Christ in Eastern Christian Thought [Paperback]

John Meyendorff (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation)

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: St Vladimirs Seminary Pr (1975)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0913836273
• ISBN-13: 978-0913836279
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,127,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whom do you say that I am?, January 11, 2001

By 

Beth Dunlop (Kodiak, AK United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Christ in Eastern Christian Thought (Paperback)

In Christ in Eastern Christian Thought, the late Fr. John Meyendorff provides an understandable and insightful analysis of the intricate Christological debates of the early Church. Beginning with the 5th century, Fr. Meyendorff shows historically how the answer to "Whom do men say that I am?" has a profound affect on humanity's salvation and the quality of Christian life. He shows how, what may seem to some, complex and dry doctrine is intricatately connected with everyday life and practical matters. Christology is therefore bound up intricately with issues such as salvation, asceticism and deification. He also shows how the iconoclastic controversy was really also a Christological issue, and that the "Triumph of Orthodoxy" and Restoration of the Icons was the fruit of the articulation of the previous Ecumenical Councils. Although a student new to Church history may have to read some sections of this book more than once to begin to understand the issues, its reading is well worth the effort.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Meyendorff's final position, February 15, 2006

By 

Death Bredon (Anglosphere) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Christ in Eastern Christian Thought (Paperback)

Although Christ in Eastern Thought is a wonderful book over all, it materially fails in its evaluation of the Cyrillian-Miaphysite Christology professed historically by St. Severus and contemporaneously by the Oriental Orthodox Churches. Indeed, subsequent to the writing of Christ in Eastern Thought, in which Meyendorff acurately, if noisomely, repeats the anti-"Monophysite," Byzantine party-line propaganda, Meyendorff participated in scholarly dialogs with leading Oriental Orthodox christologists and expressly concluded that their expression of the Faith is and has always been entirely Orthodox. Would that Meyendorff had issued a second edition of his book, as many may never discover what Meyendorff's more considered opinion of Oriental Orthodox Christology actually was. Apart from this one failing, Meyendorff's is the best English language book on authentic, apostolic Christology available.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Investigating Christ, The Sweet Sour Christology, December 5, 2004

By 

Didaskalex "Eusebius Alexandrinus" (Kellia on Calvary, Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Christ in Eastern Christian Thought (Paperback)

Eastern Christian Thought:
Western Christianity, scholastic and reformational has left only brief and superficial mentions of the theological thought of the Christian East. This volume attempts to clarify the progress of christological thought, in the East where theology was by far a monoply between Alexandria and Antioch. Filling the needs of a wide readership, it describes the development of theological thought on the person of Christ, in the fifth, sixth, and seventh centuries. It exposes the tensions which arose in inevitable post Chalcedon debates between the Diophysites and Miaphysites, reflecting on Pseudo-Dionysius, Maximus the Confessor, and John of Damascus, between many others. It discusses the theology beyond these debates on the identity of Christ, formally solved by the decrees of the council of Chalcedon, which left Christendom divided. It defines the theological problems raised by the arbitrariness of Eastern Roman emperors, in trying to solve the controversy.

Methodology:
The late Fr. Meyendorff wrote this fine book, 35 years ago in French, his second and theological language, this SVP, 1975 second edition is an amended update, at the time. The prominent Patristic and NA Patristic Society president ( 1978 ), skillfully utilized his patristic expertise, solid Christology, and analytical historical talent in a Theological articulated narrative, tracing, and exposing the Theo-political milieu for the post chalcedonian thought in the debates that persisted within the disintegrating Byzantium.
Georges A. Barrois of Princeton Theological Seminary wrote a scholarly review for the first edition; that could be sought by Seminarians for its theological content.

Sour sweet theology:
The complex and dry Christology doctrine is based on soteriology (salvation), and is bound consecutively with basic theological issues such as kenosis and deification. It is elaborated in terms embeded in Neo-platonic and Aristotalian philosophy and terminologies. Other Church traditions are connected, if not based on it; the monastic ideal, asceticism, and fasting. Even the iconoclastic controversy was shown to have been a Christological issue.
Although a novice to ecclessiastic history may be a little lost initially, reading few chapters of Meyendorff's book Imperial Unity and Christian Division will clarify these issues, and render this book enjoyable. This exercise is well worth the effort for serious Church history readers, and Christology investigating students.

Jean Meyendorff
Fr. john, of blessed memory, a master of patristic and dogmatic theology is qualified to give us a skillful account of the Christological thought and debates throughout those schismatic centuries. A fellow of the Guggenheim Memorial foundation, Fr. John had an opportunity to perfect his in depth study on the history of the Church during its critical years 450-680. Jaroslav Pelikan describes Fr. John stating; "There are very few scholars in the East or the West who would be in a position to undertake this assignment. And that is, of course, precisely what John Meyendorff is."