Tuesday 4 September 2012 Metropolitan Hierotheos On Theology And Science

By His Eminence Capital Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou VlasiouIn advance elaborating on the neighborhood I would to the same extent to meaning out that in the role of I use the big name "theology" I mean the Instantly patristic theology, as preserved in the Instantly House of worship, not the University and Protestant theology experienced in the West. In elaborating the neighborhood, I command snappishly introduce some points that I imagine lofty.1. Representation METAPHYSICS AND SCIENCEThe big name "metaphysics" first appeared with the magazine of Aristotle's works by Andronicus of Rhodes, in the 1st century BC. It is memorable that Aristotle wrote a book dignified "Physike Akroasis" or "Physics" and some other works in which he deals with natural phenomena, that is the sky, beginning and staleness, meteorology, etc. In increase, Aristotle wrote something else book dignified "First Theory" which presents his ontology. The editor of the preceding books positioned the book "First Theory" as soon as the book "Physics", so this was called "Metaphysics" ["At the rear of the Physics"]. That's why, metaphysics denotes the science that deals with the Incomparable Interior, God.Plato's teaching, which preceded that of Aristotle, is moreover included under the big name metaphysics. Plato argued that God is the Incomparable Interior, in whom current arise the unborn matter, and the world was bent based on these matter. Moreover, Aristotle expounded the work out about the first unenthusiastic carrier.Subsequently, metaphysics is the science that meeting about God, but connects God very solidly with brand, at the same time as all existing equipment are copies of unborn matter or are moved by the Incomparable Interior. University theology embraced this example metaphysics and we find it in the works of Thomas Aquinas who speaks about "analogia entis". This means that current is an corresponding in the middle of God and bent personal property. By extend over, it means that current is a stopper come to get in the middle of metaphysics and physics, in the middle of God and the authorities. At all occurs in the authorities is a watching of matter. It is very expressive that Aristotle himself interrelated philosophy with science.In studying western theology, as expressed in Thomas Aquinas' "Summa Theologica", we find the view that the authorities of the world is a write out of divine better part behind the hypostasization of the archetypes.This come to get in the middle of metaphysics and physics, that is western theology and science, constructed a a variety of worldview and all interpretations about God, man and the world experienced based on this worldview. From side to side the Regeneration and the Description, however, in the role of humanism experienced, based on reasoned care and worldly autonomy, the facts out of the ordinary. It was impossible to hear the come to get in the middle of metaphysics and science, to hear that everything that exists in the world is a write out of Plato's matter or is moved by Aristotle's first unenthusiastic carrier, and like so the worldview of metaphysics distorted.Scientists investigating the world, each the earth and the skies, checked everything behind remark and trial. The positivism that experienced went to a dealing out defiant to metaphysics. Including this direction atheistic humanism argued against the God of the West. This is how atheism was bent. Non-belief is in fact the refutation of an whimsical God, at the same time as the God of Plato and Aristotle, and of the University theologians as well, is actually whimsical, non-existing. Suitably, the collect of the death of God refers to the God of metaphysics - example and Christian - sturdy in the West. The Pope's theologians required to protect the God described by Thomas Aquinas, and as a renovate they clashed with science, very desperately, as is seen in the comings and goings of the Consecrated Inquest.2. Traditionalism AS ANTI-METAPHYSICSThe Fathers of the House of worship - and I abide in sentry in bar St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Gregory of Nyssa and some others who dealt with these issues, as well as St. Gregory Palamas - design not in the grid of example and western metaphysics but in a defiant dealing out. In fact, Instantly theology, as expressed by the Fathers of the House of worship, is anti-metaphysical. I command grant some examples to make this apparent.One outline has to do with "analogia entis". As we alleged via, even western Christian metaphysics argues that current is an corresponding in the middle of the world we see and the unborn world of matter we do not see, that the intact world is a write out of God's matter and on this meaning they see harmony in authorities. The Fathers of the House of worship, whilst, battle against this view and, subsequent the theology of the House of worship, teach that the whole authorities was bent by God out of non-being and not out of unborn matter. According to the Fathers of the House of worship, current is no ontological association in the middle of the matter of God and frequent of the creatures. The world came to established out of non-existence. St. Gregory the Theologian in his theological sermons urges his spectators to "recoil from Plato's matter".A bulletin outline is a continuation of the to begin with and refers to the perfect example. According to example metaphysics, as expressed by Plato, man's perfect example belongs to the unborn world of matter and as soon as its fall it was conserved in the edge which is the soul's labor camp. Having the status of the perfect example has a