Orthodox Understanding of Religions. The Role of Contextual Theology

PETROS N. TOULIS ORTHODOX UNDERSTANDING OF RELIGIONS.
THE ROLE OF CONTEXTUAL THEOLOGY

PhD Candidate in Dogmatics
Aistot!e Uni"esit# o$ Thessa!oni%i
PETROS N. TOULIS
ORTHODOX UNDERSTANDING OF RELIGIONS.
The problems that humanity faced in the 21
st
century, including the
threats of the Islamic fanaticism, the wars and the international danger of the
world peace, have led the WCC and the Orthodox Church to thin further of
the necessity of the inter!religious dialogue"
In this paper, we will present the history of the inter!religious dialogues
that Orthodox Church started and its role in them" #lso, we will try to present a
reevaluation of that dialogue in an Orthodox point of view in order to define
the true presuppositions of the dialogues and the role of contextual theology"
$rom its first steps, the Church engaged in dialogues with %udaism and
&ellenism"
1
#ll the Christian authors, especially the #pologists tried to have
conversations with the philosophers and the %ews, using also some type of
'contextual theology(" Those dialogues had a twofold character) they were
apologetic and refuting"
2
$urthermore, these dialogues provided the opportunity
to Christianity to be criti*ue to the +olytheism and popular religion and to
connect the ,ree -.thnic/ religious philosophy to the Christian teaching"
0
1
1art2elos ,", 'Orthodoxy and Inter-religious dialogues(, p" 1 in
http344users"auth"gr45mart2elo4index"files4arthra6n"htm
2
7ee, %ustin, 8ialogue with Tryphon, +"," 9, :;1#!<==8, %ustin, .xhortation to the ,rees +"," 9,
2:1#!012#, Tatian, #ddress to the ,rees, +","9, <=:#!<<<>
0
?ianoulatos #nastasios, $acing the world, 7@7,Crestwood, 2==0, p"12A"
1
When the #rabs con*uered some areas of >y2antine .mpire, the
Orthodox Church started to be in dialogue with them, in order to live in peace
with them" ,reat $athers of the Church engaged in a dialogue with Islam, such
as 7aint %ohn 8amascene, 7aint Cyril of Thessalonii, 7aint ,regory +alamas,
%oseph >ryennios and the theologian emperor 1anuel II +aleologos" We will
not present in this paper their understanding of religions, but in our
presentation, we will critici2e the method of the new Orthodox theologians who
misinterpret those attempts for the dialogue"
The monastic community of 1ount #thos, and especially the &oly
monastery of 7aint ,regory, critici2ed the contemporary inter!religious
dialogue with Islam, because according to them, the message of the $athers that
engaged in those dialogues misinterpreted by those who started dialogues
nowadays"
7aint %ohn 8amascene, saint ,regory +alamas, ,enadios 7cholarios and
saint Biodimus the &agiorite, engaged in dialogues with Islam but they had
different presuppositions" Those presuppositions were the authentic expressions
of the dialogue between Orthodoxy and Islam" #ccording to them, the
characteristics of the dialogues were3
#/ The Islamic religion was faced with spiritual criteria" The anti!
