This morning it was my privilege to attend services at a local congregation of the Romanian Orthodox Church. (I am an inquirer of Christian Orthodoxy.) For someone coming from a Protestant background such a service still seems strange and novel, though less so than four years ago when I began this journey investigating the historic faith called the Orthodox Church.
It is hard to convey in words the effect and the beauty of the services. Today's service was conducted on what is known as Renewal Tuesday, the Tuesday following Easter. So the service was based on Easter texts and chants. It began with what is called Orthros, which is a sung service based on ancient texts. It was followed by Divine Liturgy which is the Orthodox term for what is otherwise known as Holy Communion or the Eucharist.
The music -- for those who may know something about music -- was mostly in the minor mode with a transition to major mode in the Divine Liturgy. The paradox of Orthodox worship is the joy which can pervade a service in the midst of such solemnity. Although serious in nature, I never find the services to be morose. And -- quaint as it may seem -- I do feel at least a touch of the Divine, and usually more than a touch. There is also a sense of love and gratitude which pervades, brought forth not only by the words, but by the spirit of the presentation and by some unspoken force which, to me, is God.
In coming days I hope to say more about Orthodoxy and my investigation of it. (I remain unconfirmed.) For now, I thought you, dear reader, might be interested to know of my religious inquiry.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Theologians Under Hitler
I am glad to present here a post from last July which I placed on another web log. The post was the first in a series dealing with the book written by Robert P. Ericksen which tells the story of three prominent theologians in Nazi Germany and how they essentially accomodated and abetted the fascist state.
The book is an excellent one, and only slightly professorial at times. The information is vitally important for anyone who wants to understand the church of America during the last few years. Sadly, there have been those in the U.S. church who have looked the other way and couched their language in the face of illegal foreign adventures, torture, and an assault on civil rights.
Here then is the post of July 31, 2006, in its entirety.
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Theologians Under Hitler -- the Book
Our wonderful local library system, which ordered "Theologians Under Hitler" at my request, recently notified me that the book had come in. Late last week I retrieved the book from the hold shelf and have begun reading what is sure to be a fascinating history. Although the book is over twenty years old, I had never heard of it until the DVD with the same title was recently released.Over the coming days and weeks, I plan to present here some of the information in this book. For now, I will relate part of a blurb on the back cover of this paperback edition. James Richmond of Times Higher Educational Supplement writes: "He [Robert P. Ericksen, author of Theologians Under Hitler] also poses the following questions: Could the same sort of thing happen again? If so, in what kind of political, economic and international circumstances? And would we avoid being the Kittle ["Kittel"], Althaus or Kirsch of our time? Ericksen soberly asks us to ponder these questions well before answering." (Kittel, Althaus and Hirsch [not "Kirsch"] are the three theologians dealt with in this book.) If ever there was a time to ask these questions it is now. Would the circumstances of an attack on our country help to provide an environment for authoritarianism? And has this not already happened to a significant extent? Would economic malaise create an environment where a strongman could emerge, offering a steel will, if not actual solutions? And would such an environment be profound enough that otherwise learned, intelligent people would either offer their enthusiastic support, or look the other way? There is much more to be said, but if you will excuse me, I'd like to get in some reading of Theologians Under Hitler before bed. I can hardly wait.
The book is an excellent one, and only slightly professorial at times. The information is vitally important for anyone who wants to understand the church of America during the last few years. Sadly, there have been those in the U.S. church who have looked the other way and couched their language in the face of illegal foreign adventures, torture, and an assault on civil rights.
Here then is the post of July 31, 2006, in its entirety.
++++++++++++
Theologians Under Hitler -- the Book
Our wonderful local library system, which ordered "Theologians Under Hitler" at my request, recently notified me that the book had come in. Late last week I retrieved the book from the hold shelf and have begun reading what is sure to be a fascinating history. Although the book is over twenty years old, I had never heard of it until the DVD with the same title was recently released.Over the coming days and weeks, I plan to present here some of the information in this book. For now, I will relate part of a blurb on the back cover of this paperback edition. James Richmond of Times Higher Educational Supplement writes: "He [Robert P. Ericksen, author of Theologians Under Hitler] also poses the following questions: Could the same sort of thing happen again? If so, in what kind of political, economic and international circumstances? And would we avoid being the Kittle ["Kittel"], Althaus or Kirsch of our time? Ericksen soberly asks us to ponder these questions well before answering." (Kittel, Althaus and Hirsch [not "Kirsch"] are the three theologians dealt with in this book.) If ever there was a time to ask these questions it is now. Would the circumstances of an attack on our country help to provide an environment for authoritarianism? And has this not already happened to a significant extent? Would economic malaise create an environment where a strongman could emerge, offering a steel will, if not actual solutions? And would such an environment be profound enough that otherwise learned, intelligent people would either offer their enthusiastic support, or look the other way? There is much more to be said, but if you will excuse me, I'd like to get in some reading of Theologians Under Hitler before bed. I can hardly wait.
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