Facing the World: Orthodox Thoughts on Global Perspectives

by Anastasios Yannoulatos, Pavlos Gottfried (Translator)

The process of globalization evokes either euphoria or Some view globalization as an unmistakable sign of progress, while others view it as an unquestionable threat. Nevertheless, the accelerated development of economic, scientific, political, and social links among all the peoples of the world have turned out planet into a megalopolis replete with slums. In this work Archbishop Anastasios presents his conviction that the ecumenical vision of the Orthodox Church is the 'best response' to the emergent global conditions. In the Orthodox tradition everything is understood in a universal context, from the creation of the world to the vision of the new heaven and new earth. The human enterprise as a whole and the salvation of the entire world remain the basic themes of Holy Scripture. In this work, Archbishop Anastasios discusses the Orthodox perspective on human rights, the dialogue with Islam, and the relationship between culture and the gospel and provides an understanding of world religions. His words invite us to broaden our field of vision and encompass the whole earth.

Genres: Church, Theology

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2003

About the author

Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania (secular name: Anastasios Yannoulatos) was the Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania and as such the primate and Head of the Holy Synod of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania. He was elected in June 1992. Professor Emeritus of the National University of Athens. Honorary Member of the Academy of Athens. Anastasios was one of the presidents of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches. He was also the honorary president of the World Conference of Religions for Peace.

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Facing the World is a collection of speeches given by His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Albania on the topic of "globalization". Though that particular term became widely used only in the late 1990s, for decades before that people were becoming aware of widescale changes in society and culture due to increasing contact between peoples. The first talk here, from the International Interfaith Conference held in Sri Lanka, dates from 1974 but shows the same awareness as the later speeches from the 1980s and 1990s. The collection was ultimately published in Greece around the turn of the millennium, and St Vladimir's Seminary Press issued this English translation in 2003.

These speeches were generally delivered at ecumenical or interfaith events – +Anastasios has been a great supporter of the World Council of Churches. If you think that the WCC etc. has generally been a waste of time for the Orthodox Church, watering down its message (that often goes unnoticed among the myriad assemblies that participate) and bringing it into contact with some dangerous ideas, then this volume probably won't impress you much. Indeed, too many of the speeches sound like the sort of platitudes one reads to establish a solidarity with fellow conference-goers. At times you'll cheer when he does really lay down the law (at one point he does make a praiseworthy call for Christians to represent Christianity not only uncompromisingly, but also unambiguously), but then you'll grown at troubling comments like how Christians should "appreciate the spiritual wealth of Islam", or suggesting that the Byzantine symphonia was some kind of mistake for the Church.

I highly respect +Anastasios for his results in Albania, but to be honest, the only thing I really found worthwhile about Facing the World is His Beatitude's description of Christian responses to Islam through the centuries, many of which I wasn't aware of. At a time when Christianity and Islam – or at least the West and Islam – seem to stand in greater confrontation, revisiting some of these earlier writings may be fruitful.