Islamic texts of those $athers are not fanatical but are recogni2ed as different
expressions of the dialogues"
>/ #ll the $athers had the certainty that Orthodox faith was the only
way to salvation and in the dialogues they proposed the truths of ChristCs
teaching"
C/ The superiority of moral values of Christianity is displayed as proof
of the true faith of the $athers" #ccording to them the motive of the dialogue is
not the anthropocentric love, but the Christocentric one"
These criteria are based on the faith in the Trinitarian ,od, the divinity
of %esus Christ and the mystery of the Church as the mystical body of Christ"
#ll the previous, are expressed by the true love of Christianity, which is the
2
safest way to see peaceful co!existence and cooperation with any religion,
without the danger of syncretism"
:
Dight after the con*uest of Constantinople in 1:E0, the dialogues
stopped and restarted in the 2=
th
century" The .cumenical +atriarchate of
Constantinople started again wanting to be in dialogue and this was proved by
the 7ynodical .ncyclicals of 1A=2 and 1A2="
In the initial .ncyclical, the +atriarchate called Orthodox Churches to a
unity of belief, concord and brotherly and peaceful co!existence" With the
second in 1A2=, the +atriarchate of Constantinople not only wanted to be in a
dialogue with other churches, but also to engage in a dialogue with the other
religions and peaceful co!existence with them"
E
#ccording to prof" 1art2elos, Orthodoxy was the first that stated the
need for an inter!religious dialogue in the $irst +an!Orthodox Conference of
Dhodes -1A91/"
9
#t that Conference, the local Orthodox churches understood
the gift of the dialogue to prevailing peace, freedom and love between people
from different religions" #t Chambe2y in 1A;9, Orthodox churches reali2ed the
necessity of an inter!religious dialogue on a +an!Orthodox level" The
declaration of this conference was the base of the dialogue that Orthodox
Church started"
the inter-religious understanding and cooperation, and through these
to the elimination of fanaticism from every side, and thus to reconciliation of
peoples and the prevalence of the ideas of freedom and peace in the world, to
serve modern man, irrespective of race and religion
7

The same desire was expressed again by the Third +re!synodical +an!
orthodox Conference in Chambe2y 1A<9"
<

:
Orthodoxy and Islam, &oly 1onastery of 7aint ,regory, 1ount #thos 2===, p" 1:!1E"
E
Fiaa #ngelii, "Intereligious dialogue in promoting peace and overcoming religious conflictsG, in
Deligion and Conflicts, &arptree +ublishing, Hondon 2==A, p" 2;:"
9
1art2elos ,", 'Orthodoxy and Inter-religious dialogues(, p" : in
;
7ynodica, +eriodical edition of the 7ecretariat for the preparation of the &oly and ,reat 7ynod of the
Orthodox Church, 2, ,eneva 1A;<, p"2=1"
<
1art2elos ,", 'Orthodoxy and Inter-religious dialogues(, p" :, in
0
The main *uestion according to us is, if it is possible to stay in those
principles of dialogue in the 21
st
centuryIs dialogues"
#fter those decisions, the Orthodox Church and especially the
.cumenical +atriarchate started a bilateral academic conference with %udaism
and Islam" With %udaism from 1A;;!2==0 are held five conferences and ten
conferences with Islam from 1A<9!2==2"
A
1oreover, with the assistance of the .cumenical +atriarchate and the
significant role that held in them, International Inter!religious Congresses and
meetings in Constantinople -1AA: and 2==E/, in >russels, in Thessalonii
-2==0/ and in #thens -2==:/ were organi2ed" The '#thens declaration(
concludes all the previous ones3
We repudiate all forms of nationalist, racist, religious, social and
other discrimination, y means of which morid religious intolerance and
fanaticism is harored, together with the proclivity of see!ing to find
"ustification for ellicose conflicts and organi#ed terrorism, to the ovious
immense detriment of the peaceful co-existence of all human eings and all
people$ %herefore, we launch an appeal to the spiritual leaders of all religions
to underta!e the necessary wor! and to co-operate in achieving the defusing of
these perilous confusions, in other therey to achieve the truly credile
furtherance of &od's will that peace, social "ustice and respect for fundamental
human rights will prevail"
1=
