The present essay launches Orthodoxy in Dialogue’s Bridging Voices series, an ongoing initiative to respond to the summaries of papers presented at the August 2019 conference of the same name at Oxford and published over time by Public Orthodoxy.

If you would like to write for this series, see our Bridging Voices: Call for Responses and check the Fordham-Exeter Bridging Voices Project archive periodically for an updated list of summaries published. 

Mr. McMeans responds to Richard Swinburne’s Christian Teaching on Sexual Morality, which appeared on October 7, 2019. We recommend that you read the Swinburne article first.

Professor Richard Swinburne

When I heard that Richard Swinburne had published an article in Public Orthodoxy called Christian Teaching on Sexual Morality I was delighted. First, I was delighted as an Orthodox Christian, and second, I was delighted as a philosopher. Sadly, I was disappointed on both counts.

I had assumed that the presence of so great a philosophical light as Professor Swinburne at the Bridging Voices conference last August would put to rest the reactionary chatter on Orthodox Twitter and Facebook; how the secret cabal of Orthodox heretics (whatever those are) was meeting to normalize heresy; how the next thing you know, they’ll be demanding we have gay Pride processions during Liturgy; how all the transgenders are out trying to convince our kids to experiment with gender choice because postmodernism and Jordan Peterson says, and on and on. My naive optimism is in no way a reflection on the professor. Read More

L to R: Archbishop Elpidophoros (GOA), Metropolitan Joseph (AOCA), Metropolitan Hilarion (MP)

At the invitation of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America-Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East), Their Eminences Archbishop Elpidophoros of America (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America-Ecumenical Patriarchate) and Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk and Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate met at the headquarters of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America on Wednesday, October 23, 2019. Read More

In In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace, published on the 17^th of this month, the Pew Research Center released the findings of its latest surveys on the continuing rapid decline of Christianity on the American landscape. While this is certainly not news to anyone who has been paying attention the past two decades, the response to this trend within the traditional churches bears reflection. Having spent the better part of the past 20 years serving in various roles as a Christian youth worker—including 17 years as the director of a thriving camp program, and 18 months as the National Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministries Director of the Orthodox Church in America—I have watched this trend from a front row seat. The number one question I was asked by clergy and parents alike was, “How do we keep the young people from leaving the Church?” Read More

The unique, conversational format of this review was proposed by the reviewers.

Of Such Is the Kingdom: A Practical Theology of Disability
Summer Kinard 
Chesterton, IN: Ancient Faith Publishing, 2019

Charli: You and I both have read and written a lot about disability, including disability in the Church. But Summer Kinard’s book, Of Such Is the Kingdom, is different from books we’ve read before. What stands out about this book to you?

Monica: Well, the first part of the book provides some sorely needed Orthodox theological foundation for how the Church has approached and should approach disability. It’s been problematic for a long time in all churches. Not one church seems comfortable with the topic, and the way it gets thought and talked about can vary from slightly awkward to outright spiritually abusive. We really needed some exploration of the Scriptures and the Fathers on the matter, and I’m most pleased Summer has done so. The Orthodox Church, at least, has never cast doubt on the possibility of salvation when it comes to people with disabilities, but Summer makes a clear case for something better than the usual assumption that people with disabilities get to enter heaven under something like an Economia Clause in the spiritual contract. Spiritual life is important, being part of the Church is important, and she makes it clear that both of these are possible for everyone, disability or no.

As Summer says, we don’t know what our resurrected bodies are going to look like, and whether there will be disability in heaven. As she says, Christ’s resurrected body still showed the signs of crucifixion. As a matter of interest, that’s how He was recognizable to His disciples! There won’t be handicaps in heaven, that we know for sure. At any rate, we are being saved, disability and all. Read More