FAITH Seeking Understanding The Theological Witness of Fr Matthew Baker

by Baker,Matthew

Genres: Theology

367 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2021

Reviews

[Ted · Rating 2 out of 5]

Any of my comments on the books I read just reflect where I am in my life right now more than an evaluation of the book. I'm retired and in the autumn of my life, and many of the issues raised by Baker are not of much interest or importance to me now. Scholarly books on Christian philosophy are of less interest to me these days. Debates about Florovsky or the NeoPatristic synthesis seem academic but not personally valuable. There were some interesting points made in the book but overall, they are not significant to my life in Christ. Baker is a huge fan of Florovsky and a defender of the NeoPatrisitc synthesis. He defends them both fiercely. But one thing that interests me is that when it comes to the Father's comments on gender or sexuality, he feels their statements are weak in the face of modern understanding of sex and gender. He thinks the Fathers downplay gender far too much which fits too well into a modern understanding of it. Not that they held modern ideas about gender, but their frequent dismissal of its importance surely opens a door for modern interpreters to use them to defend modern ideas of gender. But if one is going to claim the mind of the Fathers, one has to accept all their ideas not just ones that neatly fit into making Orthodox different from the West.

[Jamey Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an avid reader, especially of theological books, and the most engaging books usually get a custom index made by me in the back of the book. Just to give you an idea of what I thought of this book: I have more than 40 references that I personally indexed in the back for future reference.

Fr. Matthew Baker was an incredible thinker and gift to the Church in the short time he walked with us. This book is a delightful collection of 34 different essays, reviews, sermons, interviews, and even correspondence from Fr. Matthew, covering a wide range of topics in theological conversation. He preaches with pastoral warmth. He interacts with scholars like Alfeyev, Zizioulas, Lossky, Bulgakov, Vgenopoulos, Evdokimov, Romanides, Yannaras, and Gavrilyuk. There are even reference to Karl Barth—Baker was not afraid to interact with other theological scholars.

He both dissects and celebrates Florovsky in this collection, charting a course for his readers for future exploration. The most helpful essay for me was his “Neopatristic Synthesis and Ecumenism: Toward the ‘Reintegration’ of Christian Tradition,” which is critical of Lossky and Zizioulas, but helps point us, like a signpost, to a proper synthesis of the Fathers for our current conversations in this time. He opens up the possibility that Orthodox have more to glean from St. Augustine than often imagined by Orthodox writers. To Baker, it is both theological and secular reasoning in the West that must be encountered “with greater depth and care than has yet been shown.”

I knew Fr. Matthew some during his final years, but didn’t know him well. We had mutual friends, some interactions on a private social media group, and once I was able to be a fly on the wall at a pub in Princeton listening to Baker discuss various matters over a glass of Scotch. As limiting as those experiences were, I was greatly enriched by the conversation. This book answers many of the questions I would have asked him in this life, had he been given more time and me the opportunity—and it raises even more questions for me.

When I met Fr. Matthew more than a decade ago, I found the voluminous and astute work of Florovsky intimidating, but as I’ve progressed in my studies, Florovsky has opened up to me increasingly. This book opened him up even more. In some ways, Baker is a fitting key to unlock the riches of Florovksy, and I have no doubt that I will be returning to this text again and again in the time I have in this life.

Baker was sometimes referred to as “the next Florovsky.” For those who have found benefit in Florovsky, like myself, this is both a high compliment, yet arguably an insufficient praise. Florovsky was truly brilliant, and he breathed life back into Patristic scholarship—and there is really no one that I am aware of who better grasped the importance of Florovsky for our time than Fr. Matthew Baker. In some ways, Baker’s academic work serves as a commentary on Florovsky, but to reduce it to such would be a mistake. Baker’s voice was a voice for our time, and a voice that addresses contemporary questions, with a heart, mind, and ear open to the Fathers.

I was deeply moved when Fr. Matthew passed, and have corresponded with his family some as a result. The book was provided for me by Baker’s wife in exchange for an honest review. I have used the book in several Masters-level papers, and have also used it in classes I teach for adult education at my local parish church. I have also recommended it to two of my theologically-inclined godsons.

In sum: I love this book and heartily recommend it.