The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Eastern Orthodox Agrees That Salvation Is A Mystery

In a previous thread on the problem of the atonement it was commented that we can understand salvation with our rational mind. My point was that we can understand the love of the cross with the heart but trying to intellectualize it by putting it into a theorem or formula can’t be done. In other words how the cross changes us is a mystery. The Eastern Orthodox church agrees with me on this. Salvation is indeed a mystery. Here’s an Eastern Orthodox article explaining this:

goarch.org/ourfaith/how-are-we-saved

It’s also not the cross alone that redeems. The whole life of Christ was a living sacrifice and fragrant offering up to God. Not just His death.

goarch.org/ourfaith/suffering

Here’s a talk by Eastern Orthodox Metropolitan Kallistos Ware on the subject “Salvation in Christ—The Orthodox Approach”
It is rather long, but well worth listening to.

youtube.com/watch?v=3F7h-TStNd8

I’ve read a number of works by Ware and have profited from them immensely. Thanks for the link.

Ware agrees that the Christian religion is a great mystery(8:05)

Great is the mystery of our salvation (8:31)

There is so much that we cannot express in words(8:48)

God desires everyone to be saved(9:50)

We human beings can refuse that offer(10:15)

We are saved as members of the body of Christ and not alone (12:21)

We do not find a single systematic theory of salvation but many images, metaphors, and models. (13:00)

According to the video, the Eastern Orthodox view doesn’t try to understand salvation through reason but symbols that speak for themselves that are never explained. This agrees with what I have been trying to say in the OP. I’m quite aware of apophatic theology and how salvation is paradox.

The video is great! Nowhere does Ware say we can rationally explain salvation or the mystical union.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51xDd80NUbL.SS500.jpg

Another article by an Eastern Orthodox writer that may be of interest: Salvation by Christ.

Good on you Michael :smiley: Happy Christmas to you :smiley: