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Tuesday, January 28, 2014

St John Chrysostom and the Jews Q&A




Real Questions, Real Answers!

St John Chrysostom and the Jews

Q. (from AK from FL)
A few days ago I came across a quote in a book entitled The History of the Holocaust by Yehuda Bauer that was very disturbing: "The Jews sacrifice their children to Satan. ... They are worse than wild beasts ... they know only one thing: to satisfy their stomachs, to get drunk, to kill and beat each other up like stage villains and coachmen. ... I hate the Jews, because they violate the Law. I hate the Synagogue because it has the Law and the Prophets. It is the duty of all Christians to hate the Jews." -- St John Chrysostom The source of this quote is Fred Gladstone Bratton's The Crime of Christendom (Boston 1969), pp. 84-85. I realize it could be a complete fallacy or simply taken out of context. I wonder if you can offer some sort of explanation. Thank you.
A.
AK, texts such as this can be very disconcerting. The text you mention does make the late-20th century reader squirm a bit. Some of us remember coming across it ourselves. Your question is characteristic of your inherently Christian belief that we are called to love everyone, even our enemies. We did a bit of research and found out a number of important things.

First, The Crime of Christendom book that Yehuda Bauer used as the source for his information identifies the original source of this text as St John Chrysostom's homilies "Against the Jews." In fact, this is incorrect. The actual name of this set of homilies is "Against the Judaizers" -- meaning those Christians who wanted to behave as the Jews. This is important since all the material in them would be addressing other Christians on the issue of Christian identity, rather than condemning people who are Jewish.

Second, the way oratorical language was used in the early 300s is much different than the speeches we hear today. This type of rhetoric was an art form and was used much in the same way that we create "straw men." The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a straw man as "an imaginary argument or adversary set up only to be easily confuted." In a similar fashion, St John is emphatically urging people not to think that Christianity, and therefore salvation, is based upon following rules, but by loving God.

Third, the extracts that Mr. Bratton quotes are from over 100 pages of text. The footnote at the bottom of the page reads, "All the above quotations are from Chrysostom's eight 'Homilies Against the Jews,' in Patrologia Graeca (Paris: Garnier, 1857-1866) 48:843-942." It makes one wonder about the context in which these relatively few sentences were mentioned over many pages. The mistranslation of the word "Jews" (see first comment) plus this extremely broad citation would seem to indicate that Mr Bratton is much more concerned with making a specific point than with presenting the true meaning of St John's words.

Fourth, we would be remiss not to mention that St John, like many of the early fathers, spoke using the same language he found in the Bible, especially in the prophetical books. A quick reading of any of the books of the prophets shows that they were often very harsh in their attempt to exhort the people. They would use Israel as an example of disobedience and of sanctifying external religious practices. They did this speaking to other Israelites. Similarly, the early fathers, would use these same words referring to the Church, which they saw as the continuation and fulfillment of Israel.

Finally, your question brings up a point that needs to be addressed. As we study our Faith, sometimes we become aware of incidents in the history of our Church that can often seem scandalous. We should not be disheartened by these. As Christians and members of the Church, we need to remember that the Church is made up of sinners. The Scriptures attest to this. Even our understanding of saints acknowledges this. While all of us are called to be holy as God is holy, there is only One who is truly holy, and that is God. It is He that makes the Church holy, not us or any member of it -- whether we are alive or asleep in Christ. Our holiness comes to the extent that we attach ourselves to Him. Hope this answers your question.
For more information on the Orthodox Church and Jews see:
  • Again magazine vol. 19, no. 4 available from Conciliar Press
  • John Chrysostom and the Jews by R. Wilken (University of California, 1983)
Check out your parish and public libraries. Next issue:
On Hell and Judgement
If you have a question, or know a friend who does, send it to us at youth@oca.org. We'll give you a direct and concise answer!

source:

http://web.archive.org/web/20080724094915/http://yya.oca.org/pages/ChurchwidePrograms/Yo_Mail/back-issues/1998-09-15.html#rq


Chrysostom wrote of the Jews and of Judaizers in eight homilies Adversus Judaeos (against the Judaizers).[1] At the time he delivered these sermons, Chrysostom was a tonsured reader and had not yet been ordained a priest or bishop.

source:
http://orthodoxwiki.org/John_Chrysostom

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Quote by C.S. Lewis ~ happiness based on material attachment




Don't let your happiness depend on something you may lose

C.S. Lewis


source of quote:

http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2013/03/cs-lewis-long-terrible-story-of-man.html

The Witness of Orthodoxy Today by By George I. Mantzaridis





...Many people characterize our age as a post-Christian age. This must mean two things: First, that the former ages were Christian. Moreover, that our age is no longer Christian and that Christianity has nothing more to offer. This premise is twice mistaken. Because neither the former period was Christian, nor is the potential of Christianity ever exhausted, with nothing more to offer for the present and future. This does not mean that Christianity has not affected the past and the present. It means that Christianity has not been lived in its authentic dimensions by the masses.(14)

Christianity is person-centred. The individual is not seen as being subject to the impersonal whole, nor juxtaposed to the community. Christianity perceives the person as being in communion in the Church, and sees in every man the ability to reflect in his person all humanity. Consequently, Christianity does not seek to amend society by altering social structures. It seeks the amendment of society in the amendment of each person. In this perspective Christianity prioritizes the internal unification of man, which is achievable through the reunion of the intellect to the heart. In this reunion lies the essence of godly hesychia (i.e. quietude, quiet contemplation or solitude; the practice of the prayer of the heart), a basic element of Orthodox Tradition...


14. Archim. Sophrony, On Prayer, Essex 1994(2), p.97 (Greek).



thanks to source:

http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2014/01/the-witness-of-orthodoxy-today.html

 "The great ideals of the past failed not by being outlived (which must mean over-lived), but by not being lived enough. Mankind has not passed through the Middle Ages. Rather mankind has retreated from the Middle Ages in reaction and rout. The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried." What's Wrong With The World (1910)

G.K. Chesterton

Heresy, Factions and Schisms By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas



...Heresy creates factions and schisms, it splits and divides....
....This creates many problems, because when the faith is altered the correct way of life is lost. This way of life is the method of treating the passions, the method of the purification of the heart, by which man is led to the knowledge of God ("Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God"), since the vision of God is identical with true knowledge.

thanks to source:
http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2014/01/saint-athanasius-great-as-model-for-our.html

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Abbot Tryphon - Death is Inevitable



Death is inevitable and the clock is ticking. At 65 I am no spring chicken, as the saying goes. But as I grow older and have aches and pains and various health issues come along, I have for the first time been hearing that ticking clock, the one that all of us eventually hear.
A doctor friend of mine made the observation that the greatest hazard to your life is conception, because it is a death sentence. From the moment we are born, we begin to die. The best way to approach the inevitability of your own death is to face it head on. Our culture fears death, avoids the thought of death, masking it when it does happen.
My best friend in college died a number of years ago. Although he was Orthodox Christian, his family had him cremated, so there was no final kiss, no burial, no closure. Following the funeral in the parish church, his priest and I joined his family and friends at an art gallery where his work was often featured. While mingling with his wife, son, and their friends, I happened upon a small box sitting on a pillar meant for a sculpture. Looking closely, I saw decoupaged photos of my friend’s life. Among them was a photo of the two of us taken back in the ‘60s, during our college days. Looking around to make sure no one was looking, I lifted the box in order to take a closer look at the photo. Instantly I knew it was my friend’s ashes, given the weight of the box. Laughing to myself, I knew he’d have been amused at the site of me discovering I was holding his remains in this small box.
Since my friend was not responsible for the cremation, an Orthodox service was allowed. His priest and I had a long discussion about the American way of death, how we send our dying family members off to hospitals or hospices, keeping the unpleasantness of death out of sight. We fear death; we avoid looking at it. Cremation is a convenient way of denying the reality of death because there is no body. Yet we Orthodox know that a burial service with an open coffin and graveside service are of benefit to friends and family because the whole process helps with closure.
Lowering the casket into the ground while everyone is there and allowing each person to drop a handful of earth into the grave, is a wonderful way of walking ourselves through the grief process. Denying the reality of death by hiding it from our consciousness only promotes a longer period of grief.
I have chosen the site of my own burial on the grounds of the monastery and I hope to have simple pine box built while I can still look at it. Sitting it up in a corner of my cabin would allow me to use it as a storage space before my death. I once heard of a man who used his pre-need coffin as a wine rack.
Facing my own mortality better prepares me for that moment when will be standing before God, accounting for my life. I’m not in a hurry, mind you. I’m praying God will give me many years more for repentance. However, it is good that I think about my own death, for avoidance will not prolong my life, but it can make me put off repentance.

Abbot Tryphon

http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/morningoffering/death_is_inevitable#transcript

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Noah's Ark Has Been Found. Why Are They Keeping Us In The Dark?


Noah's Ark Has Been Found. Why Are They Keeping Us In The Dark?

