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Religiosity and Spirituality in the Orthodox Church Today
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Religiosity and Spirituality in the Orthodox Church Today

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 November 2022) | Viewed by 19381

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Cristian-Sebastian Sonea

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of the Orthodox Theology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Str. Mihail Kogălniceanu, No. 1, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: missiology; religious studies; ecumenism; theology and culture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Orthodox Church has a 2000-year history during which it witnessed the glory of the Byzantine Empire and the Tsarist Empire, but also suffered persecutions under the Ottoman Empire, and later on, the communist regime. Today, the Orthodox Church is made up of a fellowship/community of local churches that can be found mostly in traditionally Orthodox spaces (such as Eastern Europe or Southeast Europe), but also sometimes in territories that historically belonged to the Western Church (constituting the Orthodox diaspora), as well as in completely new territories such as North or South America or East Africa, where due to the Orthodox missions from the 19th and 20th century new communities were formed. This is a very general outline of what constitutes the global image of the Orthodox Church today, a church that is called to offer answers to extremely diverse challenges. Thus, the purpose of this issue is to discuss the religious and spiritual dynamics in the Orthodox Church in all these contexts and to discover the relationship between the unchangeable theology of the Church and the way religiosity is experienced in all these different contexts, as well as what the social relevance of the Church is today and what the place or nature of the Orthodox spirituality can be in a secularized or post-secularized context.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the guest editors ([email protected]) or to Religions editorial office ([email protected]). Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

Prof. Dr. Cristian-Sebastian Sonea
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • religiosity
  • secularization
  • Christian witness
  • spirituality
  • diaspora
  • inculturation

