I found the articles on Dr. David Bradshaw’s homepage to be quite enlightening, and I thought that I would bring them to the attention of the readers of this blog:
Steven Todd Kaster
A Great Website
April 30, 2007
23 Comments | 
Absolute Divine Simplicity, Church Fathers, Essence/Energies, Website | 
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Posted by apotheoun
Not Yet Ecumenical
April 21, 2007For the past few months, Fr. Kimel over at Pontifications and Michael Liccone at his blog have launched a number of posts aimed at Orthodoxy. For the most part I have ignored them since they make no significant advance in the discussion. Recently, Fr. Kimel criticized the construal of the Latin doctrine of Original Sin given by a few Orthodox theologians.
I wanted to address these series of posts later, but given the current tone and Fr. Kimel’s decision to derride Orthodox commentators with ad hominem’s and to ban specific people, I am taking the time now to address the most recent two posts.
For whatever reason, Fr. Kimel got a bird up some bodily opening to go on some critical crusade regarding Orthodoxy and Original Sin. I don’t know why because neither Daniel nor I have been very active in the last few months on his blog. Due to illness and personal duties I haven’t been active in the blogsphere hardly at all. In any case, it seems rather strange to poke the Orthodox and then complain that they proded back.
77 Comments | 
Augustine, Original Sin, Person and Nature | 
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Posted by Perry Robinson
Lutherans! and Calvinists! and Catholics! Oh My! pt. 2
April 18, 2007Drew Johnson (I don’t know if this is the same Drew who posted regardingChemnitz or not) who is a convert from Orthodoxy to Catholicism responded to some comments I made over at Pontifications (comment 57). Since Fr. Kimel has shut down the comments I am taking the opportunity to respond to his comments here.
While it may be true that Newman’s theory of development of doctrine is consistent, Orthodox will simply deny the truth of the premises necessary to imply that it is cogent. The dogmas and practices that you will cite as supporting data, the Orthodox by and large will deny and argue that they do fit Vincent’s canon.
And no, the East did not follow Origen. This is to say that Origen was widely influential but the latter does not imply the former. Origen’s influence, sincere as he personally was, was t he root of most of the major Christological controversies and later Augustine’s’ predestinarianism. Arius is therefore a more consistent follower of Origen than Athanasius, and much the same can be said for Eunomius over against Gregory of Nyssa. Read the rest of this entry »
38 Comments | 
Dialectic and Theological Method, Lutheranism, Platonism | 
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Posted by Perry Robinson
Lutherans! and Calvinists! and Catholics! Oh My! Pt. 1
April 16, 2007To begin responding to some of my critics, I am going way back to the blog entry, “A Heterodox Two-fer” where I quoted from a well known Lutheran text which explicates Lutheran anthropology. Drew posted long citations from Chemnitz arguing that my worry that while Lutheranism does a better job with key Patristic concepts like energia, it ends up botching it and is Eutychian, was mistaken.
I place first the strongest argument I have from the selections he provided. I think there are others but I thinik these will be sufficient.
“But we have already replied to this objection by pointing out that an essential or natural communication of the divine attributes does not take place; but just as the divine essence is communicated to the assumed nature by the personal union, so also its attributes are communicated to the assumed nature by the dispensation of the union, as we have explained at length.” (Martin Chemnitz, The Two Natures in Christ, p. 306)
Now, here I am interested in the sentence “but just as the divine essence is communicated to the assumed nature by the personal union…” This doesn’t seem right on its face for the divine essence is not communicated to the humanity of Christ. I can’t think of any Orthodox writer who would speak this way.
