An Outline of Orthodox Patristic Dogmatics [Paperback]

John S. Romanides (Author), George Dion. Dragas (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2004

The late Professor John Romanides, a graduate and, subsequently, a Professor of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts (1958-1965), and a Professor of the Aristotle University of Thessalonica, Greece (1968-1984) was one of the most original theologians of Eastern Orthodox Christianity worldwide in the second half of the 20th century. Raised in America and having become familiar with Western Christians, Roman Catholics and Protestants, as well as Western theological scholarship, both through his upbringing and his involvement in the modern Ecumenical Dialogues, he developed a critical and highly original Eastern Orthodox approach to Christian theology. He identified his approach with the Christian Roman ecumene that was centered in Constantinople, New Rome. His views on Christian "Romanity" and "Roman Orthodoxy" have earned him the title of "Prophet of Roman Orthodoxy" and have given rise to a school of committed followers and to much discussion. This book is Romanides' first Outline of Orthodox Patristic Dogmatics, which is published for the first time in the original Greek and in English translation. It represents a concise introduction into his understanding of the basic tenets of the Eastern Orthodox Faith and its fundamental differences from those of Western (Augustinian or Franco-Latin) Christian theology. It covers such doctrines as God's relation to the world, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the doctrine of Christ, the doctrine of the Church, the Church's Holy Tradition and the restoration and perfection of humanity in and through this Tradition. It will serve as an introduction into this theologian's original vision of Patristic Orthodoxy, which is the basis of his reappraisal of Christian theology and history. Its value lies in its concise, coherent and comprehensive character.

Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: Orthodox Research Institute (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974561843
• ISBN-13: 978-0974561844
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #158,564 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Expressing the Christian Faith, in its Mere Orthodoxy, November 10, 2007

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Didaskalex "Eusebius Alexandrinus" (Kellia on Calvary, Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: An Outline of Orthodox Patristic Dogmatics (Paperback)

"One of the major and permanent goals of a theologian, who wants to express the Christian faith, as it is held by the Orthodox Catholic tradition, is to be able to do justice to history as well as to 'systematic' thought addressed to contemporaries" John Meyendorff

Patristic Teachings Revived:

Fr. Romanides, a fresh air in the imperially petrified Byzantine theology, outlines the authentic biblical teachings which formed the basic tenets of Eastern Orthodoxy.

In Four parts, the concise, up to the point introduction (70 pages+ index) was translated and edited by one of the rising stars of Orthodox theology, and a specialist on Athanasius. Fr. Dragas is a favorite of the Oriental and Eastern orthodox in USA, quoted and praised by Dr. G. Bebawi, their leading expert of Alexandrine Orthodoxy.

Part I start with God in History: His relation to the Cosmic world, conception and creation. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is the main subject of the second part. Romanides invests his deep ecclesiastic knowledge to serve his theological goals, starting with Paul of Samosata and Lucian as forerunners of Arianism. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and Cappadocian defense by Basil, all the way to the Franco Latin Filioque. While he starts with criticizing Augustinian theology, he joins Hans Kung in demonizing the infallibility concept of a Pope who pretending to be the vicar of Christ plot to replace the Holy Spirit in an undeified body of the ecclessia. "For the Orthodox, Romanides argues, infallibility rests with Ecumenical Councils, ..., who faithfully keep this doctrine of the Church, rightly proclaim the word of the Truth..."

Part III is about Christology, in theopesic (theopesis) terms he declares, "In Christ, two natures, the divine and the Human, are united hypostatically. Thus, while the theosis of human beings is their participation in the uncreated glory of God, the theosis of the human nature of Christ is the being of God, while the uncreated glory of Christ is His natural and eternal power and not an acquisition." Fr Romanides stresses 'the fact that Cyril of Alexandria is the criterion of (orthodox) Christology" He then reviews the rest of Ecumenical Councils and underlines some of their controversial inconsistencies! He exposes the scandalizing dogmatic statements of the Sixth on natural rather than the gnomic will persisting in Christ.