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 293 KiB  
Article
Loneliness, Solitude, Community: Insights from the Apophthegmata Patrum
by Paul Siladi
Religions 2023, 14(3), 295; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14030295 - 22 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1697
Abstract
The present article provides an urban reading of the Apophthegmata Patrum, in the broader context of the rediscovery and re-evaluation of monastic spirituality by and for the laity. On the one hand, the 21st century is considered to be the age of [...] Read more.
The present article provides an urban reading of the Apophthegmata Patrum, in the broader context of the rediscovery and re-evaluation of monastic spirituality by and for the laity. On the one hand, the 21st century is considered to be the age of loneliness; on the other hand, loneliness defined the lives of the desert fathers, albeit its nuance was different. The wisdom of these elders could be a cure for contemporary loneliness, or, at least give us a set of models to navigate our loneliness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religiosity and Spirituality in the Orthodox Church Today)
17 pages, 461 KiB  
Article
Theology, Witness, and Spirituality in a Post-Secularized Historical Context
by Evi Voulgaraki-Pissina
Religions 2023, 14(2), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020179 - 29 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2690
Abstract
Religion and spirituality are seen to be making a comeback since the 1990s and increasingly thereafter in the European context. However, traditional forms of Christianity are diminishing, while other types of religion take the lead. An increasing number of voices are being raised [...] Read more.
Religion and spirituality are seen to be making a comeback since the 1990s and increasingly thereafter in the European context. However, traditional forms of Christianity are diminishing, while other types of religion take the lead. An increasing number of voices are being raised among Christians, calling for a re-evangelization of society. Nevertheless, there is some skepticism about such activism against the backdrop of plurality, human rights, and freedom, regarding not only issues of political correctness but also considering the question of efficacy. While spirituality abounds, even among conscientious Orthodox Christians, there is still a need for theology. Even among Orthodox Christians, spirituality is mainly linked with a withdrawal from the world, history, and the political, often taking a ritualistic character expressed in religious acts of pietism through habits and customs. This is unfair to the historical and liberating physiognomy of the Orthodox Christian faith, as it does not differ much from other types of new age religious movements. In order to foster Christian witness amidst the desert of post-modern cities, one must rediscover theology. Theology, centered around the Gospel and the patristic tradition, can contribute vital missing elements and does justice to the Incarnation of pre-eternal Logos, to the Resurrection, and to the fulfillment of life. Unless Christians grow in their understanding of theology and the world around us, there will be only mirages of spirituality that take the place of a spirituality derived from faith and its incisiveness and meaningfulness for life today. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religiosity and Spirituality in the Orthodox Church Today)
14 pages, 289 KiB  
Article
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from a Romanian Orthodox Perspective: A Historical and Missiological Analysis of Common Prayer
by Doru Marcu
Religions 2023, 14(2), 163; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020163 - 28 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1308
Abstract
Every year, the member Churches of the World Council of Churches (WCC) are called to actively participate in the meetings organized in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. From my perspective, these moments are an extraordinary opportunity to share in the richness [...] Read more.
Every year, the member Churches of the World Council of Churches (WCC) are called to actively participate in the meetings organized in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. From my perspective, these moments are an extraordinary opportunity to share in the richness of the Orthodox tradition, which means an act of confession and authentic witness. In the first part, I will present critically the canonical synthesis of the Orthodox, the concept of “Ecumenical Eucharist” and of Lima Liturgy, followed by the recommendations of the Special Commission for Orthodox participation in the WCC regarding confessional and interconfessional common prayer. Then, this article will make a historical presentation of the week of prayer. It is very important to know how this initiative started and how it was accepted at the beginning and over the years. At least in Romania, where we have an Orthodox majority, this week has become a controversial issue produced by those who are against ecumenical dialogue. A special attention is for the actual practice approved by the Romanian Patriarchate. Finally, the article will present the statements of the new Orthodox documents and it will end with some conclusions about this moment of common Christian witness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religiosity and Spirituality in the Orthodox Church Today)
13 pages, 8139 KiB  
Article
The Image of Jews According to the Canonical Tradition of the Orthodox Church
by Răzvan Perșa
Religions 2023, 14(1), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14010091 - 9 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4124
Abstract
In this study, the author attempts to analyze the canons of the Orthodox Church, which are still normative for all Orthodox Autocephalous Churches, in order to identify the image of Jews and the restrictions or prohibitions imposed by these canonical texts. The paper [...] Read more.
In this study, the author attempts to analyze the canons of the Orthodox Church, which are still normative for all Orthodox Autocephalous Churches, in order to identify the image of Jews and the restrictions or prohibitions imposed by these canonical texts. The paper is structured in three parts that analyze the canonical provisions regarding Jewish religious influences, Judaizing practices, Jewish–Christian religious syncretism, and social interaction with Jews based on religious influences. The main purpose of the present paper is to identify whether the Canonical Tradition of the Orthodox Church contains a form of anti-Semitism or exclusion of Jews on the basis of these texts. A well-articulated contextual interpretation of the canons is necessary to understand the relationships between Christians and Jews in the Byzantine period. To this end, the canons of the Orthodox Church will be interpreted in the social, historical, doctrinal, and canonical context of their promulgation in the life of the Orthodox Church. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religiosity and Spirituality in the Orthodox Church Today)
12 pages, 284 KiB  
Article
Saint Sophrony Sakharov’s Vade Mecum towards the Divine Light
by Ioan Chirilă and Stelian Pașca-Tușa
Religions 2023, 14(1), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14010069 - 3 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2301
Abstract