3 Comments | Absolute Divine Simplicity, Essence/Energies, Lutheranism, The Incarnation | Permalink
Posted by Perry Robinson
A Strange Dog Indeed
April 13, 2007For those of you who don’t know, one of the things I used to do was work for the Christian Research Institute once headed up by the late Walter Martin and now ursurrped by Hank Hannagraaf. Since Hank’s take over of CRI there have been a number of employee purges and financial scandals. The daughter of the late Dr. Martin is Jill Rische with whom I became acquainted by our common interest in deposing the fraud and fiend, Hank. Recently, Jill took a shot at Craig Hazen of Biola University, an evangelical school in my old stomping grounds of Orange County, California. It seems that Hazen not only attended, spoke at, but also prayed at a LDS-Evangelical joint meeting praying jointly with the LDS (aka Mormons).
Jill then took a good deal of heat from some not so unnoteworthy evangelicals for her comments as well as a noteworthy LDS philosopher and apologist. Apart from my personal friendship with her, I happen to think for the most part, she is in the right and so below is my apologia in her defense.
Why would this be any concern of readers of Energetic Procession? Well for some time the LDS have been trying to piggy back on the Orthodox doctrine of theosis and claiming, rather loudly, that they have restored the teaching of the Apostles. The argument has been made by them to remove the claim of heresy regarding their doctrine of deification. “See, Athanasius, Cyril and Co. believed we can become gods and they aren’t heretics, so we aren’t either.” Needless to say, anyone seriously familiar with the Orthodox view knows that this is, let me employ the academic technical term, bullshit. (And yes, since Harry Frankfurt of Princeton has now coined the term it is a term of art.)
It is important that the Orthodox engage the LDS heterodox views to make it clear what we are and not saying, especially when we wish to call Latins back to the faith of the Fathers, and Jesus Christ.
19 Comments | Church Fathers, Eastern Orthodox, Theosis/Deification | Permalink
Posted by Perry Robinson
Fr. Thomas Hopko
April 11, 2007Fr. Thomas Hopko will be speaking at my parish, St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, in Saint Louis, MO on April 21st. The Seminar sponsored by Orthodox Witness runs from 8am on Saturday to 3pm. The topic is, “Why A Crucified Messiah?”
Seminar includes continental breakfast and lunch. The seminar ends with Vespers at 2:30pm.
Pre-Registration fee is $10 and $8 for students. Walk in Registration is $12 and $10 for students. Free parking is available at the Barnes Jewish Hospital parking on Laclede Ave validated in the Church.
Send funds and inquiries to:
Katherine Sharos
204 Grand Banks Ct.
Chesterfield, MO 63017
or call 314 579 9151
If you have any specific questions, feel free to email Perry Robinson (that’s me) and I will direct you accordingly. I will be attending myself so if there are any Energetic Procession readers planning on going that would like to hook up and chat, please let me know. There are a number of suitable places to chat after the seminar. Besides, St. Nicholas is pretty church.
11 Comments | Personal | Permalink
Posted by Perry Robinson
Something Light and Weird
April 9, 2007In the mean time while I work on finishing my collective response to the ecumenical crussaders, here is something light and weird. First, I hope everyone enjoyed Pascha and is continuing to do so, since Pascha continues for some time. I know I enjoy reading, let alone participating in the Liturgies of Holy Week. The rich language stirs my devotion.
So, I am in line on Saturday evening for the Eucharist. The smell of lamb is starting to pour into the gymnasium (we have the liturgy in the gym because the church isn’t large enough to fit all of the once a year people). Ho hum. As usual I am trying to keep my thoughts directed and under control with my eyes to the floor or something near enough. I hear in front of me people discussing what to do to partake of the Eucharist. “Say your name and then do this…” And I think to myself, “That is rather strange.” So I look up.
29 Comments | Divine Mysteries, Personal | Permalink
Posted by Perry Robinson
I Need Somebody, Help!
April 4, 2007Ok, I can build my own PC, but that doesn’t mean I can figure everything else out. So any of you tech-heads out there, can you give me a hand?
Currently, it is not possible for me or my readers to copy text from the blog. It makes it a pain to respond to multiple comments in one fell swoop. Does anyone have any suggestions?
13 Comments | Personal | Permalink
Posted by Perry Robinson
