The World According to the Map.

Listen to an interview about the book The Atlas of the Real World: Mapping the Way We Live.

See also Worldmapper.org

Also, check out my previous post, Geopolitics: Lessons from a Map of China.

Women, Spirituality, and TV

Read this article in the Telegraph: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer slaying church attendance among women, study claims."

Within the United States, as well as the UK, many women are influenced by feminist ideas and view their own lives, at least in part, through a feminist lens. Indeed, many ideas compatible with feminism are truly incompatible with the Orthodox Christian path, which leads one from arrogance to humility and from self-centeredness to love, self-sacrifice for the sake of others (even men). The Orthodox Church cannot fit into the restrictive feminist box, but through the life of the Church a woman can discover what it means to be a true human person, one truly free, and why womanhood is so highly honored. The Church offers more than ideology. She offers the experience of healing and transformation in the presence of women from human history who have achieved what women in our culture can now become.

Marriage, Sexuality, and TV

Television exerts tremendous influence over people in our secular world. Of course, at the same time, programs reflect ideas and beliefs present in society. Television shows often devalue marriage and portray unhealthy, destructive sexual attitudes and practices as acceptable and normal. Stories on television can serve to shape attitudes, influence lifestyle decisions, and validate harmful behavior. Therefore, television can have a negative effect on adults as well as children.

Check out the CNN article, "Sex beats marriage on network TV, study shows."

Notice in the article that a representative of TVWatch responded to the study by the Parents Television Council with this statement: "The Parents Television Council won't be satisfied with television content until they convince the government to enforce their personal, selective judgments." While the Parents Television Council does indeed seem to encourage people to work toward change through political action, the question of whether certain content should be shown on television is not merely a matter of "personal, selective judgments," although the process of determining good content involves the discernment and decisions of persons. Since television does influence people, content would be best determined by asking questions like these:

"What message promotes the nurturing of personal life, health, and relationships?"
"What message helps people acquire an accurate vision of themselves, other people, and the world?"
"What message shows that we genuinely care for those receiving the message?"

To some, the question of television content looks like a matter of opinion concerning views on morality, censorship, government intervention, freedom of expression, and choice. In reality, the questions of what should be shown and viewed on TV is not as much about opinion, ideology, and control as it is about truth, love, and spirituality. As we determine what to view and allow our children to see, may we discern wisely and avoid harmful influences.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Alexander Solzhenitsyn has died at the age of 89. Many Americans probably don't know who he is, but Solzhenitsyn is a man Americans should know about. Check out my post on Solzhenitsyn from 2006.

His obituary and a video are available on the BBC News website.

Geopolitics: Lessons from a Map of China

When studying an area of the world, a map is a valuable resource. With a map of a region, you can get a visual picture of how geography affects where people live, military security, politics, economics, culture, and so on.

An example in East Asia is China, a country with a long tradition of geographical awareness. China is known for defining and securing boundaries. (Take the Great Wall as an example.) Strategic Forecasting (stratfor.com) has published a couple recent articles on the relevance of Chinese geography for for the Chinese government. I especially recommend Chinese Geopolitics and the Significance of Tibet (4/15/08) because of its rather comprehensive summary analysis of geography. Another articles is China and Russia's Geographic Divide (7/22/08).

A satellite image of Asia is available here.

Historical Manuscripts

For a look at interesting historical manuscripts, visit the "Turning the Pages" section of the British Library website. Each page of the manuscript displayed online includes audio commentary with text (if you click the appropriate buttons). Manuscripts include an atlas of Europe (1570), Mozart's music, a 16th-century anatomy book, sketches by Da Vinci, literary manuscripts, and more.

The manuscript of the Lindisfarne Gospels (listed as "Pinnacle of Anglo-Saxon Art") is particularly relevant to Orthodox Christians since it was produced when Britain was still an Orthodox land. For a related article, read my previous post on Ancient Manuscripts from the British Isles.

To see an even more ancient book, visit the website of the Codex Sinaiticus and learn about the significance of this biblical manuscript.

To view more manuscripts, explore the Schoyen Collection.

You may also enjoy reading an article on the history of the book (codex), entitled "The Coming of the Codex" from the University of Edinburgh's Centre for the History of the Book.

Christ and the Tao

Articles have been recently published on the rise of Christianity in China. Notably, Frontline has covered the story.

I recommend reading The Logos and the Tao from the Bonovox blog concerning the connection between Taoism and Orthodox Christianity.

You may also like to read my previous post on Orthodox Christianity in China and my post on Christ the Eternal Tao.

Journalism: Covering the Orthodox Church

Articles about the Orthodox Christian Church published in the secular press sometimes include inaccuracies or information that lacks sufficient explanation to offer readers a clear picture of the Orthodox Church and her way of life. I would like to compile a list of previously published inaccuracies that could help members of the press in their reporting. I am asking you to submit any examples that you have encountered. Please include the following:

1. The inaccuracy or point that may be misleading without proper explanation.

2. A more accurate way of stating the point.

3. If possible, the paragraph containing the problem passage with a citation indicating the publication's name, date of publication, title of the article, author, web address to article, etc.

