Lossky is one of my favorite non-Lutheran theologians (he's Orthodox). He has a comment on Tradition that I've found remarkable for some time and thought I'd throw it out for anyone who wants to comment. It comes from his marvelous little essay "Tradition and Traditions" in *In the Image and Likeness of God* (SVS Press 1985). He writes:
"The pure notion of Tradition can then be defined by saying that it is the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church, communicating to each member of the Body of Christ the faculty of hearing, of receiving, of knowing the Truth in the Light that belongs to it, and not according to the natural light of human reason."
Now, am I just imagining things, or is there here perhaps a true kinship with the Explanation of the Third Article from the Small Catechism?
"I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him, but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way, He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith."
Thoughts?
It is clear to me, at any rate, that Dr Luther and Dr Lossky are saying essentially the same thing.
ReplyDeleteI doubt that there is "true kinship" if that means any direct or indirect dependence of Dr Lossky's thought on Dr Luther; but that can only mean that the two men received the Truth ultimately from a common source.
So the "true kinship" is that both men had independently had the Apostolic Tradition imparted to them.
Vladimir Lossky is also one of my own favorite theologians of any denomination. His influence on my own theological thought (for good or ill) is immeasurable. His Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church did more than any other book to make me become Orthodox.
The relationship between the two citations is striking in both their approach toward reason and in their attention drawn to the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church. Tradition "is the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church," (Lossky) the same Spirit Who "calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith." (Luther) This understanding of Tradition is crucial to our understanding and reception of the traditional or historic liturgy where indeed the Spirit is active keeping the Church in the one true faith. I have a couple of Lossky's books. They are on my list of books to read . . .
ReplyDelete"Holy Tradition" is holy only to the extent that it conforms to the Divinely inspired sacred Scriptures, but sadly I've seen far too many people get caught up in "Holy Tradition" that brings only falsehood and error on a whole manner of things, such as extra-Biblical speculations about the Blessed Virgin, Papal infallibility, even extra-Biblical understandings of the authority of the "unwritten traditions." Much as we may want to regard the "historic liturgy" as somehow Divinely inspired even it is not Divinely given as is Holy Writ, but is a beautiful confession of it, and to that extent, we cherish and honor its use.
ReplyDeleteThe historic liturgy is no more "beautiful" than the leaves on the trees. Neither is the historic liturgy disconnected from the life and activity of the Holy Trinity (for example, Invocation, Word, Sacraments, Benediction). Blogs and e-mails are imperfect means of communication in that they do not allow the writer to expound fully on any given topic or issue. This is better left for books. The Small Catechism of Dr. Luther indicates that the Holy Spirit keeps the Christian or catholic Church in the one true faith. Beginning with Holy Baptism ("into" Christ, "in" the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit") together with the words of our Lord that He is with two or three gathered in His name; He is with us to the end of the age; His Church will prevail against the gates of hell all indicate that the historic liturgy is more than a recitation of words by an association of like believers. Any discussion of the historic liturgy does not imply that the Holy Scriptures are insufficient as divine revelation nor that the Lutheran Symbols are mistaken in their exposition of the Scriptures for the confession of the faith and life of the Lutheran Church. Another approach to the historic liturgy, apart from whether or not it is "beautiful", might be that the Holy Trinity is present and involved, at least, it is hoped, as the object of the Church's worship, just as Christ is more than spiritually present in His Body and Blood at the Eucharist where the faithful receive forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. We thank God for the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is blessed among women as the Scriptures declare, through whom the world has received her Lord (Joy to the world!). Any Tradition that bears faithfully the Lord Jesus, including the liturgy, may indeed be called "holy." Is not the holy Mass also called the "divine" service?
ReplyDeleteVoelz's review of Hurtado's 'Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity' vol 69;1, P.33 of CTQ,,,,,, read recently by oil lamp as the power was out, does argue well that Holy Tradition was alive and well in the Church, both in Liturgy and Teaching, well prior to the writings of the NT, and that in fact the NT writings speak on the assumption of a received Tradition being firmly established and confessed in the Church(es).
ReplyDeleteBacks up Lossky and Luther quite nicely.
Chris,
ReplyDeleteI didn't mean that Lossky had been reading Luther! I meant that they seemed to be saying essentially the same thing.
Tim,
Agreed to both. 100%
Paul,
If you read the essay by Lossky in its entirety, you'll see that his whole point was to give definition to Holy Tradition precisely as the apprehension of faith which is Spirit wrought and not the passing down of this or that practice or custom.
Fr. Hank,
I'll have to check Volez' review out!
Hurtado's book itself is worth the time.
ReplyDeleteChaz, True enough, but not by the light of an oil lamp !
ReplyDelete