THE CONVERSATION ON SAME-SEX LOVE CONTINUES: A TRIO OF BOOK REVIEWS by Giacomo Sanfilippo

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Generous Spaciousness: Responding to Gay Christians in the Church​, Wendy VanderWal-Gritter (Grand Rapids​​ MI​: ​Brazos Press, 2014​)

​When Brothers Dwell in Unity:​ Byzantine Christianity and Homosexuality​, Stephen Morris (​Jefferson NC: McFarland & Company, 2015)

Pavel Florensky: Early Religious Writings 1903-1909​, Boris Jakim, Trans​. (Grand Rapids MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2017​)​

genspacemorrisearlyflorenskyConsidering that the academic year ends early in Canadian universities—in April!—a surprisingly full room of one Orthodox bishop, several Orthodox priests, some Anglican and Protestant clergy, and a few dozen laymen and laywomen gathered at Trinity College late yesterday afternoon for an informal public conversation between Dr. Christopher Brittain, Dean of Divinity at Trinity College, and Father Andrew Louth, Emeritus Professor of Patristic and Byzantine Studies at Durham University in the UK.

During the Q&A, Dr. Brian Butcher of the Sheptytsky Institute—who has written twice for Orthodoxy in Dialogue (here and here)—asked Father Andrew to address how questions of sexuality and gender are causing divisions “right down the middle” within churches, while at the same time generating a kind of “ecumenism of the right” and “ecumenism of the left” which unites individuals from different churches.

Father Andrew’s reply was measured, balanced, nuanced, and—without mentioning Orthodoxy in Dialogue—fully open to the kind of dialogue that we are committed to facilitating on our pages. He concluded by remarking that, if we discuss sexuality and gender from a place of fear, trying to frighten people, we’re probably doing it wrong. Read More

INCELS: ROSS DOUTHAT AND HIS ORTHODOX FAN CLUB HAVE IT WRONG

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Orthodoxy in Dialogue presents this article, republished from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), because of the pressing nature of its subject matter. The recent attack in Toronto was not an isolated incident, nor is the movement from which it came an isolated threat. The SPLC correctly labels the “men’s rights movement” and its myriad of subcultures, including “incels,” as male supremacy. These movements are built on the idea that women are inherently unequal, that women’s purpose is primarily for the sexual gratification of men, and that men’s desire for sex with women is irresistible, often to the point of justifying rape and violence. 

Their belief systems are dangerous to women everywhere. As Orthodox Christians we should be concerned not simply for their hateful rhetoric, but because that rhetoric is being normalised, most notably by Ross Douthat—who has many Orthodox admirers—in his shocking New York Times opinion article on the subject (cited below). 

Since the Orthodox Church in the United States also faces a very real threat from the racist “alt-right” movement (see our extensive list of titles under White Supremacy and Racism in our Archives by Author), it is important to understand that the “alt-right” and “men’s rights” movements are intimately interrelated with one another.

Kari Edwards, Editor 

Addendum: Ms. Edwards resigned as associate editor on May 23, 2018.

 

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For Incels, It’s Not about Sex. It’s about Women.

by the Editors of the Southern Poverty Law Center
Most of the victims in Alek Minassian’s van rampage in Toronto were women. There’s reason to believe that was his goal.

Before he killed 10 people and injured 14 more on a crowded sidewalk in April, Minassian posted on Facebook that he was a “private (recruit)” in what he called the “Incel Rebellion.” Read More

CONJUGAL FRIENDSHIP: A YEAR LATER by Giacomo Sanfilippo

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SS. Theodore of Tyre and Theodore Stratelates. 14th century. Holy Transfiguration Monastery. Zrze, Macedonia.

A year ago this week, Public Orthodoxy had the courage to publish my “Conjugal Friendship,” for which I remain immeasurably grateful to the editors.

I feel equally grateful to the editors of The Wheel, in whose Spring-Summer 2018 issue (13/14)—entitled Embodiment and guest-edited by Father Andrew Louth—my “Father Pavel Florensky and the Sacrament of Love” will soon appear. This article expands upon “Conjugal Friendship,” and attempts to address some of the questions raised by my supporters and critics at that time. For a tiny preview of my upcoming article you can read my recent review of Pavel Florensky: Early Religious Writings 1903-1909 here. What “Conjugal Friendship” failed to achieve, and I hope to accomplish this time around, is to generate a discussion not on my views on the place of same-sex love in Orthodox Christian life, but on those of Father Florensky. I examine—briefly, because of The Wheel‘s space constraints—not only some elements of Florensky’s text, but also the social, historical, and autobiographical context in which he wrote The Pillar and Ground of the Truth and its culminating chapter, “Friendship.” Orthodoxy in Dialogue will let our readers know when this issue of The Wheel comes out.   

To conclude this post, I would like to share the following brief excerpts from the introduction to my MA thesis, “A Bed Undefiled: Foundations for an Orthodox Theology and Spirituality of Same-Sex Love.” Read More

STATEMENT OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OUTSIDE OF RUSSIA IN SUPPORT OF THE CANONICAL UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

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Orthodoxy in Dialogue has published a number of articles which support Ukraine’s aspirations for full political and ecclesiastical independence from Russia. For the sake of dialogue we share the following statement from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR). 

To our knowledge ROCOR has yet to condemn Russian military incursions against Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

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We, the members of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, who carry out our ministry in North America, Europe and Australia, behold with pained soul that in the sacred territory of Kievan Rus’, our beloved land of Ukraine, treacherous political aspirations arise once again — as has happened before in history — under the guise of religious activities but with the evident purpose of inciting enmity and discord amongst the Orthodox people, with the intention of inciting a schism in the Church. Attempts are now being made to create, in this long-suffering land, a separate “autocephalous church” in place of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, recognized by all and headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onouphry of Kiev and All Ukraine. This Church has possessed autonomy since 1990 — that is to say, self-governance and independence in its administration. Before us at present is nothing other than a crafty effort to seize upon religious sentiments and subordinate them to the political goals of today’s authorities, directly contradicting the tradition and canonical norms of the Holy Orthodox Church.

We pray to Almighty God that the passions and troubles stirred up by the efforts of those who are alien to the spirit and grace-filled order of the Church might vanish like smoke, that dissensions may be quieted by His mercy, and that the peace of our Man-loving God, resurrected from the dead on the third day, may reign in their hearts.
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