereby favouring the greedy corporates in amassing wealth who would later assuage their guilt of covetousness by acts of charity to camouflage the socio-economic inequality they have knowingly caused, it is good to withdraw to reflect on the “merriness” ofContinue reading “Deconstructing The Wisdom of the Wise”
The Coming One
“Behold all Creation is saved by Christ and sang praise for the Son’s Nativity” ~Qolo: Nativity Night Vigil Advent is a season of travail. Birth pangs are upon the entire creation that yearns for the coming of its Creator;[1] for salvation is not anthropocentric but eco-centric. It is not just the human beings who longContinue reading “The Coming One”
Homily On Matthew 16:5-12
Barekmore. Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, One True God, Amen. The gospel portion that we ponder over today is Matt. 16: 5-12. Here, Christ warns his disciples to beware the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Leaven is employed here as a metaphorical expression for teaching. We are urged toContinue reading “Homily On Matthew 16:5-12”
Homily On Luke 9:18-25
Barekmore. Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, One True God, Amen. The gospel portion that we would be meditating upon is Luke 9: 18-25. The kernel of this passage is invariably the confession of Peter (which I have covered in an earlier blog) but there are other things that are worthy ofContinue reading “Homily On Luke 9:18-25”
John 15: 1-11: A Concise Exegesis
This is the last of the seven Εγώ εἰμι (I am) sayings[1] in the gospel of John. This is a significant passage expatiating the relationship of Jesus with his disciples which is intrinsically derived from his relationship with the Father.[2] This is also a passage that accentuates the Messianic identity of Jesus; for like hisContinue reading “John 15: 1-11: A Concise Exegesis”
Luke 16: 19-31: A Concise Exegesis
“O how this world has deceived me!” cried out the rich man. “Its pleasures have passed like a dream, now hell torments me I am denied water in this sea of fire Woe to me, I do not repent!” ~ Tuesday Vespers The narrative of the Rich man and Lazarus is quite revealing. It clearlyContinue reading “Luke 16: 19-31: A Concise Exegesis”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dayroyo Fr. Basil of the Syriac Orthodox Church holds a B.Div from United Theological College, Bangalore and an M.A. from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, New York. He also holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Nagpur University and has served in the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), Nagpur. As of now he serves in St. Ignatius Monastery, Manjinikkara, Kerala.
Good initiative! Best wishes!!
I hope and pray that along with the social evils, Organic Orthodoxy will continue to address the evils and hypocrisy within the Christian Churches including our Church, which are part of the society/world.
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Deep thoughts refreshing the richness of Orthodoxy
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