NATURE THEOLOGY |
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Nature Theology Within Russian Orthodox Christianity, by Christie Gibbons, page 3 In his article, Orthodox Theology and the Problem of the Environment, Constantin Voicu attributes humankind’s desire to know the mysteries of nature to the humankind’s connection with the natural world, saying: This unity between creation and the human is manifested through the continual desire of human nature to know the mysteries of nature, and through the fervent human longing to find rest in the midst of nature. The human person has a nostalgia for a pure and undefiled nature.18 If Voicu is correct, then the Russian Orthodox perception of the unknowability of God directly correlates with the natural environment. This is manifested in the report from the World Church Council Inter-Orthodox Consultation, in October of 1987, in which those present were reminded that the Cappadocian Fathers teach of God first creating the world and beautifying it like a palace, and then leading humankind into it. 19 This statement emphasizes a sort of hierarchical world, in which humankind is the last to enter the scene, completing the harmonious creation. Reverend Stanley S. Harakas, TH.D., further explains this idea, stating: The Holy Spirit sustains the very existence of the created world. Without the Holy Spirit of God, all would dissolve back into nothingness. This means that we cannot speak of the earth and not concurrently speak of God. As Orthodox Christians, we affirm that the doctrine of the Holy Trinity has ecological implications. 20 Russian Orthodox Christians believe that even if God is revealed to humankind His infinite mystery still abounds. Yet, they also adamantly proclaim the intrinsic connection between God and all of creation. According to Russian Orthodox belief, the Holy Trinity is active in, and Its glory is evident throughout, the natural environment. Reverend Harakas defines the Holy Trinity as “a community of inter-related, loving persons, reaching out in divine energies to create, sustain and bring to fruition what God has created. Yes, the earth is the Lord’s.” 21 Lossky further explains the Russian Orthodox notion of the creating and sustaining power of the Holy Trinity, saying: The three Persons create together, but each one in a way which is His own, and the created being is the fruit of their collaboration. 22 This understanding of the Holy Trinity as being active within the natural world, creating together, is evident in much of the worship tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church, which contains “a rich treasury of resources for this modeling of care for the created environment.” 23 There are eight sets of hymns in the Sunday Morning Services, known as the Anavathmoi, which explicitly refer to the Holy Spirit’s providential sustaining role for the created world. 24 Reverend Harakas helps to explain the Russian Orthodox Church’s deep-rootedness in creation, saying: [T]he Orthodox Church incorporates in the body of its prayer the whole of nature which it sanctifies, for the sanctifying action of the Holy Spirit, who sanctified “the nature of the waters” at the Lord’s baptism, radiates over the whole creation. 25 While such a view may seem commonplace for most Christians throughout the world, it seems to manifest itself with the Russian Orthodox Church with a more dire sense of importance. Russian Orthodox clergy authenticate seeing the Spirit of God in and through all of creation. This is partly shown in how the office of the Russian Orthodox Church (or vespers) begins every day with a psalm exalting the beauty and mystery of the earth. Typically they read Psalm 104, while the Fathers of the Church comment on various biblical passages that describe the integrity of creation. 26 Psalm 104 tells of the glories of God that are riddled throughout the natural environment. Another commonly repeated phrase within the Russian Orthodox Church is: “Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Thy glory throughout the earth.” 27 This phrase echoes the Russian Orthodox emphasis upon the Judeo-Christian Scripture’s numerous references to the natural environment, and God’s glory within the natural environment, which is kindled by the Holy Spirit’s work. This emphasis upon the ecological world is accentuated by the Russian Orthodox reliance upon the written Word of God, which Lossky boldly describes, saying: [T]here is no randomness in the Bible and everything is charged with meaning. The Bible is not born of human will, nor of human contingencies, but of the Holy Spirit which gives it its deep coherence. 28 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 Constantin Voicu, The Greek Orthodox Theological Review, Vol. 38, Orthodox Theology and the Problems of the Environment, 1993. 19 An extract from the Report of the World Church Council Inter-Orthodox Consultation,October 1987. 20 Rev. Stanley S. Harakas, TH.D., The Greek Orthodox Theological Review, “‘The Earth Is The Lord’s’: Orthodox Theology And The Environment,” Vol. 44, Nos. 1-4, 1999. 21 Harakas, ‘The Earth Is The Lord’s’: Orthodox Theology And The Environment. 22 Lossky, Orthodox Theology: An Introduction, 55. 23 Harakas, The Earth Is The Lord’s’: Orthodox Theology And The Environment. 24 Harakas, The Earth Is The Lord’s’: Orthodox Theology And The Environment. 25 Harakas, The Earth Is The Lord’s’: Orthodox Theology And The Environment. 26 An extract from the Report of the World Church Council Inter-Orthodox Consultation, October 1987. 27 C. Zvegintzov, Our Mother Church: Her Worship and Offices,(London: Butler & Tanner Ltd, 1968), 59. 28 Lossky, Orthodox Theology: An Introduction, 68. |
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