Orthodoxy

by Paul Evdokimov, Olivier Clément (Foreword)

'The appearance in 1965 of Orthodoxy, a masterpiece of synthesis, was a landmark in religious publishing and earned for its author a doctorate of theology from the Institut Saint-Serge in Paris. Paul Evdokimov here circumvents all scholastic theology on the one hand, and the traditional approach of the 'Dogmatic' theologians on the other, to develop an original synthesis of Orthodox theological thinking. Although he constantly quotes the Fathers, he does so creatively, so as not simply to repeat them, but to incarnate their spirit in our own time and for our future. In addition, he enriches Patristic thought by bringing to bear on it the two great movements that have occurred in Eastern the theology of the divine energies in the 14th century which enlightened our understanding of the material world and human culture; and the Russian religious philosophy of the first half of the 20th century with its prophetic intuitions, its Pentecostal understanding of the modern world, and its vital eschatology. A theological approach in which the human intelligence progresses by an ascesis of repentance, of the great conversion of the heart, metanoia, is here set forth so as to show, or rather celebrate, the theosis or deification of the whole human person.... An understanding we might call eucharistic, gathering together and clarifying the experience of life in the Church, an understanding inseparable from the golden chain of holiness, including the holiness of intelligence, which the Church venerates in those whom she calls the 'Fathers.' ' (From the Foreword by Olivier Clement, Author of The Roots of Christian Mysticism )

376 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1968

About the author

Paul Nikolaevich Evdokimov (rus. Павел Николаевич Евдокимов) was a Russian and French theologian, writer, and professor of theology at St. Sergius Institute in Paris. He was an invited observer to the Second Vatican Council.

He was born in St. Petersburg, Russia on August 2, 1901, the son of an army officer who was assassinated by one of his soldiers in 1905. He was educated in a military school and served in the cavalry. He began theological studies just prior to the Bolshevik Revolution. Following the revolution, he and his family escaped from Crimea through Constantinople and settled in Paris circa 1923. Evdokimov continued his theological studies at St. Sergius Institute, studying with Fr. Sergius Bulgakov and Nikolai Berdyaev. He was among the founding members of the Russian Christian Student Movement.

He married Natasha Brunel in 1927, who died of cancer during the latter part of World War II. In 1942, he completed his doctorate in philosophy at Aix-en-Provence.

During the War, Evdokimov worked with the French Resistance. In 1954, he married Tomoko Sakai, a daughter of a Japanese Diplomat.

He reposed in Meudon, France, on September 16, 1970.

Reviews

[Kristofer Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply superb, and an antidote for anyone who thinks they understand Orthodoxy. I've studied for years, but on nearly every page I learn something I didn't know before; mostly that I don't know anything at all. This book is, for me, both a humbling and a learning experience. Not for the faint of heart, but definitely worth the effort.

[w gall · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in-depth picture of the Orthodox Christian faith. Sometimes it was a bit too deep for me. There is also a lot of comparative theology in regard to other expressions of Christianity. Written in the 1950s.