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Vassiliadis B. Petros, Orthodoxy at the Crossroads, “Church-Society-Ecumene” series, num. 4, Paratiritis publ. Thessaloniki 1992, 216 pages.

In the present volume Petros Vassiliadis presents to the Greek reading public eight studies, results of his personal concern about central issues regarding Orthodoxy in this crucial point in history, the beginning of the 1990s.

In the studies “Orthdoxy and Hellenism at the Crossroads”, “Orthodoxy and the West: The Introduction of Western Spirit in the Orthodox World” and “Orthodoxy and Islam” the author attempts an analysis of the dialectic relationship between Orthodoxy and Hellenism in the New Hellenic reality, with the West ahead of European unification in the European Union, but also with Islam which in this period attempts to make its presence felt dynamically in the international sphere, particularly though in Western European countries, in a period of general religious renaissance.

While addressing the above, with his article “Orthodox Theology at the Beginning of the 21^st Century”, Vassiliadis attempts a synoptic approach of particularities and characteristic features of Orthodox Theology. Within this context he analyses the concepts of tradition, the triadic basis, pneumatology, the eschatological perspective of the Church, the significance of the theology of icons and the secular dimension of Orthodox theology.

In the article “Perspectives of Helladic Theology. Events and Trends in the Decade of the 1980s – Visions for the Decade of the 1990s” there is an analysis of the most important theological issues of the corresponding period.

The remaining articles address certain determinant issues of Orthodox identity, such as the deeper meaning of tradition (“Tradition and Freedom According to Saint Paul”), the nature of the liturgical dimension and the concept of sacraments (“Revelation and Liturgy”, “The Theological Comprehension of Sacraments in the Gospel According to John”) on the basis of biblical and liturgical tradition.

Vassiliadis Petros, Lex Orandi. Liturgical Theology and Liturgical Renewal, Idiomela series, Indiktos Publ., Athens, 2005, pp. 306.

It is explained in the book that Lex Orandi means “canon of prayer”, and, as mentioned in the introduction, the canon of prayer, that is Christian worship, determines the canon of faith, the Christian dogma and the belief of the Christian Church. In the same perspective, cultural anthropology highlights worship as a dynamic expression of human communities and important cultural expression. Common worship always determines the identity of a community and in the Christian Church this function is performed by the Eucharistic gathering.

            Since “Christianity is a liturgical religion” and “the Church is primarily a worshiping communion” according to the outstanding Orthodox Theologian of the 20^th century Fr. Georges Florovsky, Vassiliadis stresses that the basic prerequisite of “liturgical theology” is to place the “experience” ahead of the “word”, of the “theology” in its classical sense, viz to commit into words, to notions, the ecclesiastical worshiping experience. Therefore, liturgical theology which deals with worship in the Church, is an important, not a lesser branch of theologising.

            However, it is pointed out that because of Biblicist influences on the liturgical practice of the Eastern Orthodox Church, the ecclesiological criteria are befogged and the Church gradually transforms into a “religion”, while its worshiping experience gets confused with magical ceremonies.

            Due to the above, there is a need of a “liturgical renewal”, which according to the author “does not seek to modernise traditional liturgical ceremonies, but to return the ecclesiastical community to its ontological hypostasis, and only secondarily seek authentic and ecclesiologically correct liturgical practice. The aim of the liturgical renaissance is for common worship, and mainly the Holy Eucharist, to express authentically the “being” of the Church”.

            The Church is the sum of the believers that have been called upon by Christ to become “the people of God” (“liturgy=people+work), and not a new religion. The place and the way this occurs is Holy Eucharist, which is not a ceremony as a foretype of ancient mystery ceremonies, but an eschatological “gathering” of faithful, which reveals to the world and history the loving sociability of the Holy Trinity.

            However, parallel to this “Eucharistic spirituality”, Vassiliadis finds the development of a “therapeutic spirituality” of an individualistic character, fraudulently pious and without regard to history, which favours the sacramentalistic-magical notion of liturgy. The evolution of therapeutic spirituality is characterised by a “judicial outlook to worship”, in which worship functions as a medium for dealing with specific religious needs: the needs for the leadership of the Church to exercise control and power over its members, and the needs of individual persons for personal sanctification.

            In contrast, the validation of worship which rises from the Eucharistic and eschatological approach is “communal”. Here, worship leads to the realisation of communion relationships between the members of the ecclesiastical body, discouraging hierarchical distinctions and even individualistic fraudulent piety. The Church cannot be institutionalised as a worshiping organisation, but is revealed as a charismatic communion and way of life.

            The author stresses the need for participation of the whole of the people of God in Church activity. The variety of charismata and ministries of men and women, the ecclesiastical body, must be energised. Then, from this “renewed” function of the Church derives the Christian mission and martyrdom, the opening of the Church to the world, the “Liturgy after the Liturgy”. Secular society must not be viewed with hostility according to such an approach to mission, or to allow bigoted, anti-foreign and fanatical behaviours on the part of the body of the Church. The above demand the employment of common everyday language by the Church, in worship as well as in its preaching. 

Vassiliadis B. Petros (ed.) Orthodox Theology and Ecumenical Dialogue, Holy Synod of the Church of Greece – Synodal Committee for Inter-orthodox and Inter-christian Relations, Apostoliki Diakonia publ., Athens 2005, 384 pages.

The present publication contains brief theological analyses and a problematic on the perspective of ecumenical dialogue. It is fruit of a collective effort by three institutions: The Church of Greece, the Theological School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the World Council of Churches. The material was presented at the international academic symposium organised by the Theological School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 2003, under the theme: “Orthodox Theology and Ecumenical Dialogue: Problems and Perspectives”.

