The Cambridge
Edited by Mary B. Cunningham and Elizabeth Theokritoff
Kort resensie deur Coenie Burger
Dit is nou al lank dat ek soek na `n enkelbandboek wat vir `n mens `n goeie, verantwoordelike en wye oriëntering op die Ortodokse Kerke en Tradisie bied. Hierdie stewige boek bevat 19 artikels en `n hele paar kaarte en diagramme en slaag daarin om `n baie goeie breë beeld van die Ortodokse Kerk te gee. In die eerste hoofstuk vertel die outeurs die boeiende verhaal van die Ortodokse Kerk, van sy groei en sy ontplooiing in verskillende tradisies en van sy probleme. Wat ook besonder interessant is, is die laaste fase van groei wat saamhang met die lewe van uitgeweke gelowiges in verskillende Westerse lande.
Orthodox Christian theology is often presented as the direct inheritor of the doctrine and tradition of the early Church. But continuity with the past is only part of the truth; it would be false to conclude that the eastern section of the Christian Church is in any way static. Orthodoxy, building on its patristic foundations, has blossomed in the modern period. This volume focuses on the way Orthodox theological tradition is understood and lived today. It explores the Orthodox understanding of what theology is: an expression of the Church’s life of prayer, both corporate and personal, from which it can never be separated. Besides discussing aspects of doctrine, the book portrays the main figures, themes and developments that have shaped Orthodox thought. There is particular focus on the Russian and Greek traditions, as well as the dynamic but less well-known Antiochian tradition and the Orthodox presence in the West.
• All contributors are Orthodox from various traditions and countries giving a sense of both the diversity and the coherence of the Church • Includes chapters on the contemporary theological scene in Greece, Russia and Antioch – introducing traditions little known to the English-speaking public • The chapter on Arab Christian tradition presents a perspective on Christian-Muslim relations new to most Christians in the West