Aaron Friar - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Aaron Friar

Book Review by Aaron W. Friar When the Swedish Lutheran theologian Lars Thunberg wrote Man and th... more Book Review by Aaron W. Friar When the Swedish Lutheran theologian Lars Thunberg wrote Man and the Cosmos in 1985, studies on St. Maximus were still relatively new to the English speaking world. Author also of an earlier and more comprehensive work Microcosm & Mediator, Thunberg penned this shorter treatise to address the more horizontal and social aspects of St. Maximus' theology. Man and the Cosmos is almost exclusively a look at the saint's theology with only oblique references to his life and broader place within the communion of saints in the Orthodox Church. The structure of the book tells us several things about Thunberg's design. At the outset, he wants to safeguard St. Maximus from the compartmentalization that so much of Western theology is subject to. Thunberg writes, "His theology constitutes a whole… and could be understood in terms of different dimensions [of that whole]." (p. 31) By dimension, Thunberg means something not chosen at random or fragmented but, "having repercussions all over the field." (p. 93) St.

People have fallen into a foolish habit of speaking of orthodoxy as something heavy, humdrum and ... more People have fallen into a foolish habit of speaking of orthodoxy as something heavy, humdrum and safe. There never was anything so perilous or so exciting as Orthodoxy. – G.K. Chesterton

In this final lecture in the series on Heresy and Orthodoxy for Theology on Tap at the Rattlesnake Pub on Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 7:30pm, Aaron Friar along with classic essayist Gilbert Keith Chesterton will challenge the standard images associated with the notion of orthodoxy. Focused specifically on Chesterton’s book titled Orthodoxy, Friar’s lecture will cover such paradoxes as:

How to embark on an adventure of massive proportions by rediscovering something as familiar to you as your own home

How to be a revolutionary conservative and a devoted patriot of the entire cosmos

And finally, how to fall in love with a Tri-Personal God who reveals Himself more in the “sunny country of common sense” and fairytales than in the dry treatises of systematic theologies

And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has... more And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings. (Acts 17:26) It is divine providence that has placed our parish where it is, in the heart of the city of Boston, though sometimes in our sinfulness we are apt to doubt the providence of God. It had become customary in the latter half of the previous century, among urban planners and churches who had assumed their philosophy, to believe that the best situation for a parish was somewhere in the suburbs with ample space, bucolic landscaping, and a large parking lot. Many immigrant Orthodox people followed this trend and closed once vibrant urban temples to build newer churches closer to the 'burbs where most of their faithful were fleeing.

The opening song of the 1970’s situation comedy The Brady Bunch summarizes the traditional unders... more The opening song of the 1970’s situation comedy The Brady Bunch summarizes the traditional understanding or story of stepfamilies in America. In this situation comedy, what actually caused this new blended family arrangement is assumed to be benign and whatever minor mishaps result from the new arrangement, everyone in the end will be one happy family. Though the actors are smiling, the realities of stepfamily living involve much more difficulty and hardship. Historically, stepfamilies largely resulted from the death of both previous spouses, a matter beyond the control of either person. Indeed, “According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the origin of the prefix “step” comes from the Anglo-Saxon “steop” meaning “bereaved.” The stepfamily situation in the past was a consolation for people coming out of a tragedy and not primarily the result of choice. Now, according to Dr. Susan D. Stewart, stepfamily relations in the 21st century are increasingly more complex and the result of deliberate choices like divorce. Four to five out of ten marriages formed in the 90’s have ended in divorce. Of those couples who have divorced and remarried, 2/3 of those newly formed families involve children from a previous marriage who still live with one of their biological parents, usually the mother. Nationwide, “one in ten households containing children are stepfamilies.” It is the children of these divorced and remarried couples that I intend to focus on in this paper, leaving aside other types of stepfamilies that I will briefly mention in the conclusion.

“My heart, my child, is a garden,” was a word that Elder Iakovos of Evia often gave to his spirit... more “My heart, my child, is a garden,” was a word that Elder Iakovos of Evia often gave to his spiritual children. He did not merely love nature and living things for their own sake, but for what they revealed to him about God and His Saints. For the elder, the prayers of the Church and the natural world were the two schoolmasters leading him to Christ. Like the apostles of old, he was an “unschooled, ordinary man” under extremely poor conditions who nevertheless attained extraordinary spiritual heights. Though poorly educated and growing up as a refugee from foreign oppressors, he was granted the grace to, “become all things to all men” and counsel people from all walks of life. His simple and unquestioning obedience won him a profound humility and the ability to command demons and saints alike as if they were his servants. Finally, he was able to turn weaknesses into strengths and overcome a tendency to fear and panic by constant prayer and extreme asceticism.

The following is a commentary on Matthew's unique Gospel account of the mysterious wise men from ... more The following is a commentary on Matthew's unique Gospel account of the mysterious wise men from the East who appear in a narrative seemingly reserved on the for the "lost sheep of Israel." their appearance adds a universal dimension to the story of Christ's coming in human flesh. The commentary pulls from Liturgical celebrations and patristic sources and closes with a surprising commentary by the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tsu.

