"God Is Byzantine"

A friend, who attends an OCA parish, told me about a recent convert and choir member who was complaining about Byzantine chant. You know, it sounds plumb strange, and it seems as if the most nasal rendition is the most highly prized.

The convert was told by another parishioner, "You may want to get used to it. God is Byzantine."

Is Theology Just Another Subject?

Bishop Hilarion doesn't think so:

One of the tragic consequences of the divorce between Christian theory and praxis, between faith and knowledge, is that nowadays knowledge about theological subjects does not necessarily presuppose faith. You can be a theologian and not belong to any church community; in principle, you do not need to believe in God to receive a theological degree. Theology is reduced to one of the subjects of human knowledge alongside with chemistry, mathematics or biology.

For Pete's Sake

Speaking earlier this week during a conference at Moscow's St Filaret's Institute, Metropolitan Kirill's deputy, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, said "Orthodox civilisation" upheld the "ideal of unity between Church, nation and government" and would "resist a Western democracy whose ultimate fall is drawing ever closer".

Found here.

"In Short, I Believe In Ghosts"

I wrote that here.

Truly Inspiring

I borrowed this one from Fr. Stephen: