:: St. Stephen's Musings ::

:: Wednesday, November 27, 2002 ::

Theology with your clothes on:

He who dabbles in theology while still in the passions is like one who tries to swim with his clothes on.
- Saint John Climacus

This quote (and a past article in regards to this quote) was posted by James

I've always loved (and hated!) this quote because it so quickly and devastatingly hits home for me. (Thanks, James, for reminding me of it!)

For many of us Orthodox who come to the Church from Protestantism, it is an almost overwhelming temptation to become self-proclaimed apologists and champion defenders of Orthodoxy. But the Fathers constantly warn us against this kind of pride, a specifically dangerous temptation for those of us who tend to be fascinated by intellectual pursuits.

Orthodoxy has always held a special place for the intellect in the life of the Church--but only the sanctified mind is able to speak correctly about divine realities. Evagrius said it so beautifully with this quote:

"Those who pray truly are theologians and those who are truly theologians pray."

As I prepare for the Thanksgiving weekend, I hope I can remember St. John and Evagrius' words in my discussions with family and friends over the next few days. We should spend more time in prayer for others than we do in discussion with them! (I will have more to say on this issue later)....

:: Karl :: 12:26:00 PM [Link] ::