THE ILLNESS AND CURE OF THE SOUL   o     1  ·   2  ·   3  ·   4  ·   5  ·   6   © Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos Introduction First meeting - First acquaintance The sermon Meeting at the parish center       [ BACK ] INTRODUCTION

In a meeting with some Christians some time ago we had a very interesting discussion on matters of spiritual life. Their questions and even their objections were so many that I accepted to return in order to continue our conversation. I considered it my obligation to present the basic points of these discussions, because I think that they will be more generally beneficial, since there are many contemporary Christians who have similar questions and objections.

By introduction, I feel I should give a few details about my conversants and mention some of the most characteristic features of their personalities. This will help the reader to understand better their questions, because a person's questions and objections are closely related to his whole way of life, and also to his personal experience with its negative and positive aspects.

Fr.Philip: He is a very good priest, who works with missionary zeal with his flock. He is very sensitive and very interested in effectively helping his flock. He regularly celebrates the Liturgy and tries to develop the liturgical life of his parish. He is a successful preacher. Nevertheless he is very hesitant when it comes to the ascetic teaching of the Church, not out of objection, but out of ignorance regarding this side of ecclesiastical life, and on account of the ideas he was moulded with both in the University and the Sunday Schools.

Athanasios: He is a person who relies more on reason. He aims at his inner self-improvement through reasoning. And it is true that many times his strong mind has helped him in the past to avoid serious mistakes. Therefore, he stresses the importance of reason too much. He was involved in many social and political organisations, even in religious communities, having been frustrated by all of them. He has been learning about the Orthodox tradition lately and seeks to live it. Yet, his greatest problem is the priority he gives to reason, its deification, absolutization, and autonomization on his part.

Constantine: He has lived many years guided by his reason. Lately though, he comprehended the great distortion which self deification of reason causes to spiritual life. He has powerfully realised that the excessive stressing of reason is a heretical state which does not constitute an Orthodox life. It is the Barlaamite attitude of the interpretation of spiritual life. He has studied psychology. He can judge people by their words and reactions and present their personality with great ease. He has a great thirst for the Orthodox Tradition, read a few books and realised that the Holy Fathers see man and the world through another prism. He would like to attain this life. However, he is dreadfully prevented by his previous knowledge, as well as by his own background: a tradition founded on reason. Nevertheless, he is drawn to patristic teaching and makes great attempts to live it.

Irene: She is the only woman in the group. She has an intensely emotional nature. She has had many negative experiences. She sees the patristic teaching of the Church with great interest. She feels the Church to be a Hospital, without anyone even having taught her this. A hospital which cures the sick person. She feels she is sick and is seeking cure. But she sees cure only externally- as a deliverance from the pangs of a guilty conscience and a liberation from anxiety and insecurity. She considers love and loving care as cure.

Basil: He is a person of conservative principles. His elderly age helps him to be conservative. He has learned the practical side of Christianity and often revolts against the expression of new opinions. The ethical and practical side of Christianity comforts him, and thus he sees the patristic teachings with considerable scepticism. His perspective of things is very limited. The patristic analysis of the soul; discussions about the nous and the heart; the distinction between reason and the nous, etc., bother him very much. He considers them to be philosophical pursuits which distort spiritual life.

This was the group with which we often conversed, after our first encounter. Of course during the conversation I did not have the possibility to cite passages of the holy Fathers of the Church. Sometimes I used a few from memory. But the reader of this conversation can find full patristic proofs in my books concerning the Orthodox Cure of the Soul, that is in 1) "Orthodox Psychotherapy", 2)"Therapeutic Treatment" and 3)"Conversations about the Orthodox Psychotherapy". In these books the reader will find a greater analysis of the positions which are presented here, where they are simplified. Furthermore one should not forget that what is presented here are the main points of the discussions, and of course, in a conversation one cannot make greater analyses, but touches only upon the basic topics.

I pray that the publication of these conversations benefits the readers. And the benefit is none other than the realisation of one's illness and the seeking out of a therapist and therapy.

Written on the 14th of November 1987
memory of our Father among the Saints
Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica.
Archimandrite Hierotheos S. Vlachos

A Sunday in 1987, I celebrated the liturgy at a church in Athens. It was a very large church, filled with people. During the divine Liturgy I developed a passage from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians, which was the reading of that Sunday. The passage which I analysed briefly was: "I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: and profited in the Jew's religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers" (Gal. 1,13-14). I persisted more in the phrase "being a zealot of the traditions of my parents". Among other things I also said the following.

