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Coming Soon: Response No. 3 to Pastor Steven Wedgeworth’s “What Is Eastern Orthodoxy?”

I am hard at work on the third response to Pastor Steven Wedgeworth.  I have received several emails from him that should improve content of my reviews.  Your patience is appreciated!

Robert Arakaki

6 Comments

  1. Cristian-Stavros Metcas

    OK, Robert. We know you don’t lose a minute without working for the spreading of God’s Word as preached by His true Church. Thank you very much for your effort!

  2. Scott R. Harrington

    Dear Robert Arakaki: Have you read the articles in “Orthodox England” online which explain how the Filioque poisons everything with its heretical modalistic venom in the Western confessions of Christendom (most of them believe in Filioque). Have you read any of the book “God, History, and Dialectic” by Rev. (Bishop) Photios Farrell? I haven’t read all of that book, but what I have read shows me that the Filioque is behind most of the problems of the West; or at least most of these come from the mistakes of Augustine of Hippo, and his personal problems, it seems, may have been behind his false speculations which became dogmas in the West. In Erie PA Scott R. Harrington PS Lord have mercy on us all.

    • robertar

      Dear Scott,

      Thank you for bringing these books to my attention. I have not heard of them but hope to read them in the future.

      Robert

  3. Scott R. Harrington

    Dear Robert Arakaki: I was not raised a cradle Orthodox. I had barely even heard of the existence of a (the) Eastern Orthodox Church except in an intermediate high school world world religions field trip, and the priest did not make a clear impression on me at the time. I only learned of the significance of Eastern Orthodoxy (holy Orthodoxy) by reading the irenic (peaceful) apology for conversion to Orthodoxy by Fr. Peter E. Gillquist in his excellent book, “Becoming Orthodox: A Journey to the Ancient Christian Faith”. God used that book to convert me to the proper understanding of John 15:26, and thus my view was an Eastern Orthodox view from then on; but it is still taking time for me to get into contact with an Orthodox priest and receive the baptism and other sacraments of the church. It’s more about what happens to me. I’ll need help from the pastor and ministry and people of the church to come to church as I live a bit far away from church. Whenever I can get a ride to church, I hope soon I’ll be baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. God help me. In Erie PA Scott R. Harrington

    • robertar

      Dear Scott,

      I read Peter Gillquist’s book when I was in seminary and enjoyed it very much. For me it was Alexander Schmemann’s ‘For the Life of the World’ that helped me move towards Orthodoxy. For additional readings, you might want to check out my Resources page listed at the top.

      I’m glad to hear that you have been attending a ROCOR church. We have one in Hawaii too! I go there periodically.

      Robert

  4. Scott R. Harrington

    Dear Robert: I read on other traditions than Orthodoxy. I remember reading in “Orthodox Tradition” from Etna, CA, from the Center From Traditionalist Orthodox Studies that we must not resist or reject whatever is good, canonical, true, and factual (orthodox) in the heterodox confessions, lest by rejecting these, we also reject Orthodoxy itself. I can’t find the exact quote, but I recall reading words like these in the Orthodox Tradition journal from CTOS in Etna, CA. I think it may have been Alexander Schmemann or other Orthodox author who said that is a man runs toward whatever he regards to be true, even if it seems he is running away from God, he is actually running toward God in running toward what he considers to be true.
    I consider the problem of Calvinism and non-Calvinist theologies among the Protestants and the Roman Catholics.
    I consider the teaching of Molinism (of the Jesuit Spanish theologian Luis de Molina), and I wonder what an Orthodox philosopher like Constantine Cavarnos would have made of the thinking of De Molina of Spain. And his solution or attempted solution of the divine providence (predestination/election/sovereignty) and human free will, and divine foreknowledge.
    See: For example: Anton C. Pegis, Ph.D., “Molina and Human Liberty”, pages 75-131: In: Smith, Gerard, S.J., Ph.D. (1939). Jesuit Thinkers of the Renaissance. Milwaukee, WI: Marquette University Press.
    I like Constantine Cavarnos book “Orthodoxy and Philosophy”. I gather Orthodoxy cannot agree with Latin scholasticism, but every Orthodox theologian I have encountered in my readings has been open-minded to reading non-Orthodox philosophy and attempting to find common ground with the non-Orthodox, will shaping his understanding of the truth of the matter solidly only from solid Eastern Orthodox theology and the personal experience of theosis in the sacraments of the EOC. From lived experience in prayer and the Divine Liturgy and the Life of the EOC in communion with other Orthodox Christians and hierarchs.
    God save us. In Erie PA Scott R. Harrington April 1, 2012 AD (new calendar date).

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