Much has been written about the tragic ecclesiastical division caused by the schism of 1054. The ... more Much has been written about the tragic ecclesiastical division caused by the schism of 1054. The effect on church and state relations between East and West is often posited as a result of political, social, and economic factors beyond anyone's direct control. What is often missed is the theological reasons behind the schism and what effect those might have had on later differences in statecraft, East and West. Looking at the schism from a merely political lens can result in seeing it as a mere struggle for power. In the East, it is contended that the Church sold out to the Empire, a process dubbed by Francis Dvornik and others as caesaropapism. Though really the symphonia or harmony posited by the Emperor Justinian I and developed later in the Byzantine imperium is hardly a sell-out of Church to State. By comparison, in the West, it is contended that the pendulum of power merely swings the other direction. That the power vacuum left by the fall of Rome in the 5th century pulled future popes into roles of greater political authority until the church of the late Middle Ages had complete dominance over the state. What caesaropapism and the mere rise papal supremacy both fail to explain is any theological motive behind later differences in polity. It is the contention of this essay that the Augustinian inspired addition of the filioque to the Nicene Creed had a direct effect not only on the rise of papal supremacy, but also on the subsequent political theory of the West and even of the eventual demise of kingship worldwide and corresponding rise of totalitarian regimes. But how do we get from a one word addition in a statement of belief to an oppressive political regime? First I will trace out the common political understanding of the schism, then go into a broader explanation of Byzantine symphonia, and finish with a more detailed explanation of the connection between theological aberrations and the political reality in the West.

The following brief commentary focuses on the historical and contemporary significance of Apostol... more The following brief commentary focuses on the historical and contemporary significance of Apostolic Canon 45 which deals chiefly with the prohibition of praying with heretics. The commentary outlines the specific parameters of what defines formal and informal prayer and what is meant by heresy. While the former definition of prayer was clarified at the time of the canon, the modern application of the canon begs a further clarification/definition of the latter term of heresy. An attempt at such a clarification is made by the author at the end of the commentary.

The following is an attempt to apply the architectural principles of Christopher Alexander in his... more The following is an attempt to apply the architectural principles of Christopher Alexander in his Timeless Way of Building to the present issue of how to rebuild the only temple destroyed on 911, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. The paper also explores the ecumenical need to provide a bereavement center for people of all faiths who come as pilgrims to the World Trade Center site.

It is customary to think of the Protestant Church as the "Church of the Bible" and perhaps the Or... more It is customary to think of the Protestant Church as the "Church of the Bible" and perhaps the Orthodox Church as merely "the Church of the Fathers", but a look into the relationship of the desert fathers of 4th century Egypt with Scripture reveals a much more integrated and living approach to the Sacred Text.

We find in them not a mere monastic method of studying Scripture, but a living engagement with the Word of God which applies to every Christian in love with his Lord.

The sermon begins with a reflection on the appalling Old Testament deeds and our presumed place i... more The sermon begins with a reflection on the appalling Old Testament deeds and our presumed place in the New Testament. Are we really as bad as the Old Testament figures St. Andrew of Crete rubs our faces in during the first week of Lent in the Orthodox Church? Yes we are, and that’s why we have to stop hiding sin or blaming it on other people.

A summary of a 14th century Orthodox saint's engagement with Islam and specific verses from the K... more A summary of a 14th century Orthodox saint's engagement with Islam and specific verses from the Koran challenging the legitimacy of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.

The senior class pilgrimage of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology started several years... more The senior class pilgrimage of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology started several years ago primarily as a means to teach the Greek language in a study abroad program to Greece. Since then, it has expanded to include other pilgrimage sites which enrich graduating students’ vision of the Orthodox Christian world. I am privileged to be a part of this year’s group of 25 pilgrims— male and female, clergy and lay, married and monastic— all on a journey ending in the Queen of cities, Constantinople, to meet with His All Holiness Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch.The following is a travelogue of our adventures along with spiritual reflections inspired by those places.

This book review intends to bring out the mystery in M. Craig Barnes' new book. Many of his state... more This book review intends to bring out the mystery in M. Craig Barnes' new book. Many of his statements about pastoral theology strike a resonant chord with Orthodox Christian theology as he discusses the relationship between the pastor, his flock and God.

Not rejecting the ancient images of priest, prophet, and king, Barnes wishes to employ another useful image to describe the work of a pastor, that of a minor poet. Though very much focused on sermon making as the pinnacle of the 'poetry' which the pastor writes, Barnes nevertheless hits upon many surprisingly liturgical elements to the pastor-flock relationship.

In the present essay, I attempt to unpack the soteriological implications of John Calvin's classi... more In the present essay, I attempt to unpack the soteriological implications of John Calvin's classic five points and compare/contrast them with the Orthodox doctrine of synergy. The latter doctrine is portrayed with the image of a divine dance, while the former Calvinistic soteriology is often portrayed as a frozen and predetermined choice.

In the epilogue, I express the wish to find in Calvin's theology certain Christological implications which seem necessarily to follow from his frozen soteriology, viz. tendencies toward either Nestorianism or Monophysitism.

Taking St. Ignatius' classic axiom, "Where the bishop is, there is the Catholic Church," Metropol... more Taking St. Ignatius' classic axiom, "Where the bishop is, there is the Catholic Church," Metropolitan John Zizioulas attempts to return the three words in his book's title to their original definitions.

He contends that the unity in the Early Church around the bishop consisted less in the agreement over doctrine as it did unity around the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Zizioulas unpacks the massive implications of his Eucharistic ecclesiology in the modern West where the rule of law and agreement over the precise wording of doctrine seem more important than relationship.

In the conclusion, I show how this modified view is having a profound impact on the ecclesiastical crisis confronting the modern Episcopal/Anglican Church.

In this commencement address for St. Herman of Alaska Christian school, I argue that education is... more In this commencement address for St. Herman of Alaska Christian school, I argue that education is ultimately life and not a carefully controlled scientific experiment conducted under the strictly regulated confines of a public school laboratory.

My image for this is "coloring outside the bubble", a specifically educational adaptation of the classic business metaphor of "thinking outside the box". It is ultimately a tribute to the educational advances of a school to whom I owe so much of my academic formation.

More at www.sainthermanschool.org.

This essay examines the theological and pastoral implications around the ever changing policy of ... more This essay examines the theological and pastoral implications around the ever changing policy of open communion and the nuances behind the traditional policy of closed communion.