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The Appearance of Orthodoxy

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The Appearance of Orthodoxy ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY ORTHODOXY AND ECUMENISM: TOWARDS ACTIVE METANOIA RAZVAN PORUMB A thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Anglia Ruskin University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy This research programme was carried out in collaboration with the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, Cambridge Submitted: July 2014 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Dr Zoë Bennett and Rev Dr Jeremy Morris who supervised this research project. Their constant and enduring support, encouragement and unfailing humbling faith in this project have ultimately constituted the inspiration and motivation that have made it possible. I also wish to thank the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, all my colleagues there, and in particular the Principal, Professor David Frost, for all his support and countless valuable comments and suggestions along the way. Many thanks also to Mrs Sasha Anisimova-Witt and Dr Meera Juncu for their invaluable feedback. Special thanks are due to Father Michael Harper, of blessed memory, and to Mrs Jeanne Harper without whose help, encouragement, inspiration and heartfelt commitment to the theme of my research this study would not have been achievable. It is to these wonderful ecumenical believers that this work is dedicated. Last but not least, I would like to thank my wife, Claudia, whose abiding trust and patience have seen this project to its completion. ii ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY ABSTRACT FACULTY OF ARTS, LAW & SOCIAL SCIENCES DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ORTHODOXY AND ECUMENISM: TOWARDS ACTIVE METANOIA RAZVAN PORUMB July 2014 The questions that underlined and motivated this research project have been: Why do members of the Orthodox Church participate in the ecumenical movement, and how can they negotiate an involvement in ecumenical contexts, together with their non-Orthodox counterparts – considering that the Orthodox see their Church as the one and only true Church? The background of this exploration has been the context of hostility and prejudice, which some groups within the Orthodox Church have manifested towards ecumenical encounters, which has marred and obstructed a genuine dialogue between the Orthodox and the non-Orthodox Christian communities. This project is based on the analysis of sources from contemporary Orthodox and Western theological milieux. It has interpreted these sources with a view to determining how they interact and coalesce into visions that inform the relationship between Orthodoxy and ecumenism. The interpretative stage of the discussion reveals the necessity of delineating paradigms for Orthodoxy and ecumenism that will enable future ecumenical interactions of greater efficiency and integrity. Such paradigms outline a vision wherein central aspects of Orthodox theology would move away from a paradigm of ‘passive conservatism’ to one of ‘active metanoia’ (transformation), while ecumenism would come to be seen as a perennial process and intrinsic aspect of theology. These vantage points define a new Orthodox vision of ecumenism as an ever-enlarging catholicity, by bringing back to the fore the common theological core of both Orthodoxy and ecumenism. Key words: Orthodoxy, Orthodox Church, Ecumenism, Orthodox Theology, Ecumenical Theology. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER ONE: ORTHODOXY AND THE ORTHODOX ............................................................. 8 1.1. Orthodox/Orthodoxy. Historical appearance and development of the term ................. 10 1.2. The Orthodox – non-Orthodox antinomy ............................................................................. 19 1.2.1. ‘Orthodoxy’ versus ‘non-Orthodoxy’ .................................................................................. 20 1.2.2. Orthodoxy as ‘exclusive’ unity ............................................................................................ 23 1.2.3. Orthodoxy as sacramental/Eucharistic communion. ........................................................... 26 1.3. The Orthodox Church as inheritor and continuator of tradition ....................................... 29 1.3.1. The tension between tradition and Tradition .................................................................... 29 1.3.2. Orthodoxy as a ‘breathing’ tradition ................................................................................... 30 1.4. The Journey after the Schism .................................................................................................. 34 1.4.1. The constant fight for survival ............................................................................................ 35 1.4.2. Internal disagreements......................................................................................................... 39 1.4.3. Nationalism ......................................................................................................................... 42 CHAPTER TWO: ECUMENISM ....................................................................................................... 46 2.1. Ecumenism – a brief historical outline .................................................................................. 46 2.1.1.The origins of modern ecumenism ........................................................................................ 48 2.1.2. The Edinburgh World Missionary Conference .................................................................... 50 2.1.3. Faith and Order ................................................................................................................... 51 2.1.4. Life and Work....................................................................................................................... 53 2.1.5. The Orthodox initiative ....................................................................................................... 54 2.1.6. The Anglican ‘Appeal to All Christian People’ ................................................................... 56 2.1.7. The World Council of Churches ........................................................................................... 57 2.1.8. Reflections on the beginnings of the ecumenical movement ................................................ 61 2.1.9. Roman-Catholic participation in the ecumenical movement ............................................... 68 2.1.10. The Special Commission on Orthodox Participation within the WCC ............................. 72 2.2. Ecumenism and theology ........................................................................................................ 75 2.2.1. Ecumenism as quest for unity ............................................................................................. 75 iv 2.2.2. Ecumenism as a spiritual state ............................................................................................ 77 2.2.3. Ecumenism as theology and action ...................................................................................... 78 2.2.4. Ecumenism as return to the One Church ............................................................................ 80 2.2.5. Ecumenism as permanent calling to all theology and ongoing process ............................... 83 2.2.6. Ecumenism as participatory endeavour, theological and spiritual process .......................... 89 2.2.7. Ecumenism and (pre-) methodology .................................................................................... 97 CHAPTER THREE: ORTHODOXY AND ECUMENISM ............................................................ 101 3.1. The Predicament ..................................................................................................................... 102 3.2. The simple rationale ............................................................................................................... 106 3.2.1. The Orthodox Church is the one true Church ................................................................... 107 3.2.2. There can be only one true Church of Christ. Churches that are not Orthodox are outside the one true Church. .................................................................................................................... 108 3.2.3. Reunion of Christians would mean re-joining the one true Church .................................. 108 3.3. Anti-ecumenical positions from the Orthodox .................................................................. 110 3.3.1. The Protestant ethos, the ‘parallel’ ecclesiology, the ‘dilution’ and ‘double-thought’ of Orthodox ecclesiological understanding ...................................................................................... 112 3.3.2. Radical positions ................................................................................................................ 118 3.4. Non-Orthodox errors – The Thyateira Confession ............................................................ 122 3.4.1. Loss and Neglect of the Holy Tradition ............................................................................. 124 3.4.2. Interruption of Apostolic Continuation ............................................................................. 127 3.4.3. Denying Honour to Saints ................................................................................................ 128 3.4.4. The Purely Scholarly Interpretation of The Bible .............................................................. 128 3.4.5. The Sacrament of the
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