In Thy Light Shall We See Light: A Defense of the Theology of Father John Romanides

"There is no similarity at all between what is created and what is uncreated." This statement encapsulates the chasm between the experiential theology of the Orthodox Church and the man-made philosophical and religious systems of the world. For many people today, their only exposure to this statement is the Greek Orthodox priest and theologian Fr John Romanides. Reactions range from that of embrace, to misunderstanding, to charges of heresy. Far from being new to Romanides, this is a cornerstone of Orthodox patristic theology, not just on the level of academic theology; it cuts deeply to the heart of the spiritual-ascetic life of the Church. In our impoverished age, where so many of us are cut off from the experience of true holiness that is seen in those who have become true friends of Christ, these words seem foreign. Fr John recognized this in his own lifetime, and sought, in his own way, to free his fellow Greeks and all Orthodox from the shackles of western-heterodox theological methodology. His approach was often bold and audacious and although he is beloved amongst many monastics, clergy, and laypeople to this day, he was and still is often misunderstood. This book seeks to better clarify such misunderstandings, to illuminate the importance of Fr John Romanides in the history of 20th century Orthodox academic theology, and to defend the patristic teaching that it is only a life of prayer and asceticism, not philosophy, that can provide man with the knowledge of God.