December 13, 2013



Written by Dan Eden for ViewZone
I'm often amazed at our lack of knowledge about history. Ordinary people are hungry for this information, yet the organizations responsible to disseminate these facts seem to have an agenda to keep us in the dark. This is especially true when it comes to our ancient human history.
I won't hold you in suspense with this article: The Ark of Noah has been found. It's real. I'll describe the evidence in some detail and end with the historical and religious implications.
How It Was Discovered
In 1959, Turkish army captain Llhan Durupinar discovered an unusual shape while examining aerial photographs of his country. The smooth shape, larger than a football field, stood out from the rough and rocky terrain at an altitude of 6,300 feet near the Turkish border with Iran.
noahs ark found
Photo: http://www.viewzone.com/noahx.html
Capt. Durupinar was familiar with the biblical accounts of the Ark and its association with Mount Ararat in Turkey, but he was reluctant to jump to any conclusions. The region was very remote, yet it was inhabited with small villages. No previous reports of an object this odd had been made before. So he forwarded the photographic negative to a famous aerial photography expert named Dr. Brandenburger, at Ohio State University.
Brandenburger was responsible for discovering the Cuban missile bases during the Kennedy era from reconnaissance photos, and after carefully studying the photo, he concluded: "I have no doubt at all, that this object is a ship. In my entire career, I have never seen an object like this on a stereo photo."
noahs ark found
Photo: http://www.viewzone.com/noahx.html
In 1960 the picture [above] was published in LIFE magazine under the heading of Noahs Ark? That same year a group of Americans accompanied Capt. Durupinar to the site for a day and a half. They were expecting to find artifacts on the surface or something that would be unquestionably related to a ship of some kind. They did some digging in the area but found nothing conclusive and announced to the anxiously waiting world that it appeared to be a natural formation.
Most of the global media turned away from the find and it became a non-story.
In 1977 Ron Wyatt visited the site. Obtaining official permission, Ron and others conducted more thorough research over a period of several years. They used metal detection surveys, subsurface radar scans, and chemical analysis -- real science -- and their findings were startling. The evidence was undeniable. This was the Ark of Noah.
The Visual Evidence
The first part of the survey was to examine the object and take its measurements. The shape looked like hull of a ship. One end was pointed as you would expect from bow [below: D] and the opposite end was blunt like a stern. The distance from bow to stern was 515 feet, or exactly 300 Egyptian cubits. The average width was 50 cubits. These were the exact measurements mentioned in the Bible.
noahs ark found
Photo: http://www.viewzone.com/noahx.html
On the starboard side (right) near the stern there were four vertical bulges protruding from the mud [B], at regular intervals, that were determined to be the "ribs" of the hull [see below]. Opposite to these, on the port side, a single rib [A] protrudes from the mud. You can see its curved shape very clearly. Surrounding it are more ribs, still largely buried in the mud, but visible upon close examination.
Remember that this object, if it is the Ark, is extremely old. The wood has been petrified. Organic matter has been replaced by minerals from the earth. Only the shapes and traces of the original wood remain. Perhaps this is why the expedition in 1960 was disappointed. They anticipated finding and retrieving chucks of wood, long since eroded.
noahs ark found
Photo: http://www.viewzone.com/noahx.html
From the position of the object in the middle of an obvious mud flow, it is obvious that the object slid down more than a mile from its original location. Geologists believe it was originally over 1000 feet higher in the mountain and encased in a shell of hardened mud. They think that an earthquake in 1948 cracked the mud shell and revealed the structure. This is confirmed by stories from the surrounding villagers who tell of its "sudden appearance" around that time.
noahs ark found
Photo: http://www.viewzone.com/noahx.html
Biblical accounts of the Ark describe it as having as many as six levels. The assumed shape of the Ark seems consistent with the bulge [C] in the middle of the object. In fact, as we will soon learn, radar scans of the structure suggest that this bulge is the collapsed debris of these levels.
Although most people think of the Ark as being rectangular, that only applies to the top decks. The sleek shape of the hull is necessary to enable the huge ship to remain stable in the water and survive tremendous waves.
Ground Penetrating Radar
The human eye needs to see reflected light to recognize an object. To visualize what remains below the earth, scientists use microwaves which can penetrate the ground and bounce back when they hit something solid. This technique is commonly used to locate oil and other minerals. Called Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), the apparatus us made from an antenna that transmits, then listens to receive the "echo" and prints the result on a piece of paper. The delay and strength of this echo tell the geologists how solid and at what depth the objects are under the earth.
noahs ark found
Photo: http://www.viewzone.com/noahx.html
The team of geologists didn't scan the entire object. Instead, they marked out lines that crossed the object with yellow tape. Then they dragged the antenna (about the size of a lawnmower) over the lines and watched the output on the paper recorder. When they got a strong "hit" -- meaning there was something solid underneath -- they would record the position on the tape [above]. Later, when they made a map of the object, the tape and the location of the "hits" they realized that there was indeed a structure underneath the mud.