remember of the world of matter, it desires to return to it by the outlaw of the edge, and the whole mysticism of the Platonic and Neo-Platonic philosophers revolves selected this meaning. The Fathers of the House of worship, however, do not hear this view of the perfect example. They importance that the perfect example does not belong to the world of matter, that it is, considerably, Divine being creature which came to established out of non-being, chastely to the same extent the intact world. In this direction, after that, the edge is not the labor camp of the perfect example, and the perfect example has no swallow to return to the world of matter, in a mystical way, behind sorcery. It is well memorable that Neo-Platonism is solidly affiliated with sorcery, as we see in the life of Plotinus. That's why, Instantly theology refutes the mysticism of Platonism and Neo-Platonism.The third outline, which follows from the times of yore ones, has to do with the class in the middle of uncreated and bent beings. At the same time as metaphysics is mixed up with metaphysical and natural phenomena, the Fathers of the House of worship direct to uncreated and bent beings. This is twice as lofty, at the same time as, as we mentioned via, in metaphysics the natural beings are copies of the metaphysical, the same as for the Fathers of the House of worship God is uncreated and the whole of brand is bent, that is, it was bent by God and it is not a write out of matter. Greatest expressively, current is no dialectical class in the middle of them, as if the metaphysical ones conscious in a floor elder the natural ones. More willingly, God's uncreated energy meets the bent energy of the bent personal property.This is the rationale why the Fathers of the House of worship did not clash with science, as happened in the West with the Consecrated Inquest. They knew very well that theology meeting about the uncreated God and develops the basics for the blessing of personal property by the uncreated Shine of God, the same as science deals with the search of bent personal property. Subsequently, from an Instantly theology meaning of view, the advances of natural sciences transport no hassle to us, at the same time as procedural discoveries do not wear off man's connection with God, seeing that the authorities is not a write out of matter, in which warfare it could be alleged that God is insulted by each investigation. To cottage this circumstances I command direct to astronomy and modern genetics.Primeval Greek metaphysics argued that space bodies are permanent and excursion circularly sans alternative. Aristotle in his book "Physics" claims that current is alternative in natural phenomena but not in space bodies, which he had positioned in the "as soon as the physics" (metaphysics). It is revealing that he not rushed space bodies to be buoy up beings, demean gods who are stopper to the spirit. That's why, in the fabrication current is the attribute of no alternative, the same as modern astronomy, observing the starry skies, sees changes. Built-up astronomy cannot view space bodies as gods, at the same time as man is useful to send manned spacecrafts to these space bodies and has even walked on the Moon.Moreover, modern genetics has the means and the skillfulness to study the sub-cellular world and check up the whole mystery in it, as well as to imperial the changes occurring in the genetic subject matter, man's DNA. For this rationale, modern science cannot hear that it investigates all these elements as copies of a metaphysical world of matter.This is why we importance that Instantly theology, which rejects metaphysics, has no essential hassle with the advances of modern science, unless science goes elapsed its precincts. So, it does not roll science, in the role of science serves man. In fact, in the modern discoveries we experience at the wisdom of God who bent the world, "How heaps are your works, Lord! In wisdom you prepared them all; the earth is full of your creatures". (Psalm 103 (104):24)Of course current is a hassle in connection with the way procedural discoveries are second hand. It is achievable that some of them may become a hassle for man and the world, source to the rape of the set and to genetic haze and finally harm man himself. Steamroll in these personal belongings, Instantly theology specifically sets certain central theological morals and stresses that science itself has to set bioethical secret language in order not to work against mankind. We history that modern bioethics sets such secret language, as soon as the skirmish of molecular biology with standard drug and tackle.3. THE Apply OF THE THEOLOGIAN AND THE Apply OF THE SCIENTISTSo far we abide discussed the association in the middle of metaphysics and science and intense how they were interrelated together in the before, but in our age, enormously in the stretch two-three centuries, they abide been de-linked. Bar, even whilst science functions independently of theology, scientists can be believers and theologians, and theologians may be scientists, but each one knows his edge, his qualities and his assignment.Instantly theology discusses what God is, as we can see in Instantly dogmatics which elaborates the House of worship teaching on God. God is Triune, Get going, Son and Want, uncreated, have fun, as revealed by Christ Himself with His variation, and knowing by the saints of the House of worship. On the other hand, science deals with creatures, investigates the better part of bent personal property, observes the way they levy, and after that reaches conclusions that are recorded in order to get through mankind.Instantly theology argues that God is the biographer of the world. He brought it to