Monasticism and relation of obedience and freedom, as well as the relation of faith and obedience, culminated in the issues ‘judgement-distinction’ and how passions are healed

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleΜοναχισμός καί σχέση ὑπακοῆς καί ἐλευθερίας καθώς καί σχέση πίστεως καί ϋπακοῆς με ἐπιστέγασμα τῶν θεμάτων «κρίση-διάκριση» καί πῶς θεραπεύονται τά πάθη
3. Language term English
4. lemma author Koutalis, Vangelis
5. lemma category Ethics - Orthodox theological tradition and practice > Cult and spirituality - Scientific theories and disciplines > Psychology-Psychoanalysis - Complementarity
6. Publication date 26-02-2017
7. lemma work Kokkoris, Eusebios [Author]. Monasticism and relation of obedience and freedom, as well as the relation of faith and obedience, culminated in the issues ‘judgement-distinction’ and how passions are healed
8. lemma manifestations Μοναχισμός καί σχέση ὑπακοῆς καί ἐλευθερίας καθώς καί σχέση πίστεως καί ϋπακοῆς με ἐπιστέγασμα τῶν θεμάτων «κρίση-διάκριση» καί πῶς θεραπεύονται τά πάθη - Athens: 'Tinos' Publications, 2008.
9. Keywords monasticism - freedom - obedience - judgement
10. Citations
    1. <p>Kokkoris, E. [Κόκκορης, Ε.] (2008). <em>Μοναχισμός καί σχέση ὑπακοῆς καί ἐλευθερίας καθώς καί σχέση πίστεως καί ϋπακοῆς με ἐπιστέγασμα τῶν θεμάτων «κρίση-διάκριση» καί πῶς θεραπεύονται τά πάθη</em>. Athens: ‘Tinos’ Publications.</p>
11. Lemma body

    1. In this book, through a series of sermons, the author examines some aspects of the Orthodox spirituality. More particularly, after briefly recounting the history of the Orthodox monasticism and reviewing the forms that the latter assumed, he touches upon the relationship between obedience and freedom in the Orthodox Church. For any pious Christian, obedience to Christ and the Church must be regarded as absolute, whereas the obedience to humans is only relative. Obedience is a virtue, which instead of aiming at the subjugation of the human person, guides the believers towards their real freedom as persons. However, as the author emphatically points out, in the everyday reality of the Church, there are many instances where obedience is misinterpreted and exploited by clergymen who are arrogant, spiritually ailing or led astray.

       Human agency and the ability of rational judgment are gifts of the Divine Grace. The purification of the passions involves also the restoration of the sound judgment. Furthermore, every true believer, and every clergyman, must possess the ability to discern correctly what is right and what is wrong, what are the proper ways to follow and the real problems to be tackled. According to the author, the development of that ability necessitates, apart from the purity of heart, a familiarization with the findings of the contemporary sciences, especially of medicine, psychology and sociology. The hesychast purification and ascetic discipline, the inner labour of the soul, as advocated by the Orthodox tradition, must be complemented with the causal knowledge of the social or psychological problems encountered in each particular case.