I am rereading The Orthodox Veneration of Mary, the Birthgiver of God by St. John Maximovitch. In this book, there is an introduction written by Father Seraphim Rose of Platina, in which he makes a very important observation about today's Orthodox Christian theologians and would be theologians who engage in logical argumentation and polemics. This is particularly evident among many of those who inhabit internet forums, particularly those on facebook.
Here are a few quotes from that introduction.
... his [St. John Maximovitch's] words were convincing not by virtue of logical argumentation, but rather by the power of his presentation of the Patristic teaching in its original texts. .... what he himself wrote was simply a handing down of the Patristic tradition, with no attempt to apologize for it.
The sources of Archbishop John's theology are, quote simply: Holy Scripture, the Holy Fathers (especially the great Fathers of the 4th and 5th centuries), and -- most distinctively -- the Divine services of the Orthodox Church (p. 14).
...his theological inspiration came chiefly from this primary Patristic source which he imbibed, not in leisure hours set apart for theologizing, but in his daily practice of being present at every Divine service. He drank in theology as an integral part of daily life, and it was doubtless this more than his formal theological studies that actually made him a theologian (p. 15).
In this respect he has much to teach the younger theologians of our own day, who approach Orthodoxy theology in a spirit that is often both too theoretical and too polemical and partisan (p. 15).
If we were to write in charity with St. John's words in mind, I think that we would give a better witness of Orthodox Christianity.
Even though we should speak the truth in love, polemic words that offend others and cause a rise in the passions should not be coming from our lips when we speak, and from our fingers as we type. Like St. John, our words should invite others to "Taste and see how good the Lord is."
If my own words in my posts have been uncharitable and thus have offended others, please forgive me.