"This data does not represent natural geology. These are man made structures. These reflections are appearing too periodic... too periodic to be random in that type of natural pace." - Ron Wyatt of SIR Imaging team
noahs ark found
Photo: http://www.viewzone.com/noahx.html
The radar cans revealed this structure [above] under the mud. The symmetry and logical placement of these objects shows that this is unmistakably a man made structure, most likely the Ark of Noah.
Artifacts Retrieved From The Ark
Using the GPR, Ron Wyatt discovered an open cavity on the starboard side. He used an improvised drill to make core sample inside this cavity and retrieved several very interesting objects. Below you can see the artifacts which were sent for laboratory analysis. On the left is the bore hole [see below], followed by what turned out to be petrified animal dung, then a petrified antler and lastly a piece of cat hair.
noahs ark found
Photo: http://www.viewzone.com/noahx.html
Perhaps the most significant find from the Ark itself is a piece of petrified wood. When this was first found it appeared to be a large beam. But upon closer examination it is actually three pieces of plank that have been laminated together with some kind of organic glue! This is the same technology used in modern plywood. Lamination makes the total strength of the wood much greater than the combined strength of the pieces. This suggests a knowledge of construction far beyond anything we knew existed in the ancient world.
noahs ark found
Tests by Galbraith Labs in Knoxville, Tennessee, showed the sample to contain over 0.7% organic carbon, consistent with fossilized wood. The specimen was once living matter. Photo: http://www.viewzone.com/noahx.html
Examination reveals the glue oozed from the layers. The outside of the wood appears to have been coated with bitumen.
Even more surprising were laboratory analyses which not only revealed that the petrified wood contained carbon (proving it was once wood) but there were iron nails [above right] embedded in the wood!
We like to imagine that humanity evolved in a neat sequence of eras, each named after the technology that was discovered. We have the Stone Age (where man developed arrows and stone tools), the Bronze Age (where metals were combined and heated to make tools and household items) and lastly the Iron Age (where iron and steel objects were made by heating iron ore and adding other material -- like charcoal -- to strengthen it). The Iron Age is usually placed at 1200-1000 BC, yet we have iron nails being used in this extremely old construction
But Wait... There's More!
The most surprising find was discovered with sensitive metal detectors. The team located several strong "hits" that, when dug up, revealed large disc shaped rivets. From simple observation of the metal it was possible to see where the rivet had been hammered after being inserted through a hole [below].
noahs ark found
Photo: http://www.viewzone.com/noahx.html
If rivets being used in ancient construction doesn't impress you, this surely will.
An analysis of the metal used to make the rivets revealed that they were a combination of iron (8.38%), aluminum (8.35%) and titanium (1.59%). Remember these trace metals have survived petrification and so do not indicate the exact content in the original material. (see Report from Galbraith Labs)
We know the aluminum was incorporated in the metallic mixture because it does not exist in metallic form in nature. This implies an extremely advanced knowledge of metallurgy and engineering. Characteristics of an iron-aluminum alloy have been investigated in The Russian Chemical Bulletin (2005) and reveal that this alloy forms a thin film of aluminum oxide which protects the material from rust and corrosion. The addition of titanium would provide added strength. This seems to have worked. The rivets have survived from antiquity!
The Surrounding Areas
Several miles from the location of the Ark, huge stones were discovered, some standing upright while others lying on the ground. These stones, weighing many tons, have holes carved in them. Scientists have determined that they were anchors and the holes would have been their attachment to a ship with hemp rope.
noahs ark found
Photo: http://www.viewzone.com/noahx.html
Often these stones will have crosses carved in them, from centuries ago when pilgrims made the journey to visit the Ark. Yes, the Ark was well known in the Middle Ages and even before. And its location was recorded in many historical documents.
"And the Ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen." - Genesis 8:4-5
The Gilgamesh Epic (650 BC) gives Mt. Nisir as the landing place of the Ark. The local name for the town where the Ark was found is Nasar.
The annals of Ashurnasurpal II of Assyria (833-859 BC) places it south of the Zab river (correct).
Theophilus of Antioch (115-185 AD) said the Ark could be seen in his day in the Arabian mountains. Later Church Fathers also mention the Ark as late as the mid 7th century.
In the 13th century, Willam, a traveler, stated for the first time that Mt. Masis was the Ark location (present-day Mt. Ararat).
Ptolemy's Geographia (1548) mentions the mountains of Armenia as the place of landing. So does the traveler Nicolas de Nicolay (1558).
Pilgrims to the site would gather bits and pieces of the petrified wood which would be used as charms to ward off evil. When they encountered the anchors, they had no doubt about their association with the Ark. They often carved one big cross to represent Noah and smaller crosses representing his family.
noahs ark found
Photo: http://www.viewzone.com/noahx.html
The huge anchors would have been suspended from the keel of the ship. This was a common practice among ancient mariners to stabilize a heavy ship and ensure that the bow is always facing the on-coming waves. A "top heavy" ship, such as the Ark, could easily be capsized by a wave approaching from the side. This is yet further proof that Noah's Ark was a reality and that it has indeed been found in Turkey.
Source / By Dan Eden

Quote by Lao-tzu




When armies are mobilized and issues are joined, The man who is sorry over the fact will win.

-- Lao-tzu