HetIs move now to the methods that are held in those dialogues and we
will critici2e those methods with the accordance of the contextual orthodox
patristic theology"
The first method is the +neumatological" This means that, we have to
see the 7oteriology into the .cclesiology in order to accept pluralism and to
A
$or more information of those conferences see #ng"Fiaa, GIntereligious dialogue in promoting
peace and overcoming religious conflicts", in (eligion and )onflicts, &arptree +ublishing, Hondon
2==A, p" 2;E!2;A"
1=
1art2elos ,", 'Orthodoxy and Inter-religious dialogues(, p" 9, in
:
present inclusiveness or exclusiveness"
11
# Christocentric theology
discriminates Christ from the mystery of the Trinity" >ishop ," Jhodr, states
that the most important step in the mission of the Orthodox Church is to
follow the will of )hrist for teaching the &ospel$ %he *oly +pirit is free to act
in other religions"
12
What is the role of the &oly 7pirit in other religionsK #ccording to
#rchbishop of #lbania #nastasios ?ianoulatos, this 7pirit continues to act for
the 7alvation of every person and fulfills the entire world" #s a 7pirit of
holiness, it carries ,odCs inspiration, love and power to humanity" #s a 7pirit of
power, renews the world, as a 7pirit of truth motivates and inspires people to
search the truth" #s 7pirit of peace, helps people to live in a peaceful way and
as a 7pirit of Lustice inspires people to yearn for Lustice"
10
This passage, which #nastasios ?ianoulatos and ," Jhodr interpret in
this way, is the passage %ohn 0, < that states3 'The 7pirit blows wherever it
wilst(" The Orthodox hermeneutics are totally contextual, so we have to see
what exactly means that *uotation of Christ"
This passage is a part of a conversation with Christ and Biodemus that
Christ teaches him about &is Jingdom" Biodemus ass how someone who is
old, can be re!born" %esus answers to him that only with water and spirit -in
other words in >aptism/ can someone be re!born in Christ" Dight after that, and
for the best understanding of &is teaching about the &oly 7pirit and how it acts
after the >aptism, Christ states that the 7pirit goes everywhere and nobody
nows where it goes"
1:
11
8upuis %a*ues, G%rinitarian )hristology as a model for a theology of a religious pluralism", The
myriad Christ" The *uest of theological norm -ed" T 1eringan4 %" &aers/, Heuven Mniversity +ress,
Heuven!+aris!7terling!@irginia, 2===, p" <0!AA"
12
Jhodr ,", G)hristianity in a ,luralistic word$ %he economy of the *oly +pirit G, The .cumenical
Deview 20 -1A;1/, p" 11<!12<"
10
?ianoulatos #nastasios, -acing the world, 7@7, Crestwood, 2==0, p"1:A"
1:
%ohn 0, <"
E
#ccording to 7aint %ohn Chrysostom, the >aptism is the first intellectual
asset that a human needs to have and then, the &oly 7pirit starts its action and
no!one nows how it acts"
1E
%hat which is orn of the +pirit is +pirit$ +eest thou the dignity of the
+pirit. It appears performing the wor! of &od/ for aove he said of some, that
0they were egotten of &od1 here *e saith that the +pirit egeteth them2*ere
is the conclusion of the whole matter$ 0If1 saith *e 0thou !nowest not how to
explain the motion nor the path of this wind, which thou perceivest y hearing
and touch, why art thou over-anxious aout the wor!ing of the 3evine +pirit,
when thou understand not that of the wind, though thou hearest its voice.1 %he
expression 0loweth where it listeth1 is also used to estalish the power of the
)omforter/ for if non can hold the wind, ut it moveth where it listeth, much
less will the laws of nature, or limits of odily generation, or anything of the
li!e !ind, e ale to restrain the operations of the +pirit24s then the wind is
not visile, although it utters a sound, so neither is the irth of that which is
spiritual visile to our odily eyes/
56
It is obvious from the above) that the action of the &oly 7pirit starts only
after >aptism and Christ gives the example of the wind, in order Biodemus to
understand the role of the 7pirit" Without >aptism it is impossible for a man, to
receive the &oly 7pirit and analogically the 7alvation outside of the Canonical
boundaries of the Church is impossible for anyone" The same interpretation of
this passage is given by Cyril of #lexandria
1;
and by ,regory +alamas"
1<