The Archbishop of Athens and the Whole of Greece Mr. Christodoulos underlines the position of the Orthodox Church, which pursues theological dialogue.

I. Tarnanidis refers to the attempt of academic theologians to contribute to the promotion of dialogue conducted by the Orthodox Church.

K. Raiser refers to the importance of Orthodox theological contribution in the life and discussions within the World Council of Churches.

G. Lemopoulos underlines the need for theological schools to contribute and support dialogue, so that it remains current.

The next three studies, by the Metropolitan Kalavryta Amvrosios, the Russian Bishop of Vienna Ilarion and Ch. Stamoulis, refer to new perspectives for Orthodox participation in the World Council of Churches, through proposals by the Special Committee for Orthodox participation in the Council.

The study by J. Kourebeles refers to the working text of the Department “Faith and Order” of the World Council of Churches on the issue “Nature and the Aims of the Church”, stressing the importance for the Council’s resumption of research on serious ecclesiological issues.

                 N. Papageorgiou based on the NT models of Martha and Maria deals with the place and role of woman in the Orthodox Church examining the dilemma: depreciation or equality? She stresses that the balance between the charismatic and the institutional element has to be discovered, so that women are first restored in the conscience of ecclesiastical body and then practice the role that is suitable for them.

N. Matsoukas examines the thorny question of the ordination of women, mainly pointing out that the two thousand tradition of not ordaining women did never find an articulation relevant to the theological or dogmatic teaching, and substantiating the decay of the current theological arguments adduced against female priesthood and very often, female nature.

P.Bouteneffdeals with the subject of common prayer with Christians coming from other traditions pointing out that the base on which the Orthodox participation in such kind of prayers is founded, is related to the theological/ecclesiological perception of the existence of a Christian reality even outside the canonical boundaries of the Orthodox Church, without accepting the well-known theory of sectors. He also points out and discusses the canonical, ecclesiological and practical issues that emerge from the Orthodox participation in common prayer.

Anna Marie Aagaardfocuses on important aspects of common prayer, pointing out the changes befell with the passage from modernity to post-modernity.

Th. Yangkou refers to the issue of common prayer, this time from the Canon Law perspective, offering patristic texts that prohibit or allow common prayer, and also underlining the discreet and sensitive pastoral attitude that the Orthodox Church  adopted regarding this question.

Fr. Emmanuel Clapsis connects ecumenical dialogue with the social presence of the Church and its witness in the civil society, while I. Petrou, from a social analyst perspective, critically analyses the reasons why the intervention of the Churches-members of WCC in contemporary society, is in many cases inefficient.

The papers offered by Metropolitan of DiamettiAnbaBishoyand Prof. Georgios Martzelos refer to various aspects of the Dialogue between Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches, as well as in historical, theological, pastoral and canonical issues in the way of the restoration of full communion.

The text of the bishopJohan Bonny refers to the work, difficulties, achievements and challenges of the Joint Committee of Theological Dialogue between the Roman-Catholic and the Orthodox Church, while Prof. Vassiliadis, continuing on this same issue, taking into consideration the problems and prospects, he extends the discussion based on the dipole of eucharistic and universal ecclesiology.

In the end of the book, the Annex includes: a) the Final text of the Special Committee on the Orthodox participation in the WCC, b) the study document of Faith and Order of WCC on the nature and purpose of the Church, c) a critical annotation of the previously-mentioned document, and d) the final program, the final communice and a Letter-call to the hierarchy of the Orthodox Churches of Georgia and Bulgaria.

Vassiliadis Petros, Grace – Communion – Diaconia. The Social Character of the Pauline programme of Logia (Introduction and Interpretational memorandum to B’ Cor. 8-9), “Biblical Library” series no. 2, Pournaras publications, Thessaloniki 2002, pp. 324.

P. Vassiliadis carries studies and analyses the social dimension of the theological teaching and the multifaceted actions of Apostle Paul and in particular the Pauline program of logia (collections for the poor). 

            The book is divided in two parts. The first part, which is introductory, looks at the practice of logia. In this context initially there is an analysis of the issue of logia in the New Testament in two directions,  a presentation of the course of international research and the New Testament facts in relation to logia. Then follows an examination of parallel religious and social phenomena of Paul’s era and finally there is an examination of the unity of chapters 8 and 9 of Cor B’ in relation to Pauline correspondence with the Church of Corinth.

            The second part of the study is the most extensive, constituted by a hermeneutical paper on B’Cor. 8-9. The author then moves on with the annotation of ch. *, which is an autonomous part of the debate on logia in Cor. B’. and in effect its a letter of recommendation from Paul to the Christians of Corinth. In this part the author presents Pauline views on the ideal of equidistribution of material goods, which the Apostle developed on the basis of Jesus’ example.

            Chapter B’ Cor. 9 also constitutes an autonomous entity in the Cor. B’. Vassiliadis annotates the chapter, in which Paul attempts to convince the Corinthians not simply to participate in the program of the logia, but to behave generously and goodheartedly, since logia is considered essentially a form of worship to God.

            Through his hermeneutical study, Vassiliadis concludes that the Pauline program of logia was mainly of a social nature, that is to say it was the social response of God’s people to the new world introduced through the coming of Christ and aimed at equidistribution and communion of material goods, and claims that the thenceforth rise of Christianity was underpinned by this realistic Pauline solution.