Coptic Church & Ecumenical Movement - Saint Mina Coptic ...

• Theologia reformata et semper reformanda (Theology reformed and in need of
being constantly reformed) – this is the main characteristic of Reformed theology
and its birthright which should not be forfeited.
The Oriental Orthodox View
Father K. M. George presented a paper. Here is the summary:
‘Theology’ (from theologia) in the Oriental Orthodox tradition, refers primarily to the
triune mystery of God. At this level of ‘theology’ the church worships the Holy
Trinity and does not pretend to inquire into the divine mystery with human conceptual
and linguistic tools. So all theology is doxology, praising the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit – the triune God, in joy and gratitude. Since God is essentially
incomprehensible, the spiritual tradition of the Oriental churches recommends total
silence before the awe-inspiring reality of the divine presence.
In the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ, our Saviour, the ineffable God manifested
great compassion for humanity. As human beings are given the grace of perceiving
the incarnate God with their external senses, we are also given the privilege of talking
about Jesus Christ and the divine plan for salvation. The Gospels bear witness to
Christ, the only-begotten Son of God. The prophets and the Apostles proclaimed him
in different cultures and languages of the world. The Disciples of Christ, like the
Apostles John and Paul, interpreted the mystery of our salvation making use of the
cultural and intellectual categories of their contemporary world. What they did for the
proclamation and interpretation of the Gospel is a model for theology in the church.
Thus in our act of theology we are also encouraged by the Apostles to announce and
interpret the Gospel of the Kingdom to the world by using all the gifts of God
including, science and the wisdom of this world.
At this level of oikonomia (economy) where we participate in the compassionate love
of God for humanity, we can use human concepts, languages, literary-intellectual gifts
and human imagination, as long as they bear witness to Christ and edify the Church,
the Body of Christ.
A theologian in the Oriental Orthodox Church is called upon to be a teacher to
instruct the people in the way of the Word Incarnate and to reflect on the meaning of
the reality of our daily existence in the light of the Gospel. A theologian’s power of
speech (logos) has to be derived from the true Word of God, the Logos incarnate. The
quality of a theologian’s work is measured by the degree to which the theologian
becomes Christ-like, conforming to the image of God as well as possible.
A theologian has constantly to call upon the Holy Spirit so that he/she can be guided
into all truth. Listening to the mind of the worshipping community, the Body of
Christ, and being rooted in the faith of the church are essential conditions for the
proper guidance of the theologian. A theologian’s authority is dependent on the
authority of the Holy Scripture, the faith of the worshipping community and the
Christian quality of his/her personal life.
Extensive discussions took place on the two papers. Despite the differences
realized, points of convergence emerged:
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