The second method is the Trinitarian model" This model has its roots on
the theology of 1etropolitan %ohn of +ergamon -Fi2ioulas/" #ccording to him,
community means unity and diversity"
1A
This Trinitarian life is the example of
1E
%ohn Chrysostom, In 7ohannem, +","EA, 1E:"
19
%ohn Chrysostom, *omily 889I, B+B$ 1:, p" A1"
1;
Cyril of #lexandria, Commentarii in %ohannem, lib" II, +"," ;0, 21EC8"
1<
,regory +alamas, Contra #cindinus 0, Chrestou :"
1A
Fi2ioulas %ohn, >eing as Communion" 7tudies in personhood and the Church, 7@7 +ress, Canada,
1A<E"
9
mission of the Church and the inter!religious dialogue"
2=
#ccording to prof"
@asiliades, Trinitarian theology gives us the opportunity to understand the
other as a co!waler of the discovery of the truth"
The *uestion that raised in this model is where can we find the truth" Is
it Christianity and especially the Orthodox Church the only way to find the
truthK #ccording to Christ, &e is the only truth, the only way to the $ather and
for that we understand that only Christianity has the truth"
21
7o, there is no truth
in other religions according to the $athers"
22
It is also obvious that the $athers
expressed the theory of the '7eminal Word( such as %ustin 1artyr and
+hilosopher, in order to have a dialogue with the other religions and to
contextuali2e the teaching of Christianity"
20
The difference between the theory of the '7eminal Word( with the
contemporary dialogues is obvious" Bone of the #pologists accepted that
having dialogues with the others is a syncretistic synthesis" #ccording to my
opinion, this is the danger that we face today in the dialogues and ?ianoulatosI
position that these formulations did not result any !ind of syncretistic
synthesis or to hide the )hristian message
:;
is totally acceptable"
$urthermore, a crucial point of our paper is that Christ &imself had a
dialogue with the gentiles, such as the Canaanite woman and the Centurion
2E
with presuppositions that lead us not to a syncretistic synthesis but in a
dialogue of truth and faith" This Christian message which +aul taught and
preached calmly and firmly widen up in humanity and gave to everyone the
word of 7alvation and the Dessurectional hope"
The third method is the one that #nastasios ?ianoulatos, #rchibishop of
#lbania promoted" The humanitarian principles of the religions, such as
freedom, human dignity and the true love of the others must be a new way of
2=
@asiliadis +", Orthodoxy in a Crosswal, +aratiritis publications, Thessalonii 1AA2 -in ,ree/"
21
%ohn 1:, 9"
22
Origen, +"," 1:, 2=A8$, Cyril of %erusalem, +","2;, EE8"
20
?ianoulatos #nastasios, $acing the world, 7@7,Crestwood, 2==0, p"1:E"
2:
?ianoulatos #nastasios, $acing the world, 7@7,Crestwood, 2==0, p"1:;"
2E
1t" 1E, 21 cf"1" ;, 2:!0= and 1t" <, 1= cf" H" ;,E"
;
discussion and understanding" In that new context that rose in a pluralistic and
globali2ed world, Orthodoxy has the duty to answer to the problems of the
peoples" &aving understood the true meaning of the liturgical, mystical and
soteriological character of the Orthodox Church, we as Orthodox, have to be
the first who want to engage to the inter!religious dialogues"
In connection with the above, is the theological approach to the $all"
#ccording to the +atristic tradition during the fall of humanity, the ',odIs
image(, that is the whole humanity, was not completely destroyed -as
+rotestants and Doman Catholics claimed/ but damaged" This means that,
humanity can understand that ,od is above all" #lso this connection, lead us to
the 'Incarnational theology( or the Christological understanding of the
religions" In such Christology, Christ as a new #dam, saves all manind with
the &oly 7pirit through >aptism" This is exactly the concept of the theory of
the '7eminal Word( that we mentioned previously"
29
,od wants to save all human beings
2;
, but this salvation is placed when
human opens his heart in ,od, recogni2es the Trinitarian ,od as his Hord and
7avior" The acceptance of this calling is completed with >aptism and by
receiving the gifts of the &oly 7pirit and in that way, human became a partaer
of the 'root( that is Christ"
2<
The energy of the &oly 7pirit acts only after
>aptism"
The contemporary inter!religious dialogue, as dialogue of love and
respect, without the acceptance of the teaching of Christ in 1atthew 2<, 1A!2=,