"The Apostle Paul was not an ordinary personality. He studied the Law with the most important teachers of his time. He had Godly zeal. Yet, despite the knowledge of the Law and his Godly zeal to keep the paternal traditions, he reached the point of fighting God Himself, Who gave the Law. For, according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, all the revelations and Theophanies of God in the Old Testament were Theophanies of God the Word- of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. Therefore, Christ handed down the Law, which Saul knew, and it was in the name of this Law he fought Christ. Here we see a tragic situation.

However this also happens in our day. Many times we have Godly zeal, but it is "zeal without discretion". Today we have a tendency to follow the teaching of the Fathers, to speak about the Tradition of our Fathers and attempt to revive these patristic traditions. Yet, it is possible that we struggle for the Tradition and in reality we fight the essence of it or, at least in the best case, we might be ignorant of it. I will mention three cases:

There are certain overzealous Orthodox who struggle to keep the Church's dogmas. And indeed this is necessary, because the dogmas are the expression of the life of the Church. It is for this reason, in fact, that the dogmas are called boundaries, which draw the lines between truth and error. Simultaneously, though, the dogmas are the way and the medicines which we receive to be cured and reach theosis- they are the personal revelation of God to us. There are some people today who view the dogmas as philosophical thoughts, as the philosophy of the Fathers. Just as there are also others who belittle them for the sake of an experience. Yet, this is an error. The dogmas are the expression of the life of the Church. Guided by them we shall reach the "unspeakable words".

There are many people in our days who are interested in the art of the Church. They speak a lot about the so-called Byzantine iconography, Byzantine architecture, Byzantine music, etc., because these ecclesiastical liturgical arts show the qualitative difference from any other religious art. Certainly, this is not an exaggeration, since the experience of the Church is manifested in ecclesiastical art. The element of joyful sorrow is expressed in Byzantine music and this alone can present it. Panselinos' frescoes convey the entire faith of the Church and the theology of St. Gregory Palamas, who is indeed the voice of the Church. The theology concerning the uncreated Light and the development of hesychasm- which reveals man's capability to reach the vision of God- were very well embodied in Panselinos' art.

Furthermore many modern Greeks, tired of the western alienating tradition and mode of life -which in many aspects is inhuman- seek the true tradition which imbued the life of our ancestors. Thus in our day there can be seen a revival of the traditional way marriage was performed as well as of traditional architecture. In general, people make efforts to cultivate traditional habits and customs.

And of course, we cannot criticize all these efforts. But there is also the danger of our being zealots about our paternal traditions, like the Apostle Paul prior to Damascus, while in reality fighting the life which these traditions express. It is dangerous for us to see the dogmas as philosophical definitions or, even, as theological definitions which do not relate to life. It is possible to study ecclesiastical art and see its aesthetic side, while simultaneously rejecting its ascetic side, which is its most important aspect. Moreover the danger lurks that we may be reviving the mode of life of our forefathers, but also be completely ignorant of all those vital elements which constitute our manners and customs; all those presuppositions which created them. Thus we simply make a culture out of Tradition. This is one of the most crucial temptations of our days.

However, how can we escape this difficulty and this contemporary temptation? The only way is for us to follow the correct Orthodox way and Orthodox methodology so as to be cured and encounter life itself, which is expressed by everything we mentioned earlier. The Holy Fathers have presented in their works this Orthodox method, which is summarized in the three fundamental stages of spiritual life: purification of heart, illumination of the nous and theosis. If we study the works of the Holy Fathers, we shall find these three stages of spiritual life everywhere. Evagrios Ponticos defines Christianity as "the dogma of our Saviour Jesus Christ consisted of the practical and natural and theological". St. Dionysios the Aeropagite speaks of three stages, which are purification, illumination and perfection. St.Gregory of Nyssa uses the same distinction. St.Maximos the Confessor speaks of practical philosophy (purification), natural vision (illumination) and mystical theology (theosis). St.Symeon the New Theologian divides certain of his chapters into practical, gnostic and theological. In all the Orthodox tradition these three stages of perfection are spoken of. This is how man is healed and this is how he lives the Tradition. He "becomes" Tradition and creates Tradition. He is a bearer of Tradition.

Therefore, what makes a person an Orthodox is not only his persistence on external sides of the Tradition, but the experiencing of its inner aspect, which is the ascetic method- purification, illumination and theosis. This method, these stages of spiritual life are the foundation of dogmas, the basis of ecclesiastical art, but also the creative cause of habits and customs of our people, because it is this theology which imbued our forefathers before we were westernized.

For this reason, I concluded, we must struggle to keep this inner side of the Tradition, the method of Orthodox piety, through which we are healed, and then we shall be true zealots of our paternal traditions. Because outside this ascetical therapeutic method, even if we have a good disposition, there is the danger that we may become enemies and opponents of the Orthodox tradition".

