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Synoro, Eros and Marriage, Issue 34, (1965), 85 pages.

             The tribute to love and marriage of Synoro journal opens with the study of T. Zannis with the title “To mysterio touto mega esti: comment on the service of marriage”. As stated in the title, there is a historical presentation of the service of marriage and a step by step interpretation with the guidance of the prayer book. Next in the issue comes a note - free annotation of poet N.D. Karouzos on Eph. 5:20-33. In his poetic note, Karouzos proposes to “spiritually listen” for the approach of high notions such as in the text of Paul in which love and sacrifice play a principle role but also in the high art such as in the work of Bach.

             D. Chios gives us the third study “The mystery of man and woman”, an interpretation based on the biblical and patristic theology regarding the problem of division of humanity in sexes. Chios understands the division as a presupposition of freedom for the human being, which freely develops relation with the opposite sex and with God but also sees the love of man for woman as an image of the loving relation of God with humanity.

             The fourth study “Eros and celibacy: the drama of an unloved Christianity” is signed by Chr. Yannaras. He distinguishes between the virginity as parallel to marriage, since both begin from the divine love and celibacy as the consequence of a “dedication” to God aiming at the achievement of work as this is found in the western Christian tradition. This subject occupied Greek reality due to the spread of church organizations and is confronted from an orthodox viewpoint by the writer in this study that focuses on love as pre-condition of the meeting of persons (social work) and with God.

             An extract with the title “The secret elaboration of the erotic element in Clontel’s theatre” of T.K. Papatsonis from his essay “Ek Vosor: oper esti sarkos” continues the issue. In it Papatsonis seeks the causes of over passing the deeper theological content of the work of this great writer. Papatsonis realizing that in Greece there is a difficulty in accepting western mystical theology seeks its presence in three theatrical works of Clontel believing that he exceeds the great western mystics.

             D. Konstantinos Christodoulou presents the synopsis of the work of the Russian philosopher V. Soloviov “The meaning of love” in which love appears as the counterpoise of selfishness and individualism and disconnects sexuality from bringing up children while at the same time the possibility of genuine love, that should be distinguished by its forfeitures, is sought.

             D. G. Kourtesis selects thoughts of N.A. Berdiayeff on sexuality, eros and love.

What follows is the publication of poems of M. Mounte, P. Alexandros and E. Mainas, the short stories “In the park” of T. Romanos and “With the elavatos” of K. Chiotelli. The comments in “Epikera”, bookreviews and the critique on theatre close this issue of Synoro.

Synoro, Atheism in contemporary world, issue 35, (1965), 74 pages.

             Five studies with regard to contemporary atheism are published in this issue of Synoro. Olivier Clement seeks in the second part under the title “Atheism, a means of purification?”, of the specifically written for the magazine of study “The complex of sadist father”, certain theological roots of the phenomenon of contemporary atheism, in other words alterations of Christianity. He examines specifically its appearance as religion of law and punishment, which were identified with it in the mind of many intellectuals and led them far from faith.      

 Dina Kouroukli in the second study “Contemporary opinions for atheism” deals with the causes and appearances of contemporary atheism such as the weakness of equitable comprehension of the root (substance) of the religious phenomenon, the indifference of contemporary person toward the fundamental questions on human existence and the general confrontation of it in a characteristic resilience, the disappointment from the degraded religiosity that leads to refusal and agnosticism (Sartre). In the end of her exceptional study the writer finds the solution in the personal search and finding of truth by the contemporary person instead of the passive acceptance of anything offered “eksothen” (from outside).

             The third study by Chr. Yannaras deals with the theology of hell and the fall as it is revealed mainly in contemporary western art. Contemporary art, a lamentation of deprival of the contemporary person from the absence of God, is faced in this text as a positive point in relation to Christian moralist word for the new appearance of the prophetic word that goes through a chronic crisis.

