This work gets at the heart of Christian mysticism

books:


	• The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church Vladimir Lossky St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1997 - 252 pages average customer review:based on 12 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

an ever-greater plenitude,

"...the mystical approach is set up against systematic theology, the contemplative against the liturgical, the saints against the Church." V. Lossky

"An ever-greater plenitude, in which knowledge is transformed into ignorance, the theology of concepts into contemplation, dogmas into experience of ineffable mysteries" Edward Moore

All Theology is Mystical:
Lossky has carried his contradiction to great lengths, against the historical reality which forced Western theology into a preconceived pattern of Scholasticism and the Reformation. Lossky stresses that, "an ever-greater plenitude,, inasmuch as it shows forth the divine mystery: the data of revelation. On the other hand, mysticism is frequently opposed to theology as a realm inaccessible to understanding, as an unutterable mystery, a hidden depth, to be lived rather than known; yielding itself to a specific experience which surpasses our faculties of understanding rather than to any perception of sense or of intelligence." V. Lossky
Thus the mystical approach is set up against systematic theology, the contemplative against the liturgical, the saints against the Church. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, declared that 'Sermons and Addresses', 1844, as expressed in Lossky's own words, "We must live the dogma expressing a revealed truth, which appears to us as an unfathomable mystery, in such a fashion that instead of assimilating the mystery to our mode of understanding, we should, on the contrary, look for a profound change, an inner transformation of spirit, enabling us to experience it mystically. Far from being mutually opposed, theology and mysticism support and complete each other. One is impossible without the other."

God became man that men might become gods:
It is the Christian East, or, more precisely, the Eastern Orthodox Church, dominate the field of mystical theology. This limitation is somewhat artificial since, 'Christian theology is always in the last resort a means: a unity of knowledge serving an end which transcends all knowledge. This ultimate end is union with God or deification, Established by the Alexandrines as 'God became man that men might become gods', and advanced as the theosis of the Greek speaking Fathers. It may seem paradoxical, that Christian theory has a practical end; mystical as it is, it eventually aspires to the supreme goal of union with God.

Mystical Theology of East & West:
Lossky expressed it best, "In reality, since the cleavage between East and West only dates from the middle of the eleventh century, all that is prior to this date constitutes a common and indivisible treasure for both parts of a divided Christendom. The Orthodox Church would not be what it is if it had not had the Latin fathers. No more could the Roman Catholic Church do without St. Athanasius, St. Basil or St. Cyril of Alexandria. Thus, when one would speak of the mystical theology of the East or of the West, one takes one's stand within one of the two traditions which remained, down to a certain moment, two local traditions within the one Church, witnessing to a single Christian truth; but which subsequently part, the one from the other, and give rise to two different dogmatic attitudes, irreconcilable on several points."

Eastern Orthodoxy & Jungian mysticism:
In a recent study, it has been argued that, one touchstone of scientific validity is the universality of observations independently made. A comparison of the cosmological, theological, and anthropological assumptions that underlie the mystical traditions of the Eastern Orthodox Church and those of Jung's mystical observations about the universe, God, and humankind, the common ground of the two divergent systems of Eastern Orthodox and Jungian mysticism, by Bishop Chrysostomos and Thomas Brecht, suggests a universality and scientific validity in Jung's assumptions about the great unknown (Apophatic) .

BOOK REVIEW:
Lossky explores the roles of apophatic, or negative, theology, and kataphatic, or positive, theology in the Orthodox tradition, and the manner in which their union leads to an ever-greater plenitude.
Edward Moore, an Orthodox expert wrote a compelling theological analysis, of 'The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church,' on Theandros - An Online journal of Orthodox theology and philosophy; Read it on: [...]

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Lossky is brilliant

This was one of the first books I tackled in my conversion process to the Orthodox Catholic Church. Orthodoxy is so profound, so deep, so mystical... it makes all man-made theologies look like shallow charicatures.

If you're looking into Orthodoxy, I would recommend this book with the following warning: This book is not really what a professor of mine would call a, "soup and salad" book. That is, it is not one that you can just buy and skim through; it is not light reading.

That having been said, for people out there like myself, who really want to know why the Holy Orthodox Catholic Apostolic Church considers herself to be just that-- THE Church, then this book is for you.

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This work gets at the heart of Christian mysticism

While this title appears on many recommended lists of books on Eastern Orthodoxy, it would not be easy reading for someone uninitiated to mystical Christian writings (from either the east or the west). It also helps to have at least a passing knowledge of Greek as many of the terms appear in Greek.

