The Orthodox Standard Journal

WORD of the Week: Christian An Orthodox Patristic Definition “And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” — Acts 11:26, ESV  “It is not the name, but the way of life that makes a Christian.” —St. Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Magnesians To be called a Christian (Gk, Christianos, Hbw, Meshichi) in the Orthodox Patristic tradition is not a cultural label, an ideological subscription, nor a moral, identity. The term was originally --in all likelihood-- a neutral label or possibly one with dismissive or even mocking connotations at the time.   It is, rather, an ontological and ecclesial reality: the Christian is one: 1. Who has been united to Christ (Christos),  2. who lives by His life, and  3. who is progressively transformed into His likeness through divine grace (charis), synergistic asceticism (synergeia), and sacramental communion in the life of the Church (Ekklēsia). The name Christian was not a self-appointed title, nor was it ado...

  WORD of the Week: Perichoretic (Patristic definition and elaboration) The term perichoretic derives from the Greek περιχώρησις (perichōrēsis), a word formed from peri- (around) and chōreō (to make room, to go forward, to contain, or to make space). In the theological lexicon of the Church Fathers, perichōrēsis came to signify the mutual indwelling, interpenetration, or co-inherence of the divine persons of the Holy Trinity —Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—without confusion, division, or loss of personal distinction. Though the word itself does not appear in the New Testament, its meaning is woven into the fabric of Christological and Trinitarian theology. The Church Fathers—particularly the Cappadocians, St. John of Damascus, and St. Maximus the Confessor—developed the concept as they wrestled with safeguarding the paradox of unity and distinction in the Godhead. In its most precise and sacred application, perichōrēsis describes the eternal and dynamic communion among the three hypo...

 WORD of the Week a new weekly series defining and elaborating on a significant term used by the Church Fathers and Patristic-oriented Orthodox Theologians. Participation Click here to read