Part IV explores Ecclessiology, the Church, the body of Christ having the foretaste of theosis. he then delves in the minefield of 'the deposit of faith and Holy Tradition,' with apparent deliverance. Faith and tradition, consume a big part of time available to orthodox salvation through synergy, and also the blessed triad; recipients, guardians, and Transmitters of the deposit of holy tradition, and this is where I lost Fr. Romanides

Romanides' Theology:

John Romanides, according to Fr. Meyendorff's definition, clearly expressed the Christian faith, in its mere Orthodoxy. The theology of John Romanides, has been discussed by both Orthodox and ecumenical theologians, and voted as an excellent contribution to the ecumenical view of Christian theology. It is described as both biographical and critical, in doctrinal discussion and thematic analysis.

Fr. Romanides broke grounds in Greek theology with his dissertation at the University of Athens, likewise that of John Zizioulas. He assumed treating the crucial issues on sin and salvation, from a patristic view point. He named the source of evil as ego-centricity, and Satanic imitation, which introduced the total deprivation of the Lord's original blessings, in the 'natural good' offered to the world.

Romanides blames Augustine for some Western deformed theological doctrines, overtaken by neo-Platonism, he failed to conceive the authentic Christian tradition which developed into the distinction of God's essence from his energies, a distinction Romanides defends so as to avoid pantheism. Following Palamas and patristic thought mastered by Cyril of Alexandria, he advocated that "we can participate in the divine nature (uncreated energies) but not in the divine essence. The faithful thus could attain glorification without becoming essentially divine. Christ, The new Adam is divine by nature and free from human sinful tendency." George Papademetriou, Holy Cross Th. Seminary, Brookline, MA

Prophet of Roman Orthodoxy:

Romanides prefers to speak of 'Roman Orthodoxy,' that includes both East and West. The early church, which was persecuted in the Roman Empire, became its"heart. The local bishop elected by the local community was admitted to the regional synod, which protected the faithful from heresy. A. Sopko discusses, The Theology of John Romanides, "the debate on the doctrine of God in which Romanides was engaged with the faculty of the University of Athens, where he presented his dissertation on the Ancestral (original) Sin. Romanides' leitmotif in his theology was the distinction between the uncreated energies and the essence of God. He insisted on the utter incomprehensibility and unknowability of the essence of God and saw modern theology as "Western captivity," that rejected all rationalization of the divine reality." Journal of Ecumenical Studies

Toil loving Fr. Romanides:

Father Romanides was ordained in 1951 while studying at Yale University Divinity School. During this time he served at the Holy Trinity Church in Waterbury, till 1954. After finishing his studies at Yale he left for studies at St. Sergius Orthodox Theological School in Paris (1954-55). While working on his doctorate at the University of Athens (1956-1957) he ran into the tradition whereby parish priests took turns celebrating.

Romanides' career began in the late 1950's on the faculty of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA, where he taught between 1957 and 1965 while continuing his studies and research at Harvard Divinity School and then at Harvard Graduate School. He then became professor of dogmatic theology at the Aristotelian University in Thessalonica and at Balamand University in Lebanon. He was active in various bilateral dialogues through the World Council of Churches, especially with the non-Chalcedonians Orientals. He was very enthusiastic in cementing the relations between these two Christian families in the Orthodox East, accepting their theological agreement as one in faith and practice as a result of the dialogue.

The late Archpriest of St. Athanasius the Great, Orthodox Church in Arlington, Mass. resigned from Holy Cross in 1965 in protest over the removal of Father Georges Florovsky from the faculty by Archbishop Iacovos. Forty two years later his associate and editor has to walk through the same narrow alley.

Ortho-Dogmatics Praise:

"..., these 'Notes' provide an insight of authentic Orthodox patristic teaching championed by this renowned theologian. Fr. John Romanides nurtured generations of Orthodox theologians with the authentic spirit of Orthodox Patristic Thought." Metropolitan Methodius of Boston

"Though I no longer teach Dogmatics, I am happy to publish the present introductory manual, as a small tribute to the memory of this most original, yet traditional, Greek orthodox theologian of the contemporary orthodox Diaspora ..." George Dragas, Editing Translator

+ This review is presented to our Coptic ArchDidaskalos: Dr. George Bebawi, Emeritus Professor of Systematic Theology, and Patristics in Nottingham's St. John, and Director Em., Cambridge Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for fast reference, November 6, 2005

By 

Nicholas M. Vester "Metania63" (Denmark) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: An Outline of Orthodox Patristic Dogmatics (Paperback)

Easy to read, fairly inclusive of most topics, and well-balanced not too polemically anti-Augustine as some of Fr John's other works.