Metropolitan Hierotheus Vlachos

[romiosini]

Lord Have Mercy!

[Justin Kissel]

I think that Met. Hierotheos is very insightful, and would recommend his books (the ones I've read, that is) without qualification (which I would do with very few people). Even so, people like Eusebius were also insightful, though he was a semi-Arian no matter how you slice it. Origen was one of the most brilliant men in the world; he was also one of the most wrong and heretical on some subjects. I'm not saying that Met. Hierotheos is a heretic or schismatic (not my judgment to make, sinful layman that I am), I'm merely pointing out that one can be insightful and brilliant, and even talk at length about Orthodoxy and the true Orthodox faith (as both Origen and Eusebius did) without actually being in the Church. But they must come to an understanding with God whether they are in the Church or not, just as I must also do

[Joseph D]

I find the Orthodox Psychotherapy section facinating, especially the classical focus on nous. The piece actually does not offer much of a unique perspective. But that is what Orthodoxy is all about -- predictability.

Joseph

---

As an aside, Mr. Kissel, I must confess I find your above criticism to be somewhat stilted, and that you should insinuate that Met. Hierotheos is not "in the Church" is just too bold. Why stop short of calling his very baptism into question? Please, I honestly do not mean this as a personal assault. Perhaps you simply forgot to read what you wrote before you posted it? :shock:

Cheap pot shots like yours are meant for people like cult wedding arrangers, money-fishers, and the like.

[Justin Kissel]

Well, I didn't mean to attack Met. Hierotheos. I actually think very highly of him. As I said, there are few people whose work I would recommend without qualification. The problem is that, whatever his piety and learnedness, he is still in the Greek State Church. I do not say (because it is not my place to say) that that puts him outside the Church, and so in that way perhaps the comparison with Origen and others was wrong. On the other hand, if indeed he is in a schismatic group, then he is in the same boat as every other schismatic and heretic (cf the letter of Met. Philaret I posted some comments on yesterday). He may very well be like Origen in more ways than one. He seems to understand the deeper things of Orthodoxy, he's very insightful, he's very pious, he tries to protect and defend the faith, he tries to speak to the "modern" world using the modern world's language, and he has begun to have a significant influence. I do not, of course, accuse Met. Hierotheos of the same types of errors that Origen had, which originally led to the latter's condemnation. Yet, I can't just pretend that he's ok because I happen to like him. Mother Angelica is insightful and witty as well, but she's still a Catholic regardless of how you look at it. I wouldn't condemn Met. Hierotheos, first because it's not my duty (or burden), and second because I wouldn't want to even if it was my duty. I'm sorry that I was imprecise in my post, though perhaps what I was shooting for is hard to attain. I was shooting at being agnostic on the subject of his being in or out of the Church; I tried to praise him highly, but still leave a few comments that would imply that my praise shouldn't be taken as a full-blown "it's ok to be Greek Orthodox" type of thing. This letter is perhaps better at articulating what I'm trying to say, though it is a bit more explicit in it's thoughts (judgments?) than I would be.

PS. Looking back over the post, I see the sentence that I sould have restructured. I meant to say that Eusebius and Origen were neither in the Church, and yet they were brilliant and effected many (Eusebius still being considered the first Church historian, and Origen having a profound effect on most Churchmen--including saints--for hundreds of years after his life). I meant to say that I don't want to make a judgment regarding Met. Hierotheos, but at the same time I wanted to point out that being influential, pious, or insightful does not prove one's Orthodoxy, just like having incorrupt relics after one's death does not prove that one is a saint (or even Orthodox).