The present study aims to capitalise on Saint Sophrony Sakharov’s theological/mystical view of experiencing the divine Light, which the Essex Abbot construes as an aspiration to be pursued by any Christian, not only by spiritual elites. For this reason, the experience, and exhortations [...] Read more.
The present study aims to capitalise on Saint Sophrony Sakharov’s theological/mystical view of experiencing the divine Light, which the Essex Abbot construes as an aspiration to be pursued by any Christian, not only by spiritual elites. For this reason, the experience, and exhortations of Saint Silouan’s disciple as to the believer’s partaking in God’s uncreated Light can become for contemporary man a vade mecum adapted to the spiritual requirements and realities of our time. The drafting of these spiritual guidelines will be based on the writings of St. Sophrony (especially We Shall See Him as He Is) and the testimonies of his direct disciples and of those who assumed his way of life in the light of Jesus Christ (Zacharias Zacharou, Hierotheos Vlachos, Neacşu Nathanael, and Maxime Egger). We believe that our effort to capitalise on the mystical experience of St. Sophrony will enable the reader to access the knowledge required to understand how one may come to partake in the divine Light. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religiosity and Spirituality in the Orthodox Church Today)
12 pages, 280 KiB  
Article
Theosis and Martyria—The Spiritual Process of Deification and Its Implication for the Mission of the Church
by Cristian Sebastian Sonea
Religions 2023, 14(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14010012 - 22 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2461
Abstract
This article analyses the role of the spiritual path of theosis in the mission of the Eastern Orthodox church. It evaluates the main directions in which the church could have a fundamental role in the world, such as peace, human dignity or the [...] Read more.
This article analyses the role of the spiritual path of theosis in the mission of the Eastern Orthodox church. It evaluates the main directions in which the church could have a fundamental role in the world, such as peace, human dignity or the ecological crises, and does so through the lens of the deification process. The spiritual exercise of deification contributes to a fundamental change in the way that we act, think, and understand reality and this plays an essential part in missionary work as understood by the Eastern Orthodox church. Because of this approach, the theological term martyria/witness is considered more suitable than the term mission, in order to describe the process of transformation of the human persons and, through those who engage on the path of deification, the transformation of the entire creation. The article presents two different perspectives: one offered by two official, programmatic documents of the church (“The Mission of the Orthodox Church in Today’s World” and “For the Life of the World. Social Ethos Document of the Ecumenical Patriarchate”), and addressed to communities, and another one represented by the writings from the Philokalia, which are apparently dedicated to individuals and their personal spiritual journey. In the view presented here, the two perspectives are not different, but in fact complementary. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religiosity and Spirituality in the Orthodox Church Today)
9 pages, 256 KiB  
Article
By What Authority? Primatiality and Synodality in Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy: In Quest for Better Solutions
by Przemysław Kantyka
Religions 2022, 13(12), 1179; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13121179 - 2 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1466
Abstract
The major Christian denominations over the centuries have developed structures of authority and decision-making. It is intended to prove, that in the Roman Catholic Church, the focus has shifted toward primacy, while the Orthodox Churches are considered to be governed in the most [...] Read more.
The major Christian denominations over the centuries have developed structures of authority and decision-making. It is intended to prove, that in the Roman Catholic Church, the focus has shifted toward primacy, while the Orthodox Churches are considered to be governed in the most synodal manner. The existing models of authority have their advantages and disadvantages, influencing decision-making and shaping synodal structures. In the article, using the methods of analysis, interpretation and comparison, the structures of authority and decision-making in the Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholic Church will be displayed, and on this basis, their strengths and weaknesses will be detected. The following questions will be answered in turn: how do primatial structures function in the churches? What is the shared responsibility for decision-making in synodal structures? What are the strong and weak points in the churches’ primatial and synodal structures? Based on the answers to these proposals, de-clericalisation of the primatial appointments and preventing synodal bodies from substantive failures will be formulated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religiosity and Spirituality in the Orthodox Church Today)
11 pages, 278 KiB  
Article
André Scrima’s Christology and Its Practical Implications
by Lucian Zenoviu Bot
Religions 2022, 13(12), 1160; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13121160 - 30 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1562
Abstract
Father André Scrima is one of the most enigmatic figures of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Everything related to him passes as extraordinary. He was an exception among the Romanian intellectuals who suffered under communism. Beyond that, his journeys and spiritual experiences possess something [...] Read more.
Father André Scrima is one of the most enigmatic figures of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Everything related to him passes as extraordinary. He was an exception among the Romanian intellectuals who suffered under communism. Beyond that, his journeys and spiritual experiences possess something indescribable, almost sacramental. His presence overwhelmed those who met him and his writings retained this trait. The present study focuses on Scrima’s Christology, highlighting its uniqueness and its practical implications. Although Scrima does not dedicate a book to the subject, all of his writings refer to it. However, due to his distinctiveness, it is difficult to organize his Christology in a systematic way. The most lucrative approach is to group his texts along the hermeneutical moments that define his writing: images, stories and stances. In Scrima’s logic, all words/signs are the very synthesis of a spiritual experience, all stories develop the theological synthesis of the signs, and the relation between the stories forms the tradition as a set of interrogations and communitarian commitments. If we evaluate Scrima’s Christology in this manner, we do not come to a system, but to a succession of images. The core of these images remains the same, Jesus Christ, yet it is seen in nuances that unveil His beauty—Stranger, Gate, Logos, Name above all names—, in an unpredictable play of perspectives. It can be said that Scrima’s approach resembles a kaleidoscope, which, by using mirrors and light, gives an insight to the unsuspected possibilities of all fixed forms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religiosity and Spirituality in the Orthodox Church Today)
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