It was these things I said, more or less, that day in the sermon. These thoughts greatly impressed the parish priest, a good family man and a zealot of the patristic Tradition. He studied the Holy Fathers, but had certain reservations about the whole ascetic tradition, because he thought that asceticism is identified and associated with moralism. Yet, as we know, the ascetic tradition is not a moralization, but theology, which is cure. He had studied the "Orthodox Therapy of the Soul", which had already circulated, and told me that, truly, these thoughts and positions could take us out of the impasse which we have reached. Today there is on the one hand a philosophical tendency and on the other hand a psychological one. There is a great temptation for us to see things and man's problems externally, humanistically and humanely. The teaching, though, of the Holy Fathers can help us out of this impasse.

I admired the opinions of the priest. I was delighted because we are not, indeed, used to hearing such views. Today other "languages" prevail, which do not resemble the "language" of the Holy Fathers of the Church.

He asked me to have a conversation with him, because he had a few reservations about certain ideas of the book "Orthodox Psychotherapy", but also of other related books which I had published. He also wanted a few clarifications on certain points of the book. I accepted the suggestion of the good priest, Fr. Philip - for that was his name - with much love and enthusiasm and we went to the parish center, which is next to the church, to discuss.

We entered the parish center. There were also other Christians there who had come to church and had heard the sermon. They were people of various and many opinions, and I could say, traditions. I should mention that there is a good habit at this parish: after the divine Liturgy, whoever wishes can go to the parish center to receive a treat and discuss various topics, because they feel that the life of worship is not independent of the whole Christian life. Today, unfortunately, the urban attitude has made us get used to an inhumane way of life, where we live together and do not know one another. This has also been extended into the ecclesiastical area. We partake of the divine worship, while being strangers to one another. We are strangers prior to the divine Eucharist and we remain strangers after it. We are hermetically closed in ourselves, jailed in the dreadful prison of the senses and passions, especially the passion of self love, which is the root of all other passions.

Thus the parishioners of this parish, at the suggestion of the priest Fr.Philip, sought to have this meeting. The young people sought it out more, and would meet after the divine Eucharist and exchange their thoughts. Four people mainly approached us, Athanasios ...,Constantine..., Irene..., and Basil...The common characteristic of these four persons was that they were members of the Church and of this specific parish, acquaintances of Fr.Philip with whom they often discussed, not only on Sunday after the divine Liturgy, but also on other days. They had almost the same age, except for Basil, who was middle-aged, and they had the same quests. They were searching to find the Tradition of the Church. They wanted to live the authentic way of life which the Orthodox Church possesses. Nevertheless, the experiences that each one had had, but also their points of departure were different. For this reason they did not totally agree on various aspects of spiritual life. One relied more on reason, another, disappointed by reason, wanted to live a life beyond reason and the senses. Another had an intense emotionalism but sought to transform it, without knowing the real method for it. Another was dominated by the old teachings concerning Christian life, which are not far from moralism. But although he realised this, he did not know the way to escape from this great temptation.

So there were many common points, but also particularities. The Church embraces all people with all their problems and worries, and strives to transfigure them. The Church, in any case, is a spiritual Hospital which heals people's spiritual illnesses. She does not reject anyone. Only groups of anthropocentric political, social and even religious systems reject people who are not able, or who do not want to be fully obedient to their principles. In all these systems there is an intense mysticism; an ideology dominates which demands obedience to abstract commandments. And for this reason we cannot speak of obedience but of discipline. Furthermore, a mania for perfection dominates. They want you to be perfect according to the principles of the system. Alas ,if you would sin consciously or unconsciously. They will cast you out and give the stigma of crossing you off to all the friends of the system. They will make the decision public, so that it becomes known and the system is not put to blame. And I believe that this mania for perfection is an indicative sign of an existent schizophrenia. The person who has a mania to be perfect is in reality a schizophrenic. The Church, without supporting and justifying the sick person, receives him as he is and strives with the ways she has at her disposal to cure him. This is why in the Church there are people of various spiritual ages.

Thus the existence of those Christians with different backgrounds and concerns, yet with a common goal -the eagerness to discover the Tradition of the Church- can be explained. They had been disappointed by many other humanistic systems and strange ideas and they have been seeking something true to fill their soul.

After we became acquainted, exchanged our first thoughts and were offered a treat with much love by the ladies of the Charity Fund, who had taken up this work, we started discussing. I should note that the whole discussion which I describe here did not take place just in one day, on that sun-drenched autumn Sunday, but it also continued thereafter. We met at the same place and exchanged opinions many times. It was them who would ask and pose questions and I responded, because I had dealt with the subject and they knew it. I shall subsequently attempt to present the most important conversations we had. It is not just my memory which helps me in this, but also the cassette recorder which we had, and furthermore the notes which my conversants kept. These comprised the raw material for the transcript of the discussions which follow.

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