Please include the information clearly and as dispassionately as possible.

Many thanks to you who contribute and to those among you who pass along the information.

(By the way, if you're interested in coverage of religion in the media, check out GetReligion.org.)

Symeon

The Fall of the Byzantine Empire

I recently discovered a video on the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire (aka the Byzantine Empire). The video offers an opportunity for considering the relationship between the Orthodox Christian Faith and the fall of one of history's greatest empires. Consider the relationship between spirituality and politics in the world.

This Russian video has been translated into English.

Teen Pregnancy at Gloucester High

At Gloucester High School, a school in Massachusetts, a rather large group of young, unmarried teens have become pregnant. This story shows what happens when teenagers are not reared and educated in a spiritual environment in which they can grow to understand, from a spiritual perspective, personhood, virtuous living, womanhood, marriage, sexuality, and motherhood.

Read the article from Time.com and watch an interview from CNN. The interview reveals how some leaders in our culture don't understand the problem or how to deal with it. You can also listen to the NPR report.

QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION AND DISCUSSION: What is wrong with the teen pregnancy pact? What are some of the positive Christian values taught at the school these girls attend(ed)? What are some of the problems that may exist at a school like this? What is the positive spiritual role of shame in how teenagers encounter sexuality, how a pregnant teenager might deal with her own pregnancy, and how those around her might deal with it (parents, friends, teachers, etc.)? Why would more education about and use of birth control not solve the problem? Could encouragement to use birth control contribute to the underlying problems that led the girls to want to be pregnant? What is shame, and what is the difference between shame (good) and bad guilt? If you were in charge of teaching values related to sexuality and pregnancy to High School students, what would you teach them? How is the role of importance of marriage relevant to this story? How are the Theotokos and St. Mary of Egypt examples that we can offer young women to emulate? Give examples of other positive role models to whom girls can look to see a vision of true womanhood with the beauty of both virginity and chastity. Why are these women you have chosen positive role models?

Sophia: Secret Wisdom

A documentary on the Orthodox monastic tradition entitled, Sophia: Secret Wisdom, is currently in production. Fr. John McGuckin, an Orthodox priest and scholar, is associated with the project. This film may not only help people understand something about Orthodox monasticism, but also the heart of the Orthodox Church and the spiritual way of life experienced by those of us who are Orthodox Christians.

You can see footage from the film on the website for the project: http://sophiasecretwisdom.com/

The House of Caesar Augustus

"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled." - The Story of the Birth of Jesus Christ (Luke 2.1, RSV).

The house of Emperor Augustus (aka Gaius Julius Octavius) has opened in Rome. Check out the video segment from BBC News.

Information on Augustus is available at roman-empire.net.

Mormonism & American Culture

The Asia Times recently published an article by Spengler entitled "Yes, Romney, there's a Sanity Clause." The article isn't as much about Mitt Romney, who has now withdrawn from the Presidential race, as it is about Mormonism and American culture. This is a well-written article worth reading.

NPR produced the segment, "Mormon's Confront Negative Ideas About Their Faith," by Howard Berkes (Morning Edition, February 12, 2008), which is also related to Romney's campaign, but like Spengler's article, is about more than politics.

The photograph from Wikipedia is in the public domain.

Biblical Illiteracy in America

In America, there is rampant ignorance concerning what the Holy Scripture says and a failure to interpret the text correctly in its proper context, the Orthodox Church who wrote it, compiled it into a canon, and has preserved and passed down the text with the proper interpretation for 2,000 years.

Listen to "Understanding the Gospel According to Huckabee" from NPR's All Things Considered (February 8, 2008). This story isn't just about politics. It's about biblical illiteracy.

Podcast: Discussion on Orthodox Christianity

I recently discovered a True Convergence podcast on the Icon New Media Network with Bishop THOMAS (Bishop of the Diocese of Charleston, Oakland, and the Mid-Atlantic in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese), Fr. Peter Gillquist (Dept. of Missions and Evangelism, Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese), and Fr. Patrick Cardine (the Western Rite priest of St. Patrick's Orthodox Mission in the Antiochian Archdiocese). Although the discussion, including those mentioned above and others, specifically addresses members of a particular Protestant denomination called the Charismatic Episcopal Church, the discussion may be valuable for anyone who is looking for the original, historic Church wherein the living Faith of the Apostles has been lived for 2,000 years.

Check out the podcast here.

Thanks to Jason for pointing me to the podcast.

The Real St. Nicholas

On Christmas day, a new motion picture trailer for the upcoming movie on St. Nicholas of Myra (the "real Santa Claus") was released. Watch the trailer (small, medium, or large format) on the St. Nicholas of Myra movie website.

For information on the life of St. Nicholas, visit the website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North America or Orthodoxwiki.


(The photo is in the public domain.)

Merry Christmas!

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

To find out about the place where Christ was born, read In a Bethlehem Cave.

Go to the Greek Archdiocese or Antiochian Archdiocese websites to learn about the meaning of the icon of the Holy Nativity.

