In his first publication entitled Orthodox Christian Teaching, Archbishop Dmitri laments the fact that contemporary thought is increasingly indifferent to the existence of spiritual truth: Who is God? Who is Christ? Can we know Him? His Eminence explains that there seems to be little interest in exploring such all important questions:
“While one of man’s chief preoccupations throughout history has been the acquisition of knowledge about the Primary Cause, who made the world and us, and about the destiny of man, popular thought in our time tends to regard this fundamental drive of mankind as of little value, and to turn its attention to “making a better life” for men here and now…It is becoming more and more popular to say, “I believe in a god, but I don’t know anything about him,” or “There must be something above and beyond the reality of everyday life, but there is no proof for it as far as I am concerned, so I don’t worry about it” (OCA Department of Religious Education, 1980, p. 9).
People are skeptical about Man’s ability to receive and know truth. A spirit of skepticism, of relativism has crept even into Christianity. “The truth” has become essentially whatever one wishes it to be, “whatever works for you.” The value of religion itself is often viewed as unrelated to truth, reduced solely to positive feelings, social activism, charitable efforts and the like.
Those unhappy with such reductions, often and unfortunately, take an exaggerated, opposite stance. While their legalism is meant as a counterbalance to the skeptics, and to those who would water down the Gospel, their message – void of spirit and compassion – tends to fall flat.
The propagation of truth, however, has always been a matter of balance, of “speaking the truth in love,” according to the Apostle (Ephesians 4:15). Truth lies at the heart of the Faith which bears witness to Christ, truth and love incarnate: “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6).
Professor Nicholas Arseniev, in his book Revelation of Life Eternal: An Introduction to the Christian Message, speaks of truth, of the value of religion from an Orthodox perspective. He addresses the questions: “Why is religion necessary?” “What is the true sense of religion?” and “Why ought we to believe in God?” (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, Crestwood, New York, 1982, pp. 7-8)
Arseniev starts by offering “pragmatic” responses, commonly held beliefs that are acceptable and right:
(1) Faith in God has always provided comfort in times of sorrow.
(2) Religion has inspired Man with heroic and selfless acts, with a power of self-dedication and sacrifice.
(3) Faith unlocks a creative force within Man, provides a vision of authentic beauty.
(4) Religious convictions have been the dynamic center of human culture and achievements for centuries.
(5) Religion has also inspired incomparable works of art; it has led men to seek justice for the oppressed, and provide hope for the hopeless.
While all of this is undeniable and worthy of exaltation, Arseniev states that none of it actually, “proves the case for religion, for why we should believe.” From the traditional Christian point of view, there is only one decisive claim which religion can make: that it bears witness to truth.
All that has been mentioned as reasons to believe in God, as arguments for the necessity of faith, they all find their final meaning in spiritual truth, in the existence of a Divine Reality which provides inspiration and ultimate worth to all human endeavors.
Thus, the importance, the central place of theology in Church history. Christian theology is not merely the study of God, Father, Son and Spirit. It is Man’s attempt to find words – inspired words – adequate to the revelation of truth as given by Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
When Man discovers such truth about God, he then discovers the truth about himself: why, for instance, do people possess inherent needs to create, to explore, to have personal relationships, to look beyond themselves toward a Higher Reality, which if nothing else they can feel within their hearts? These human tendencies point to the existence of a loving Creator, for Whom the world was made, Whose image resides in Man.
The Saints bore witness to these claims, even if many of them were not what we would call academic theologians. Nevertheless, they were able to see value and worth beyond their own religious confines, something with which more dogmatically minded Christians often have difficulty. The Saints knew that in each Faith – Christian or not – there were kernels, hints of truth: distortions perhaps, but present nonetheless. Their understanding of the Faith led God’s holy ones to approach others with open hearts, not with a spirit of judgement or condemnation. It allowed them to see the good, to see potential, wherever it may have been: starting points for discussions and conversions.
The Apostle Paul himself was quite discerning as he addressed the men of Athens. He was sensitive to local customs, measured in his teaching, and in the process gained a number of followers: “I perceive in every way that you are very religious…I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you…some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman called Damaris and others with them” (See Acts 17:22-34).
With that in mind, let us conclude with words of St. Paul to the Philippians, a favorite passage for many Christians: “Brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things: What you have learned, received, heard and seen in me, do these things; and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9). (An edited sermon from an All-Saints Sunday at St. Barbara Orthodox Church)