established out of non-existence, He gives life to it, and like so, behind the authorities one may be crazy about God. On the other hand, science inquires about the way God prepared the world or at minimum the way bent personal property design.Instantly theology defines the "reasons for the established of beings", that is, discusses the uncreated energy of God which is happening all creatures, even the least ones, such as disgraceful spy. Put forward is the substance-giving, the life-giving energy of God to all brand, as well as the wisdom-giving energy in man, manifested in the way he uses his intelligence. On the other hand, science deals with the equipment be significant of personal property, observes their compositions, their changes and the get through they nation bring to mankind. Out of campaign in the natural world we snare the creation of personal property and are useful to rehabilitation certain diseases. This is achieved in curative laboratories.Instantly theology refers to the coins of the world, to how the world is sanctified and man is redeemed. Currency and wine are changed in vogue the Person and Blood of Christ sans undergoing an variation of their be significant, oil becomes the Consecrated Unction, etc. Moreover, the intact man is sanctified in edge and perfect example and may unite with God. This is the mission of Instantly theology. By fluctuate, science deals with the way to work equipment personal property, in order to fissure naive problems, the same as curative science tries to rehabilitation the corruptible, personality edge so that man's life maintains a extent of brand.All these flicker that the mission of Instantly theology is single from the mission of science. Plainly, after that, the mission of the Instantly theologian differs from the mission of the scientist. The two cannot be embarrassed. An Instantly theologian may be lively with science specifically in the role of he is a scientist. A scientist may be lively with God specifically in the role of he follows the direction of theology. It is unsuitable for a theologian who has specifically theological knowledge to sharp procedural views, if he is not a scientist. It is unsuitable for a scientist to sharp theological views, if he is not a theologian. In each warfare current are precincts in the middle of theology and science.In any warfare, Consecrated Scripture is not a procedural book, it is a theological book which aims not at producing science but at plateful man to know God and unite with Him. This means that the authors of Consecrated Scripture, the Prophets and the Apostles, employed the procedural knowledge of their own become old. So, one cannot use Scriptural examples against science, nor can procedural discoveries be viewed as undermining Consecrated Scripture. For outline, the authors of Consecrated Scripture use the knowledge of their become old about the sun's strive selected the earth, and as a result write down about the dawn and evening. The locate that the earth revolves selected the sun does not wear off wish in Consecrated Scripture, at the same time as the latter's pattern is theological, not procedural.At the rear of these tightly intellect, I command bear in mind you that Nietzsche, the dreamer, referred to the death of God. His idiom is well known: "don't we get trapped in yet the call out of the thought-provoking diggers burying God? Don't we perfume yet doesn't matter what of the divine decomposition? - even gods decompose! God is dead! God sediment dead! And it is we who killed him!"The perforate is: which God is dead? From what we abide alleged so far, it seems that the dead God is the God of western metaphysics who is based on philosophy and be miles away, not the God of the Instantly House of worship, who is empirical, meaning that a have fun living within the House of worship is useful to place the distinguish of God.Put forward is moreover the unused perforate of who killed God. From what has been alleged via, the guess is that the metaphysical God of the West was killed by recruits who could not mood stopper to him, at the same time as he was cool in fantasy and they viewed him as a heartless edge. He was moreover dethroned by science, which could not hear him, or absolutely could not hear the come to get in the middle of metaphysics and physics. This, however, is not what happened with the Fathers of the House of worship who knowing God as a nonconformist Interior who loves and cares for man.And a abet perforate is: who smells the carcass of God? From the elder it seems that it is the humanists that perfume it, enormously the atheistic humanists, who rejected the metaphysical God with the subtitle "back to brand", not the Instantly ones who perfume the energy of God and pervade in vogue communion with Him behind the neptic hesychastic tradition.Science can be beneficial or tragic for man and it command unconditionally give in the role of this world ends its established. Theology deals with the blessing of the world and man's coins, and it command lead man to communion with God, as soon as the hurt of the fabrication.Accordingly, current is no outlet for a clash in the middle of theology and science, specifically the possibility of a clash in the middle of theologians and scientists, in the role of they get out of their precincts. Theologians try to get to know God and guide recruits to Him, and scientists try to study brand.In our become old, in the role of recruits explore for the meaning of life, Instantly theology can help them sans inside in vogue rivalries with science or possibly with atheists. As clergy and theologians we abide a firm room for action in the spiritual, existential, and expressive outlet to help new pain recruits.