My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE. Ο ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΕΝ ΤΩ ΜΕΣΩ ΗΜΩΝ! ΚΑΙ ΗΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΑΙ.
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PRAXIS AND THEORIA
By His Eminence Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos, Greece, from Orthodox Spirituality
In the teachings of the Holy Fathers the three stages of the spiritual life are characterized by use of the terms "praxis" and "theoria". I think we should dwell upon this subject also, in order, on the one hand, to understand more clearly what is meant by repentance and purification of heart; and, on the other hand, to ascertain the misinterpretation of the terms praxis and theoria by contemporary individuals. I would like to begin with an analysis of the latter.
When reading texts from the Holy Fathers, many people behold these terms without being aware of their deeper meaning. They interpret them within the perspective of Western thought: theoria is termed as speculative, is based on theory not on practice, in other words, dealing simply with logic theoretically. Whereas praxis is the teaching and application of these intellectual concepts. Still others see theoria as the reflection on things divine, and praxis as its missionary thrust, i.e., the teaching of these rational concepts.
However, in the Patristic Tradition other meanings are attached to the terms praxis and theoria, which shall be referred to briefly in the following passages.
Saint Gregory the Theologian says that theoria and praxis are beneficial, because theoria elevates man's nous above earthly things; it guides him to the Holy of Holies and restores him to his original nature; whereas praxis receives and serves Christ and rests love and actions. Clearly, theoria is the vision of God--the nous' restoration and return to God; praxis is whatever deeds it takes to lead to this agape (love).
In another text, Saint Gregory the Theologian, in making reference to the last and the most dreadful of the seven plagues of the Egyptians--i.e., the death of the first-born children--states that in order for a person to escape the Angel of death, he must anoint the guardians of his nous--praxis and theoria--with the blood of Christ. Thus praxis and theoria are linked with the nous. And this, for certain, is our identification with the participation in Christ's Crucifixion, Burial, Resurrection and Ascension.
Within the whole of Patristic Tradition it is clear that praxis is the purification of the heart's passions and theoria is both the illumination of the nous and the vision of the uncreated glory of God. According to Saint Gregory the Theologian, praxis is the cause of theoria. According to Elias the Elder, praxis is fasting and all-night vigil; psalm-singing and prayer; and silence which is more precious than words; also praxis is whatever is done patiently without complaint. Saint Isaac the Syrian say that theoria is the vision of the nous. It must be noted, of course, that there is no praxis independent of theoria, neither does theoria exist independently of praxis. This means that man is led to the theoria of God through purification; and when theoria ceases, then praxis begins again.
Praxis, is the purification of the heart; this constitutes genuine repentance, as proclaimed by Saint John the Baptist, Christ Himself and, of course, by all of His Apostles, because repentance is the indispensable prerequisite for one to experience the Kingdom of God.
Thus, purification of the heart, i.e., of our inner world, is the first stage of the spiritual life, through which we must pass in order to attain to salvation. In the following, the meaning attached to "purification of heart" by the Holy Fathers of the Church must be ascertained. They intend primarily three things:
Firstly, purification of the heart is the cure of the soul's faculty, so as to function in accordance with nature and above nature--not contrary to nature. Man's soul is both unified and manifold. She has primarily three faculties: the intelligent, the appetitive and the incentive. All three faculties, when functioning normally, are directed towards God. The intellect seeks God; the desire longs for God, and the will must do everything to achieve this communion and union with God.
Secondly, purification is man's deliverance from pleasure and pain, in other words a person's liberation from the oppression exerted by pleasure and pain. When man is cleansed, he is freed from their domination. It is the spiritual pleasures which primarily are cultivated within him; and he does not become distressed or afflicted when diverse people or problems and adversities in life cause him pain.
Thirdly, purification is the cleansing of the heart from the various thoughts--logismoi existing therein. They are called logismoi because they must dwell in the reason and not within the heart. What does this mean? When a "logismos" ("thought") comes and a person is not sufficiently attentive, it then becomes a desire which wants to be fulfilled, i.e., realized. This means that the logismos (thought) proceeds from the intelligent faculty of the soul to the passable faculty, that is the faculties of the appetitive and the incentive. Being realized and developing into a passion (pathos) the logismos enters, in fact, into the heart and remains all powerful there...
"...If praxis is the purification of heart in Patristic Tradition, theoria is on the one hand the illumination of the nous and on the other the vision of the uncreated Light. Thus, in the teaching of Saint Gregory Palamas, it appears that theoria of God is man's union with God. It is affected through divinization (theosis) and bestows upon him the knowledge of God. theoria, union, theosis, and knowledge of God are synonymous terms in Patristic Tradition.
This is the path leading to a person's cure. Just as every science has a specific way of guiding a person to knowledge, so also does the Church have a method to lead man to God. And this method consists of purification of the heart, illumination of the nous and divinization (theosis)---also called Praxis and Theoria. (Source: Orthodox Heritage)
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"All that you lose in the name of God, you keep. All that you keep for your own sake, you lose. All that you give in the name of God, you will receive with interest. All that you give for the sake of your own glory and pride, you throw into the water. All that you receive from people as from God will bring you joy. All that you receive from people as from people will bring you worries." (Saint Nicholas of Serbia)
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostom
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George