that is the real dialogue and mission of the Orthodox Church, is a dialogue that
denies the only truth which is Christ"
2A
The real inter!religious dialogue is the
Orthodox missions, because those missions are dialogues of truth and love"
These missions are totally contextual, because they address the word of ,ospel
to any civili2ation and to everyone" They call all people to return to the faith of
29
?ianoulatos #nastasios, -acing the world, 7@7, Crestwood, 2==0, p"1:1"
2;
%ohn 0, 19"
2<
Dom" 11, 19"
2A
Thessalonians II, 2,10"
<
%esus Christ, a call in repentance and give them the opportunity to be partaer
of the divine nature"
0=
This mission respects all manind and teaches the word
of ,ospel" #ccording to my opinion, this is the true inter!religious dialogue,
with the Chistocentric meaning of real love, to contemporary problems of the
people in the 21
st
century"
#nother method that according to us is important for the inter!religious
dialogue is the contextual theology" Contextuality, according to some
dictionaries means the theology that is predicated with reference to its context"
Therefore, contextuality means relation to the substance and nature of the
context, which includes geographic, linguistic, social, political, cultural and
ideological factors"
01

In the Conference of @olosI #cademy of Theological 7tudies, about the
Contextuality of the Orthodox theology and the dialogues of the Orthodox
Church today, some *uestions were raised that were crucial for the definition of
the Contextuality in the Orthodox Theology" ')an Orthodoxy e oth faithful
to the tradition and contextual. )an 0a return to the -athers1 degenerate into
idolatry and Orthodox ideology if not contextual.
<:
" +rof" 1ar2elosI paper at
this Conference emphasi2ed in the role of Contextual theology in the Orthodox
tradition and his criticism on a text of Canberra Cs ;
th
,eneral assembly of the
WCC, about the role of the &oly 7pirit in the traditions of the 7outh Jorea in a
framewor of pantheistic and animistic belief and images, was a start point of
our presentation about this method of contextual theology in the inter!religious
dialogue"
00
We must emphasi2e in the outset, that the use of contextual
representations and images, in order to understand the truths of the ,ospel by
people with different cultural and spiritual bacground, is from the standpoint
0=
7econd .pistle of +etros, 1, :"
01
7chreiner Hothar, )ontextual %heology, .ncyclopedia of Christianity p" 9;<!9<=
02
+rologue to the boolet of the abstract of the papers of the International Conference Beo!+atristic
7ynthesis or +ost!+atristic TheologyK Can Orthodox theology be contextualK, @olosI #cademy of
Theological 7tudies, @olos 0!9 %une 2=1=
00
1art2elos ,", %he role of )ontextual theology in the Orthodox tradition -in ,ree/ in
A
of Orthodox not only legitimate but necessary as well" This is a fundamental
missionary and educational authority, that is deeply rooted in history and life of
the Church" We must use these contextual representations and perceptions to
define the morphology of the ,ospel, and to leave the essence of ,ospel intact"
This meaning of contextuality is exactly fulfilled by the #postles and the
$athers of the Church" #lthough they used representations and concepts from
cultural bacground and general atmosphere prevailing in the ,ree world,
those were limited exclusively to morphological level and does not dilute the
message of divine revelation" On the other hand, they expressed it accurately,
ensuring even simultaneousity with the varieties of heretical forgeries" This
attitude of the #postles and the $athers would have been unthinable, if they
did not act under the guidance of the &oly 7pirit and they did not reali2e the
missionary dimension and importance of the Incarnation of ,od"
In this respect it could e said that Orthodox theology is the contextual
theology par excellence ecause it dared to formulate the &ospel in a way that
was uni=ue and unprecedented in history, ased on the contextual figurative
images and terminological presuppositions of the &ree! world$ Without this
venture, the 0marriage1 etween )hristianity and *ellenism, or rather the
)hristiani#ation of *ellenism would not have een possile"(
0:
#fter everything that has been said above, the *uestion that is raised
