Metropolitan Kallistos Ware
On the Orthodox-Evangelical dialogue
Personal notes during a talk delivered on 2/21/2011
at Wheaton College, IL
You can now listen online to this talk!
These notes are very partial, I mostly wrote down a few quotations and what I considered spiritually nourishing for myself in my daily life. Please do not consider that these notes reflect the whole topic treated by Metropolitan Kallistos.
I have to say that his approach was very respectful and loving, and that there was not ONE word that sounded polemical in his whole talk. This in itself is certainly a wonderful lesson.
To be united we need to love each other, and to love each other, we need to know each other.’
“The self exists only in dynamic relation to the other. It has its being in relationships.”John MacMurray, Persons In Relation
To be human is to be dialogical. I need you in order to be myself
Cf Zizioulas
The word person in Greek = prosopon = face. I’m a true person only when I face others
The same is true at the level of churches: an isolated church is no church. We need you in order to be ourselves
What Orthodox and Evangelicals have in common:
1) Church and Eucharist
The Church is here to proclaim the salvation in Christ; not only in words, but also in action (“DO this in memory of Me”)
The action of the Eucharist (with baptism indissolubly united.)
The Church is a Eucharistic organism; the Church becomes what it is when it celebrates the Eucharist
The unity is created from within, through the communion of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
Grace is transmitted through the ear and the eye; hence the value of beauty, physical and material: icons, relics, and a strong doctrine of creation in Orthodoxy
The Church at prayer = heaven on earth
“The Church is an earthly heaven.” Germanos (7th c.)
“The church is so vast it holds both heaven and earth.” Bishop Anthony Bloom
What can Evangelicals bring to Orthodoxy?
A more conscious, reflective, and personal understanding of the faith through Scripture and sermons
2) Scripture and Tradition
No separation between both. “The Holy Bible is the test of every dogma.” Gregory of Nyssa
“Everything needed for salvation is stated in Scripture.” Philaret of Moscow
But do we live up to it?
There’s only 1 source = Tradition, how the Bible has been received and lived through the centuries
We should do together all that we are not obliged to do separately
3) The Work of Christ
“Conversion begins, but it never ends.” Anthony Bloom
Evangelicals can give us a more personal sense of salvation, Jesus died for me
“The Orthodox Church is the most evangelical Church.” Bradley Nassif
Instead of “I am saved,” the Orthodox prefers to say: I am BEING saved. Salvation is an ongoing process
Q&A
We’ll learn to turn to God in new ways even in eternity, in that sense there will still be conversion.
God will always have new things to teach us = Ireneus
Problem of intercommunuion:
It is not realistic as long as there are significant differences between us
Holy Communion is not a means to an end, but the crown and fulfillment of unity
Communion cannot be isolated from the rest of your faith and life
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Incidentally, I would recommend a book I read recently:
Light from the Christian East: An Introduction to the Orthodox Tradition, by James R. PAYTON Jr.
It presents Orthodoxy from a Western perspective. It is very exact. It shows what we have in common or not, and what we can bring each other.
My review of this book is available here:
https://wordsandpeace.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/light-from-the-christian-east/
Words And Peace 