The origin of medieval apocalyptism In prior articles I elaborated that most of the end of the world doom prophecy had come from the West, that the Orthodox after an initial pan-Christian apocalyptic fervor, had by the 4th century settled on a conservative amillennial position. However, lately I have come to find that the post […]
HIS KINGDOM HAS NO END. The Creed from a different angle.
After becoming Orthodox, but after being unable to revert to Futurism, I began to entertain in my mind revisions to the Creed so as to make it compatible with “realized” eschatology. One of those “revisions” I came up with, which I thought would not alter orthodox theology, was to instead of Whose kingdom will have […]
Is the End of the World About to Be? The Creed from a different angle.
In prior articles we reviewed a few key words in the Creed and certain Liturgical hymns from the point of view of linguistics. We saw that eschatological presupposition have changed the original meaning of these words and they have come to be understood today differently. We reviewed that grasping the original meaning of these words […]
Will the Lord come? is He coming? or is He about to come? The Creed from a different angle.
The Creed as we know it, the one we normally call the Nicene Creed, states concerning our Lord: …and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end. All clear, indisputably with the key verbs come and have in the future tense. However, when we […]
Resurrection of the Soul or Resurrection of the Flesh?
I want to share with you my experience with Pascha (Easter) this year. Most of you probably know that Orthodox celebrate Pascha at a different date, following the Julian calendar. Service begins a 10PM and ends at around 2AM, after which come the paschal meal. Many times, we joyfully chanted in seven different languages: Christ […]
Preterism in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Part 9. Conclusions and Questions
In my humble opinion, the Orthodox position is one of a factual, but unacknowledged Preterism, one of living the kingdom now, mystically and practically, the place closest to heaven being the church, especially its monasteries, the apex being the liturgy and communion. Then upon death the true believer enters that Kingdom, which is Heaven, Paradise, […]
Preterism in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Part 8. Summary.
Much of I have been saying can be summarized in the words of Orthodox architect, historian and author Andrew Gould as stated in his brochure soliciting help to build a church at Holy Cross Monastery: When we are in church, it should be as though we dwell in the Kingdom of God. We have icons […]
Preterism within Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Part 7. Theosis or Deification
After analyzing bits of Preterism in Orthodox texts concerning typical eschatological subjects, let us now delve into an issue traditionally not discussed by eschatologists: Theosis. Traditional Christianity with different terms and more in the East than in the West, has always embraced the concept of the faithful, through grace and a pious life, transforming himself […]
More Preterism in the Orthodox Liturgy?
In a prior article I mentioned the two individuals who first made me aware of elements of Preterism in Orthodoxy: Conley, a Futurist (or Partial Preterist? I can’t really tell), who was citing Vaughn, a full Preterist. Vaughn had originally brought up this prayer from the Anaphora, a section in the liturgy of Saint John […]
Preterism in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Part 6. Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven
After analyzing at length in part 5 Preterists bits on the Resurrection of the Dead, let us now look at the same in relation to the Kingdom of God, which is to say the Kingdom of Heaven. The prayer book reads: “But let the burning coal of Thine all-holy Body and precious Blood be for […]