AndyHolland wrote:It should be pointed out that there are words of speculation freely admitted by both St. Basil and St. Ephraim pertaining to these subjects.
With St. Gregory's more abstract expositions on these topics as referenced above, the words have a definite character and proceed from what is knowable and discernable.
St. Seraphim of Sarov's exposition on Adam when he speaks to Motovilov is also free from speculation.
http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/wonderful.aspx
andy holland
sinner
I can understand where you're coming from, because I've been Orthodox for fifteen years, but I've only been a convinced Creationist for the past four. In addition to Fr. Seraphim's work on Genesis, you should also read about Intelligent Design Theory. Many of its proponents in the scientific community aren't even believers themselves, but they admit that just from empirical analysis they've discerned cells to have an irreducable complexity that Darwinian Natural Selection doesn't satisfactorily explain.
I love St. Ephrem's commentaries. Has anyone read the Cave of Treasures? Here is a link to it:
http://www3.iath.virginia.edu/anderson/ ... /Cave.html
It gives a shorter commentary on Genesis at the beginning, but mainly deals with the generations of the antediluvian Patriarchs, from Adam to Noah. Something that is different about this commentary, I've noticed, is that it describes Adam as being made from the four elements and not just earth. It also speaks of Lucifer rebelling in heaven because he refused to bow to Adam when he was first created. This is identical to the Muslim tale of Iblis falling from heaven, but it is the first time I have ever seen it in a Christian writing. St. Ephrem doesn't speak of this in his more extensive commentaries on Genesis.