             P. Evdokimov in the next study attempts a detection of philosophical weakness in completing a theory of atheism. Even though philosophy constitutes the space of birth and expression of atheistic word, in reality it does not argue the refusal of faith in the context of concrete system but it is based on the philosophical confrontation of sociological character of phenomena that abstains from real faith. The way out of Eydokimov’s reflection on the causes of contemporary atheism and of the ground on which its forms are based are summarized in the phrase “the big danger for Christianity today does not emanate from atheism but from ignorance, indifference, mediocrity of Christians”.

             Atheism as inter-ecclesiastic question, since it appears when the ecclesiastical criterion of truth is disregarded to the benefit of “religiosity”, is examined in the short last passage by Martin Jordan. He summarizes the regard on atheism of all the writers in this issue, who refer to the phenomenon of contemporary atheism as if it constitutes the obligatory presence of a reason so that the weaknesses of philosophical acceptance of the existence of God as well as the absence of terms of theory of the constantly revealed God “in Church” are covered.

The issue is completed with the interesting travelogue of Nikos Zias in the temples of Serbia which he examines from the architectural and iconographical point of view. Moreover we find two literary notes by E. Dambouneli, an autobiographic text of F. Kontoglou on the occasion of his repose (1965), two poems of Archbishop of Australia Stylianos Charkianakis and a short story of Matthew Mounte. The permanent column Comments closes the issue with reports on new publications, correspondence and annotation of articles of past issues.

Synoro, Icon and depicting, issue 36, (1965), 65 pages.

             This issue is dedicated to the icon and its depicting, as it is announced in the title, but also includes essays in the memory of F. Kontoglou, T.S. Eliot, Clontel and Boumber. As far as the first part is concerned, there is a short historical retrospection from the period of the Old Testament up to the period of the establishment of the depiction of holy persons in the Christian world, signed by prof. I.N. Theodorakopoulos titled “Icon”.

             The iconologist and iconographer L. Ouspenski continues with his study (especially written for Synoro) titled “Thoughts for the future of iconography”. The preeminent professor distinguishes ecclesiastic painting from the other forms of church art, since its dogmatic character, as it was illustrated by the 7^th Ecumenical Council, imposes its special honor next to the Cross and to the Gospel which does not happen in the case of ecclesiastic wood carving or the art of interwovening with gold. Then he develops his arguments in favor of the use of “iconographic style”, as he calls the Byzantine style of painting, from the part of Orthodox Church, in relation to the “artistic and realistic style”, as he calls the western iconographic tradition. The text does not hesitate to attribute to a period of decline, the coexistence after the 18^th century of the two styles in certain Orthodox temples.

             The painter Al. Kontopoulos continues with the study “The importance of poetic icon” in which he examines the aesthetic function of the Icon and he considers it as being harmonized with the highest poetic creative need of man.

             Chr. Yannaras signs the last study of the issue in which he identifies the denial of image (person), the iconoclasts, with pietism and conservatism in Christianity.

             Four poems by E. Mainas and M. Mounte separate the first part of the magazine, dedicated to the icon from the second part, dedicated to the memory of important intellectual persons. Papatsonis dedicates his text to the poetry of T.P. Eliot. N. Karouzos then writes on the occasion of the repose of F. Kontoglou his text “F. Kontoglou: the Orthodox” considering that what the great author made, that is writing, iconography, poetry etc. emanated from the great root he had in him, Orthodoxy. G. Theotokas writes for the poet Clontel and Peter Levi S.J. writes for Eliot the text “The death of poets: memory of T.S. Eliot”.

             D. Stathopoulos makes a very short report on Martin Buber, Jewish philosopher, scientist of religion and sociologist.

The issue is completed with the extracts from the book of Virgil Georgky “From the twenty Fifth hour to the hour of eternity” and the short stories “Chromatic Way” of Keti Chiotelli and “Earth” by N. D. Dimitriadou.

             The issue closes with the column Comments and two book reviews.