Lossky spends over half the book laying a foundation on the Eastern understanding of apophaticism (describing God by what He is not), asceticism, the Holy Trinity, uncreated energies of the Godhead, image and likeness, the "economy of the Son" and the "economy of the Holy Spirit," before discussing the goal of Christian mysticism which is theosis or union with God, the Divine Light. To me, the heart of the book is in the chapter on "The Way of Union," but it would be meaningless without the preceding chapters.

Lossky quotes profusely from the great mystical theologians of the Eastern Church, from various epochs and geographic locations to display the inherent unity of thought on mysticism in the Eastern tradition.

Readers who need an introductory work before tackling Lossky might want to try "The Illumined Heart" by Frederica Matthewes-
Green, "Beginning to Pray" by Anthony Bloom or "The Art of Prayer" by Igumen Chariton of Valamo.

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Superb and Serious

Vladimir Lossky's "Mystical Theology' is one of the most profound books ever written about Christianity. It is a superb volume for armchair theologians, clerics of every stripe, those seeking a greater understanding of God in Trinity and human nature, and those wishing a lucid explanation of the differences between the Holy Orthodox Church and more occidental, rational, and secular forms of Christianity.

Mystical Theology revolves around several themes such as God's Love, the centrality and inexplicability of Mystery, the importance of the early Church fathers (and mothers), and man's relation to the Godhead.

Lossky was one of the great apologists for Orthodoxy in the west from 1923-1958 and his scholarship is peerless. Reading Mystical Theology is profound and profoundly rewarding, but it takes effort. No; the book is NOT poorly written- it is clear. But the concepts presented cause one to go slow, to stop, to ponder, and to pray, sometimes for days.

Are you ready to think about the difference between Eastern and Western notions of Grace, about the three hypostases of the Trinity and how the Son is begotten of the Father while the Spirit proceeds from Him? Are you interested in St. Gregory of Nyssa's intriguing view of Hell and how that relates to the concepts of uncreated energy described by St. Gregory Palamas?

If so, you will just love this volume. It might even be life-changing for you! Man can never comprehend the Godhead, as Lossky himself points out, but this book will allow us to understand more than we otherwise ever would!

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The best technical introduction in English

Far from dry theology, Lossky interacts with the Orthodox tradition with expertise knowledge and a genuine faith in the reality of the Father's activity in this world through His Son and Spirit, in the context of the Church. The book is worth buying just for the introduction, which outlines the meaning of theology in the Orthodox Church. Is Christian theology just neo-Platonism? Is God transcendent just because we are limited in our understanding? Is grace created or uncreated? Is deification (theosis) a Hellenic leftover or the meaning of union in Christ? Why was Christ incarnate and what does the Holy Spirit do? What do we say about how God is in Himself and how God is in relation to creation? Lossky tackles these and other pertinent subjects in this masterpiece. You will not read this book and remain unchanged, not because Lossky is such an original and innovative thinker (he is that), but because Lossky faithfully interprets the Tradition. The rest of this review is taken from the jacket of the book itself.
"Vladimir Lossky established himself as one of the most brilliant of Orthodox scholars in the years between his departure from Russia in 1923 and his death in 1958. His uncompromising faithfulness to Scriptural and patristic tradition, coupled with his constant concern for an articulate Orthodox witness in the West, make his works indispensable for an understanding of the theology of the Eastern Church today. In this classic study of Orthodox theology, Lossky states that 'in a certain sense all theology is mystical, in as much as it shows forth the divine mystery: the data of revelation...the eastern tradition has never made a sharp distinction between mysticism and theology, between personal experience of the divine mysteries and the dogma affirmed by the Church.' The term 'mystical theology' denotes in the realm of human experience, that which is accessible yet inaccessible; those things understood yet surpassing all knowledge."
While it is not an easy read at all, it is well worth the time spent in praying and thinking through the subject from an Eastern perspective.
Other books of interest include: "The Orthodox Way" and "The Orthodox Church" by Kallistos (Timothy) Ware; "Byzantine Theology" by John Meyendorff; any Georges Florovsky books; "The Roots of Christian Mysticism" by Olivier Clement; The Gospel of St. John; Jaroslav Pelikan's 5 volume series "The Christian Tradition"; "New Seeds of Contemplation" by Thomas Merton; "The Mountain of Silence" by Kyriacos Markides. Enjoy!

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

In his classic exposition of the theology of the Church, Lossky states that the Eastern Tradition..."has never made a sharp distinction between mysticism and theology; between personal experience of the divine mysteries and the dogma affirmed bu the Church." The term "mystical theology" denotes that which is accessible yet inaccesible' those things inderstood yet surpassing all knowledge.

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