You may listen to Frederica Mathewes-Green read the Kontakion of the Nativity or read selections from ancient sermons for yourself. (These resources and others are found at the Antiochian Archdiocese website). You may also read St. Ephrem the Syrian's Hymns on the Nativity. All of these texts express the true meaning of Christmas.

The Orthodox Study Bible

The complete Orthodox Study Bible is set for release this February (2008). Visit the Orthodox Study Bible website for information on the project, articles, features, and sample pages.

Significant features of the Orthodox Study Bible include a translation of the Septuagint, the version of the Old Testament used by the early Church, and commentary from the ancient Fathers of the Church. The notes in the OSB help the reader understand the Scriptural text in the proper context of the ancient Church who wrote, compiled, and has preserved the Holy Scripture.

To hear about the significance of the Orthodox Study Bible, listen to a great interview on Ancient Faith Radio.

The Orthodox Study Bible can be pre-ordered from the OSB site or from Amazon.com. A flier on the OSB with order information is also available.


(The photo has been taken from the Conciliar Press website.)

An Atheist on Secular Humanism & Art

In a recent article on Salon.com, entitled "Dogma Days," Camille Paglia, an atheist, wrote,

"In my lecture on religion and the arts in America earlier this year at Colorado College, I argued that secular humanism has failed, that the avant-garde is dead, and that liberals must start acknowledging the impoverished culture that my 1960s generation has left to the young. Atheism alone is a rotting corpse. I substitute art and nature for God -- the grandeur of man and the vast mystery of the universe."

Ms. Paglia sees the effects of secular humanism on our culture. Unfortunately, substituting art and the created cosmos for the Creator isn't an adequate response to the problems of either false religion or secular humanism. I'm reminded of a passage from the Wisdom of Solomon:

For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator. Yet these people are little to be blamed, for perhaps they go astray while seeking God and desiring to find him. For while they live among his works, they keep searching, and they trust in what they see, because the things that are seen are beautiful. Yet again, not even they are to be excused; for if they had the power to know so much that they could investigate the world, how did they fail to find sooner the Lord of these things? (13.7-9, NRSV)

The secular humanism in our culture that has called for the removal of religion from public life and public education has failed, but the antidote to this failure is not to embrace all religions as though they are equally true and valuable. While we can acknowledge a seed of truth in other religions, we can only experience the depth of Beauty, discover the reality to which art and nature point, and embody the fullness of human meaning and purpose by embracing the One who made all things and by following the path He has laid before us. This is the God and the way of life revealed to us in the Holy Icons.



Camille Paglia makes some interesting observations worth considering from an Orthodox perspective. (Also check out her article on "Religion and Arts in America," published in Arion: A Journal of the Humanities and the Classics.)

Parents, Children, and the Environment

"Meet the women who won't have babies - because they're not eco friendly," reads a headline in the UK's Daily Mail. This article shows how warped the secular understanding of the world can be and its tragic effect on human life.

Memorable quotes include:

“Having children is selfish. It's all about maintaining your genetic line at the expense of the planet."

"Every person who is born uses more food, more water, more land, more fossil fuels, more trees and produces more rubbish, more pollution, more greenhouse gases, and adds to the problem of over-population."

"I realised then that a baby would pollute the planet - and that never having a child was the most environmentally friendly thing I could do."

The views in the article show a significant misunderstanding about what it means to be human. By living the Orthodox way of life we know (experiential knowledge, not just intellectual knowledge) the nature of the creation and our place within it. As human beings we are part of the creation, the cosmic ecosystem, but we are not just a part of it, we are the center of it. This doesn't mean that the world is here for us to destroy. Instead, we were intended to be its benevolent caretakers, knowing the true significance of each aspect of creation and using everything according to its purpose for good. To live according to our calling is to be a true spiritual environmentalist, motivated by love. Secular environmentalists encourage actions, like the individual recycling of trash or national reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, to improve the environment. We know, however, that the way to transfigure the creation around us begins with the purification of the inner heart. (Inner purity produces outer action.)

As we dragged the world down with us through our Fall, we participate in the renewal of creation through our own participation in God, who fills all creation and in whom the whole universe is contained. This personal and cosmic renewal requires one to do something many environmentalists are unwilling to do: repent. Repentence means personally turning away from self-centeredness, self-justification, and confusion to embrace the living Creator God Himself. Self-confident spiritual ignorance mixed with delusional pride can result in chaos and death, spiritual death and, as the article makes clear, even the death of an innocent, unborn child.

I wish all those influenced by secular ideologies would take the time to know the truth revealed in the icon of the Holy Nativity: The One through whom all things came into being humbly lays as a newborn infant in the feeding trough of animals within an earthy cave. Next to Him is His mother, an image of perfect faith and selfless love, who is honored above all other people and even above the angelic Cherubim and Seraphim. If the men and women of secular culture knew this woman and, most importantly, her Son, their perspectives on family, children, and the world would be dramatically altered and their lives would be radically transformed.

After you read the original article, check out this response on the Philadelphia Inquirer website (Nov. 29, 2007).