Two controversial events associated with the month of January every year are the March for Life in Washington DC and the worldwide Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. We invite our readers to submit thoughtful articles of 1000-1250 words expressive of a diversity of views on these two topics, to be published from January 1 to 31, 2020.

Orthodox Christians, individuals from other ecclesial or denominational traditions, and those who do not subscribe to any religious faith are welcome to have their say. We hope to hear from hierarchs, clergy, monastics , laypeople, and young people. Read More

As a living art that has existed for more than 2000 years, Byzantine chant is a significant cultural tradition and comprehensive music system forming part of the common musical traditions that developed in the Byzantine Empire.

Highlighting and musically enhancing the liturgical texts of the Greek Orthodox Church, it is inextricably linked with spiritual life and religious worship. This vocal art is mainly focused on rendering the ecclesiastical text; arguably, the chant exists because of the word (‘logos’), since every aspect of the tradition serves to spread the sacred message. Read More

And death shall have no dominion.
Dead men naked they shall be one
With the man in the wind and the west moon;
When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone,
They shall have stars at elbow and foot;
Though they go mad they shall be sane,
Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again;
Though lovers be lost love shall not;
And death shall have no dominion.

Dylan Thomas, “And Death Shall Have No Dominion”

“The origin of animal suffering,” writes C.S. Lewis in The Problem of Pain, “could be traced, by earlier generations, to the Fall of man—the whole world was infected by the uncreating rebellion of Adam. This is now impossible, for…animals existed long before men” (138). Here is the problem of evolutionary theodicy in a nutshell: humanity—traditionally the cause of the “the groaning of creation”—is no longer apparently guilty of wrecking the cosmos in a primordial act of rebellion. The world before us was one of predation, destruction, and death, just as it is now. Evolutionary history, then, raises significant questions about theodicy—about God’s goodness in overseeing history, and the role of death and suffering in both creation and human life. The apparent priority of death to sin is an enormous challenge to theological doctrine, and Orthodox theology in particular. However, despite these fearsome challenges, Orthodoxy also brings to bear some unique tools to deal with the problem.
Read More

Science fiction is a branch of literature which, with its far-reaching images, stimulates the reader to look at reality in an original, unexpected way. This genre may often “bring heaven down to earth,” and may seem demythologizing by transferring concepts of transcendence or numinous mystery—such as other worlds, fantastic beings, fairies, gods, etc.—to a material world of “other planets” or to a hypothetical (but materially not impossible) future.

But all these instances may be seen as figures, too. And even when they are not consciously used as symbols by an author, they circulate universal images that may awaken the imagination of the readers to Something Else. They may give flesh to something more mysterious, and generate a longing for the transcendent. Some authors deliberately use science fiction images to express higher things, but many probably don’t; the images then speak for themselves.

I will briefly outline two types of science fiction images loaded with symbolic potential. Both belong to very frequent—we may even say, prototypical—themes of science fiction: first, other worlds, and second, time travel vs. alternative history (uchronia). Read More