Greetings to all
I am a new member. I hope all is well. If I may suggest. A very good book concerning the toll-houses is:
"The Toll-House Myth: The Neo-Gnosticism of Fr. Seraphim Rose"
by Fr. Michael Azkoul published by Synaxis Press
Thank you
paul
1 question... Is Michael Azkoul the brother of the Iconographer Paul Azkoul?
By the way, Father Seraphim of San Fransisco (of thrice-blessed memory) used statements of Holy Fathers in his book of the "Soul after Death". So is Elder Seraphim making all these things up? Or is he using simply for gnostic theories in the Church? I would rather protest to all those who hate and oppose Fr. Seraphim Rose or claim him of a gnostic, that Fr. Seraphim of Blessed Memory has prooven with Orthodox proof with the Help and written proof of the Saints. Many Saints had opinions, it's what makes them human. There shouldn't be so much issue and hatred or so much argument to what happens to us after we die. It's the Lord's issue, not ours. The Fathers of the Church, including Father Seraphim, with their various opinions (hey, anyone remember Saint Augustine's opinions of the Dogma of the Church? They were his opinions but that not meant that they were the Church's that doesn't remove someone of his/her Sanctity) and their God-inspired and Holy Spirit-guided proofs of dogma, have left us with various opinions after Death. Now if anyone has read Father Seraphim's book of the "Soul After Death", you can see that he uses his proofs with Orthodox Teachings of the Saints.
Something that is sadly disappointing because, the opposers of Father Seraphim, haven't had the oppertunity to reach the peak of piety as he did. I don't see any of his opposers being written about in books, as such as Father Seraphim has been.
He has be found, to have performed several miracles by his intercession. Many people who have known him, venerate him dearly as a Great Saint of our Century. Time telling, that he surely will be glorified in the future.
Greetings romiosini,
No, I am his son. Please read Fr. Michael's book on the neo-gnosticism, itself before making any judgments
paul
paul wrote:Greetings romiosini,
No, I am his son. Please read Fr. Michael's book on the neo-gnosticism, itself before making any judgmentspaul
No no, of course not, I don't mean my things before in a judgemental way. But the things that Father Seraphim wrote were all with statements of the fathers. Now the Fathers are gnostic because their statements sounded Gnostic? I wish I could read the book of Father Michael, but... there is difficulties...
in Christ
Romiosini
Paul
Welcome to the forum. 
I've read the book you mentioned three times now (I think, it might have been four). To be quite honest, I don't know what to make of it, or any of the other literature contra Fr. Seraphim. For instance, one consistent charge that I see made against Fr. Seraphim is that he distorted or deceptively translated/quoted texts. The problem is, I am nowhere close to a place with a substantial Orthodox library, and I can only read English. So, I have really no way to verify this either way. Not wanting to judge Fr. Seraphim, I hope that maybe he just used a different translation, or a paraphrased version, or something like that. I have no way to research these types of charges, to find out whether someone is definately correct, whether someone is innocently mistaken, or something else.
I have also struggled with the polemical style of the literature contra Fr. Seraphim, though that probably has more to do with my being raised in an ecumenically-inclined, politically-correct society; nonetheless, regardless of the source of my problem in that area, it does remain something of a problem. Another problem I have is that I disagree with some of the other positions taken by Fr. Michael, such as his stance regarding Augustine, so no matter how hard I try to avoid it, I probably have a less than perfect "association" when I read his works. Some people have suggested other works of his (and others) though, and I still plan on getting those and reading them.
Why the interest in bashing someone who died? Isn't it enough that we argue with each other?? Leave Fr. Seraphim alone. He didn't ask for this attention. Leave him alone. Go on with your own lives and stop pointing fingers...especially at the dead.
You talk about him like he is some subject of conversation. He was a living human being that went through his own personal struggles. Nobody will ever know what he meant by his writings.
Can anyone here have some decorum of respect for the dead??
Joasia
How true it is. We are Orthodox, and exept of worrying about our salvation, we worry about the dead have done. Except of saying, 'Eternal may be his Memory!' all we worry about is how his theory of the afterlife is sounding quite agnostic. Well he isn't the first one that's for sure! Many Saints were like that too! Does that mean we have to attack him like there is no tomorrow! Hey, the idea of toll-houses, never came in if it wasn't for the Saints (who witnessed the toll-houses) that brought the theory, Father Seraphim wouldn't be able at all to write a book like that without being contradicted by the Orthodox Hierarchy. (Remember? ROCOR, at that time especially, even today, they wouldn't allow any foreign teaching in the Orthodox Church).
There is a certain saying for the preparation of the glorification of Father Seraphim Rose, due to his hard work for the Church, his love to his Spiritual Abba, (Saint John Maximovitch) and his mission in the church bringing heretics back to the Church. Until then, "Eternal is the Memory of Father Seraphim of Platina"!
