Most holy Mother of God, today we Orthodox joyfully celebrate thy coming among us. As we gaze at thy icon we cry with compunction: Shelter us under thy protection, deliver us from evil, and pray thy Son Christ our God to save our souls (Troparion of the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God). In the tenth century, the Fool for Christ, St. Andrew, had a vision of the Theotokos praying for the world while spreading her veil… Read more
September 30, 2019
The Lessons of The Season of Creation Should Stay With Us Throughout The Year
September 30, 2019 By Henry Karlson
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From September 1 to October 4, many churches have established a time called The Season of Creation during which Christians are called to consider their relationship with the rest of creation, pray for it, indeed, work for its improvement. The Season of Creation begins on September 1 because that day was chosen by the Ecumenical Patriarch, Demetrios I. in 1989 to be a day to honor and pray for creation,[1] while it ends on October 4th because that is the… Read more
September 26, 2019
Book Review: Unteachable Lessons by Carl McColman
September 26, 2019 By Henry Karlson
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Unteachable Lessons: Why Wisdom Can’t Be Taught (And Why That’s Okay) by Carl McColman (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Erdman’s Publishing Company, 2019), 163+x pages. How do we love, how do we trust others (including, and especially God), how, indeed, do we reach out to others, showing them our compassion and love, without appearing narcissistic, nor while neglecting our own proper needs? It’s easy to give some nice, simple advice, but what we need is prudential wisdom, wisdom which cannot… Read more
September 25, 2019
How Dare We?!?!?
September 25, 2019 By Henry Karlson
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The oceans are warming. We have known this for some time. The oceans are warming, and like other aspects of global warming, this is bound to lead to disaster for the world. Not only are there new types of heat waves threatening the lives of the ocean’s inhabitants, destroying ecosystems within the ocean, there is also the constant threat of melting ice and cataclysmic storms to come. The birds are disappearing. Within fifty years, the North American bird population has… Read more
September 24, 2019
Will All Be Saved? The Question Which Will Not Go Away
September 24, 2019 By Henry Karlson
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How many people will be saved? Will it be a few? Many? Most of humanity? All of humanity? All of creation? While many Christians assume the answer is, “A few,” throughout Christian history, this has not been the only answer which has been given to this question. Some key thinkers from Origen to St. Gregory of Nyssa to Julian of Norwich have given hope that the answer might really be “all.” Hans Urs von Balthasar said that we cannot really… Read more
September 23, 2019
Animals, Humans and Suicide
September 23, 2019 By Henry Karlson
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For a long time, suicide has been considered to be one of the worst sins possible. It was viewed as one of the freest acts possible, that is, there was no external influence upon the person to kill themselves, so that a suicidal person was entirely culpable for their actions. Suicide was similar to an act of murder, the unjust taking away of life, with the life being one’s own. If an attempted act of suicide was successful, there would… Read more
September 19, 2019
Misogyny, Supremacy And Environmental Justice
September 19, 2019 By Henry Karlson
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The young Swedish environmentalist, Greta Thunberg, has not only made a name for herself for encouraging environmental activism in the world, she has also made a great number of enemies who like to belittle her in the cruelest of ways possible. They degrade her, not only for her age, but for her gender. It’s not only Greta, other women, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, working hard to help protect the planet from our abuse, not only because of immediate concerns that pollution… Read more
September 18, 2019
Christians Need To Acknowledge Others Worship God With Them
September 18, 2019 By Henry Karlson
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When philosophers and theologians talk about the existence of God, they talk about God in general. They do this in such a way that believers from various different religious traditions employ the same arguments to prove God exists without concern for the particular ways God is understood by different religious traditions. They not only share a belief in the existence of God being demonstrated by particular arguments, they do so without thinking the other does not really believe in God…. Read more
September 16, 2019
Stewardship Over Creation Requires The Middle Path Between Environmentalism And Animal Rights
September 16, 2019 By Henry Karlson
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Since humanity as a whole is meant to act as stewards of creation, Christians should not neglect their responsibility to the world at large. It is not just a Christian duty, but Christians are expected to recognize it and follow it, not just for the reasons the rest of humanity understand as to why they should take care of creation, but because they see their actions as a way of showing their respect to God. Thus, as Christians, we must… Read more
September 14, 2019
The Cross, Once A Sign of Death, Now Is Elevated As A Sign Of Life
September 14, 2019 By Henry Karlson
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With the revelation of God given to us at the cross, we are shown how God works for us in ways which goes beyond our expectations. His economic activity with us, and the whole world, overcomes the self-made glory of those who think themselves greater than all by lifting up and promoting the cause of those who have been humiliated and destroyed by the power of sin. God, as the God of the oppressed, not only joins himself in solidarity… Read more
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