This is the second article in our “The Wheel 13/14: Responses” series.

Pavel Florensky and Sergei Troitsky. 1906.

On June 18 Public Orthodoxy published Luis Salés’ review of The Wheel‘s long awaited issue 13/14—Being Human: Embodiment and Anthropology—in which my “Father Pavel Florensky and the Sacrament of Love” appears. The challenge of doing justice to articles by fifteen separate authors in a 1280-word essay would have proven daunting to anyone.   

Dr. Salés devotes most of his critique of my article to five short sentences of mine:

On the feast of the Meeting of the Lord two weeks later, [Florensky] composed the poem, “Two Knights.” It depicts a scene in which [he and his partner, Sergei Troitsky] have removed their armour and laid it under an aspen tree, where resin drips on it from a quivering leaf. The knights kiss on the mouth, embrace tightly “like brothers,” and “break their spears” with each other. Even the sun undresses as it sets amidst fiery clouds. Tears flow in almost every stanza.

In response to this, Salés raises the following objections:

Sanfilippo’s piece implicitly disagrees with [Yannaras, Thermos, and Nassif] but is nonetheless uncompelling. The author wishes to draw attention to the potentially homosexual expressions of Fr Florensky’s life—for which, to be sure, there is meaningful evidence—but his analysis of the texts is problematic. For example, his exposition of the poem Два рыцаря (Two Knights) as a homosexual encounter will likely strike those with firsthand knowledge of Slavic literature and culture as affected and unconvincing. He reads a jousting match as a penetrative homosexual encounter by claiming that the knights remove their armor (nowhere stated in the poem) and “‘break their spears’ with each other” (67). But the line in question depicts a different context: “I will break spears with you in honor of the Lady” (сломим копья с тобою в честь Дамы, stanza 1.4). It is unclear who the “Lady” is (Florensky’s sister Olga?), but surely, queering texts needs no female erasure to make a point. Read More

In our editorial of April 20 entitled “Preliminary Thoughts on the Female Diaconate,” our two editors at the time stated the following points of agreement between us:

• We do not support the ordination of women to the priesthood or the episcopate.
• We fail to see how a restored female diaconate constitutes a slippery slope to a female presbyterate or episcopate. We have no apprehensions at all in this regard.
• Yet we do not wish to foreclose the discussion of a female presbyterate or episcopate, because one of two things will result: either we as the Church will come to a better understanding and articulation of why we do not ordain women priests and bishops, or we will conclude that no doctrinal reasons forbid it. (Cf. Acts 5:38-39.) 

To the third point we might add that we may discern, as Church, that doctrinal reasons not only do not forbid it, but require it.

Arguments for and against the ordination of women are scattered around the internet on websites and blogs and in free-standing statements. Some of them have more widespread, and others more limited, exposure. For this reason Orthodoxy in Dialogue proposes to provide a space where all sides of the question can come together for respectful discussion among brothers and sisters. 

In addition to our Submission Guidelines, please note the following for this series: Read More

With joy we share Metropolitan Nicolae’s response to the topic of our Open Letter to the Church: The Humanitarian Crisis at the US-Mexico Border. (We continue to accept signatures for the Open Letter.)

Întru mulţi ani, Stăpâne! Many Years, Master!

MITROPOLIA ORTODOXĂ ROMÂNĂ A CELOR DOUĂ AMERICI
THE ROMANIAN ORTHODOX METROPOLIA OF THE AMERICAS
Most Reverend Dr. NICOLAE CONDREA
Archbishop and Metropolitan
5410 N. Newland Ave. Chicago IL 60656
tel: 773.774.1677; fax: 773.774.1805;
http://www.mitropolia.us; email: contact@mitropolia.us

June 20, 2018

Mr. Donald J. Trump
President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

The issue of immigration policy has been a central discussion point in our nation for many years. The proper balance and compromises necessary have eluded us. Previous Presidential Administrations have found ways, some more satisfactory than others, to execute policies that have kept the difficult but necessary decisions at bay, at least for a time, but without resolving them. However, in these past months Attorney General Sessions announced that the immigration policy would change to zero tolerance. Without entering into a discussion about the nuances of this policy, suffice it to say many opinions have been advanced as to the soundness of his, and your, decision. On June 14, 2018 Mr. Sessions reinforced this position of your Administration by citing the Holy Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans. This misuse of the Holy Scriptures has compelled us to respond. Read More

We share with gratitude Metropolitan Nathanael’s statement addressing the issues raised in our Open Letter to the Church: The Humanitarian Crisis at the US-Mexico Border.

Εις πολλά έτη, Δέσποτα! Many Years, Master!

Statement Regarding the U.S. “Zero Tolerance” Policy on Unlawful Immigration

+ His Eminence Metropolitan NATHANAEL

 Presiding Hierarch of the Holy Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago

Recent reports regarding the brutal treatment of families who have arrived at U.S. borders without prior authorization have prompted sharp criticisms by faith leaders and people of good will across our nation. As we learn more and more details about these practices and reflect on their impact upon both those who are directly involved and upon all of us as citizens, my heart aches and my conscience is restless.

The current “zero tolerance” policy on unlawful immigration being enforced by our federal government, which separates children from their parent(s), violates moral norms that we, as Orthodox Christians, hold sacred. It represents a practice that goes beyond differences between political ideologies, and transgresses basic human rights and foundational Christian convictions. Thus, remaining silent is, I believe, an unacceptable response for those of us entrusted with bearing witness to the Christian Gospel.

Affirming that every person is created “in the divine image” (cf. Gen 1:26), and that all of us are children of God (cf. 1 Jn 3:1-2), our tradition unequivocally teaches that every human being should be treated with respect, recognizing his or her inherent dignity regardless of age, race, ethnicity or gender, and regardless of any transgressions they or their family members may have committed. Read More