here is3 Can orthodox theology reclaim the contextual character and maintain a
dialogue with other religions with different traditionK Can Orthodox theology
bring the redemptive message of post!modern and globali2ed modern world, or
will it remain enclosed within forms and shapes of the past, which is many
times completely incomprehensible by people with different culture and
religionK
0:
1art2elos ," #bstract of the paper titled3 %he role of )ontextual %heology according to Orthodox
%radition" +aper presented on the International Conference Beo!+atristic 7ynthesis or +ost!+atristic
TheologyK Can Orthodox theology be contextualK, @olosI #cademy of Theological 7tudies, 7ee also
1art2elos ,", %he role of )ontextual theology in the Orthodox tradition p" 10!19 -in ,ree/ in
1=
We believe that the bright example of the #postles and the $athers, that
used the principle of the martyria of the ,ospel, the Incarnation principle
within the %ewish and then into the ,ree world, even succeeding in this way,
as we have seen, the Christiani2ation of &ellenism, shows the way to the
contemporary Orthodox theology, to respond to the contextual challenges of
our time in the inter!religious dialogue" We cannot set aside that orthodox
theology, this traditional and patristic orthodox theology, is the product of
dialogue with the contextual environment" Only in that manner, of the
contextual way that is free from syncretism, Orthodox theology can give its
message to the true Inter!religious dialogue"
$inishing our paper, we want to propose some presuppositions for a real
ecumenical and inter!religious dialogue, which I believe will give a push and a
new dynamic to them"
1" In the dialogues we must not follow the political diplomacy and its
methods, because diplomacy and politics decide without the agreement of the
people that they represent" In the Church, though, an agreement which has not
been acceptable by the ecclesial body, remains ephemeral"
2" In the inter!religious dialogues, each religion must present its
contemporary characteristics, the life of the people, the civili2ation that
represents, and eep as a bacground the tradition that it has" With all that, we
avoid the enhancement and the syncretism"
0" .ach religion must understand its role in the solution of contemporary
problems, which are raised in 21
st
century" In my belief, a dialogue of truth, a
dialogue that Christianity and especially Orthodoxy can give to the 'gentiles(
again the interpretation of the Word of ,od with the assistance of the patristic
thought contextuali2ed to the new problems of our century, is acceptable"
11
BIBLIOGRAFY
8upuis %a*ues, G%rinitarian )hristology as a model for a theology of a
religious pluralism", The myriad Christ" The *uest of theological norm -ed" T
1eringan4 %" &aers/, Heuven Mniversity +ress, Heuven!+aris!7terling!@irginia,
2==="
>oolet of the abstract of the papers of the International Conference Beo!
+atristic 7ynthesis or +ost!+atristic TheologyK Can Orthodox theology be
contextualK, @olosI #cademy of Theological 7tudies, @olos 0!9 %une 2=1="
Jhodr ,", G)hristianity in a ,luralistic word$ %he economy of the *oly
+piritG, The .cumenical Deview 20 -1A;1/, p" 11<!12<"
1art2elos ,", 'Orthodoxy and Inter-religious dialogues(, in
1art2elos ,", %he role of )ontextual theology in the Orthodox tradition -in
,ree/ in http344users"auth"gr45mart2elo4index"files4arthra6n"htm
Orthodoxy and Islam, &oly 1onastery of 7aint ,regory, 1ount #thos 2==="
+ynodica, +eriodical edition of the 7ecretariat for the preparation of the &oly
and ,reat 7ynod of the Orthodox Church, 2, ,eneva 1A;<
7chreiner Hothar, )ontextual %heology, .ncyclopedia of Christianity p"
9;<!9<=
12
@asiliadis +", Orthodoxy in a )rosswal!, +aratiritis publications, Thessalonii
1AA2 -in ,ree/"
?ianoulatos #nastasios, -acing the world, 7@7, Crestwood, 2==0
Fiaa #ngelii, "Intereligious dialogue in promoting peace and overcoming
religious conflictsG, in (eligion and )onflicts, &arptree +ublishing, Hondon
2==A"
Fi2ioulas %ohn, >eing as )ommunion$ +tudies in personhood and the )hurch,
7@7 +ress, Canada, 1A<E"
10

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PETROS N. TOULIS ORTHODOX UNDERSTANDING OF RELIGIONS.

THE ROLE OF CONTEXTUAL THEOLOGY

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