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Theology

Theology

“It is of fundamental importance that the Church be presented as a place of ‘lived freedom’ and that freedom be understood as a central theological concept.”

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

“Authentic theology and closed-mindedness are contradictory and mutually exclusive concepts.”

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

“The Church of Christ preserves the paschal experience in her liturgical life, in the labours of the Saints and Martyrs of the faith, in the eschatological impulse of monasticism, in the proclamation of the Gospel ‘to the ends of the earth,’ in theology and the ecclesial arts, in the good witness of the faithful in the world, in the culture of love and solidarity, and in the immovable certainty that evil does not have the final word in history.”

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

“The theologian and the priest must hold ‘the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.’ This means that, alongside theology, it is essential to stay informed about worldly matters, understand the existential needs and aspirations of modern humanity, address social issues, and remain attuned to the spirit of the age and the trends shaping civilization.”

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

“The dialogue between theology and science must not be a clash between adversaries but a collaboration between two great forces that serve humanity. It should be a partnership, not a rivalry.”

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

“A defensive attitude of theology towards the world violates the tradition of our Fathers, who have always argued in relation to the challenges of their time, without hesitating that this dialogue would inevitably lead to the secularisation of theology.”

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

“Theology is an interpretation of the Gospel of Christ, in dialogue with the contemporary world and the signs of our times, an expression of the eternal truths of our faith in the language of each particular historical era. In this sense, theology cannot ignore the culture in which it is called upon to bear witness.”

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

“We do not study theology only in theory, but live it out in practice, becoming initiated – peacefully and mystically – in how to know the unknown, see the unseen, and hear in silence the word of God that speaks in our hearts.”

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

“Theology is not to be regarded as a ‘science’ like, say, geology or astronomy. It is, of course, true that God has conferred on us a reasoning brain with the capacity for logical argumentation, and we must use this gift of reason to the utmost. In our theological inquiries, we are indeed called to pursue the truth with vigorous discipline and a scrupulous respect for the truth. But logical argumentation and critical accuracy are by themselves never sufficient. What is required in theology is personal commitment to the Christian faith. We should theologize not only with the reason, but also with the heart.”

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

“The understanding of the aims and methods of theology is significantly different in the Orthodox Church from what is commonly accepted by Western Christians. In the words of one of the early Desert Fathers, Evagrius of Pontus, ‘The theologian is the one who prays; and if you pray truly, you are a theologian.’ This indicates at once that, in the Orthodox tradition, there is an essential connection between theology and prayer. There should never be any separation between doctrine and worship, between dogma and spirituality. All true theology is liturgical and mystical. We are to theologize, as St. Gregory the Theologian insisted, ‘in the manner of the Fishermen, not in the manner of Aristotle.’”

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew