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Atmatzidis Charalabos, The Meaning of Glory in the Pauline Theology, Pournaras Press, 2001, pp. 702.

            The study is searching the meaning of the term ‘glory’ in Pauline theology and Paul’s tendency to conform or to develop the meaning of Glory depending on the prevalent conditions concerning the partial Christian communities and the problems he faces and tries to solve in them.

            In the introduction the author analyzes the target and the method of the study. The historic-critical and rhetorical methods are used for the analysis of the texts. The study is divided in three chapters. In the first chapter, Atmatzidis investigates the meaning of the term in the Old Testament texts, in the second chapter in I Epistle to Thessalonians, I and II Epistle to the Corinthians, to the Philippians and to the Romans and in his last chapter to the Epistle to Colossians and Ephesians.

            From the research it is concluded that Paul suits the meaning of the term ‘glory’ in his epistles accordingly to the concrete social and religious circumstances.

            In this way, he retains the Old Testament, God centered meaning of the term in I Thessalonians. In I Corinthians he differentiates himself connecting the term with Christ and resurrection. In 2 Corinthians, the reflection of the Divine Glory to Paul is emphasized and for the first time it is also pointed out the present and gradual human glorification. Christ is also related to light. Paul comes back to the traditional aspect of the future human glorification in his epistles to the Philippians and Romans. Besides, he defines for the first time that the man is transformed and becomes similar in form (σύμμορφος) to the Glory of Christ. Paul mentions all the stages of human salvation. Atmatzidis points out that in Colossians Christ is brought out as the hope of glory that saves and will always save the people. In Ephesians it is stressed that God, the Father of  Glory, offers salvation in the glorious church and He is superior to the glorious pagan deities (Diana, emperor).

            The study closes with final conclusions, a rich catalogue of bibliography, index of biblical references, index of names and subjects and summary in English.

Nikolai Berdyaev, Divine and Human: The Existential Dialectics of Relationships, transl.-preface-comments by Prodromos P. Antoniadis, P. Pournaras Publ., Thessaloniki 1971, pp. 279.

This book includes a preface, some biographical information about Berdyaev and introductory comments by the translator, as well as a preface by the author himself. In the first chapter Berdyaev notes the simultaneous crisis of the non-Christian and the Christian world and the need for a critique of Christian Revelation correspondent to the critique of the clear word by Kant. In the second chapter he takes on the dialectics of the divine and the human, as formed in German thought (Luther, the Mystics, Idealism etc.), as well as the importance of the particular case of Nietzsche. He calls for a dynamic comprehension of God through the dialectic teaching of the Holy Trinity.

            To the natural and necessary motion and evolution of the world he counters spiritual recreation as synergy between God and human beings and the perspective of a new era of the Spirit and the Revelation. In the next two chapters he approaches existentially and theologically fear-agony and pain-anguish and expresses the motto “I suffer therefore I am”. In the sixth chapter he offers extensive analyses about evil, which can be overcome by the perspective of Christ, in the resurrection of life and the transformation of the world. Here he expresses his view about the uncreated freedom and rejects the idea of hell. In the seventh chapter he addresses the problem of war as metaphysical and in the eighth he locates what is human in its likeness to God, in a God-humanity where liberty and grace come together as they appear to the every person.

            Spirituality and in particular Christian spirituality becomes a struggle of people, as liberty and meaning, not as acceptance of the Spirit. The tenth chapter refers to the beauty not only as aesthetics but also as metaphysical category, while the eleventh chapter under the title “Immortality” includes Berdyaev’s eschatological soul-searching, which continues in the next chapter, “Messianism and History”, where he expresses the view that the Kingdom of God is external to historical reality, and the Church stands within history as a symbol of this. In the thirteenth chapter there is wider development of his notion of a new Revelation as a religion of the Spirit and in the last chapter he specifies that the time of the end, of the utmost, will be a time of a new creation, divine and human.

Berdiaev Nikolai, Christianity and Social Reality, transl. Vasilis T. Youltsis, P. Pournaras Publ., Thessaloniki, 1986, pp. 252.

After the translator and author’s preface, the first chapter of the book takes an in-depth look and a critical approach to Marxism. It examines its philosophical roots in the German idealism of Fichte and Hegel, the materialist view of history as a basic idea of Marxism, the critique of Feuerbach and Marx on religion as the opium of the masses and a means of exploitation and finally there is mention of the contradictions of Marxism.

            In the second chapter titled “The Religion of Marxism” the concept of proletarian messianism is developed and then follows a critique of the view that religion and particularly Christianity is a private affair. In the third chapter, while the author accepts class struggle as a fact, however, he offers a multi-level critique on the one-sidedness, dogmatism and contradictions of Marxist theory. According to Berdyaev Christianity ought to condemn exploitation of people by people and of class by class, to undertake supporting the oppressed and, against capitalism and communism, to make the economy serve people, not the opposite. The Christian Church must reverse views that it does not deal with social problems, ought to bring forth the spiritual dimensions of social problems.

            The fourth chapter counters the accusation against Christianity that it preaches passiveness to people directing them to God’s help for all their problems. On the contrary, Berdyaev claims that Christianity is a religion that leads to the interpretation of history as a dynamic course towards a higher purpose and which calls on humans to the active practice of justice. Humans ought to be creators in the image of the creator God.

            The last chapter of the book looks at the failures of Christians themselves to realize the high purposes of the Christian Gospel, but also thinks that Christianity cannot be judged by external facts. Finally, the author expresses the wish that Christians may stop raising obstacles in Christianity’s path.