☦️KingOfWhiteAmerica☦️ on Nostr: It’s apparent an introduction to Hesychasm is in order - on the grounds there’s ...
It’s apparent an introduction to Hesychasm is in order - on the grounds there’s still very little familiarity with it, and much misconception.
Any decent introduction must begin as do all things; with the Almighty God. Given, the Trinitarian God, as described in the Symbol of Faith, the Nicene/Constantinopitan Creed (or simply the “Creed” for short). I cannot say whether you believe this God exists or not; we *do*, in any case.
We believe this “Holy Trinity” exists; is the tri-Personal *source* of all that exists; the *sustainer* of everything that continues to exist; the *End* to which all that exists will, ultimately, attain.
As such, *all authority* depends absolutely and inextricably upon this God; derives from this God; has zero reality apart from this God; and has no part that exists independently of this God.
While infinite ink can be spilled to further develop this understanding, we’ll rather go on to say we affirm this God has *revealed* Himself to us, to such an extent as we can understand Him, that His Reality *can* be discerned as distinct from any other possible “god”. We know enough to be able to distinguish Him; enough to contrast Him with any other possible “god”, and realize thereby His utter uniqueness.
We then believe *this* God, by His unutterable Mercy, through the Holy Mysteries of His Incarnation, established thereby His Church - that is, that specific Holy “Community” - that becomes ontologically *united with Him* through absolute Faith in Him. This Faith - symbolized in The Creed, but not limited to it - we can refer to as The Deposit.
We believe and affirm this Church actually exists, and is actually indwelt by His Holy Spirit - one Divine Person of the Holy Trinity - and as such has gone through the millennia subsequent the Incarnation of Christ under the active guidance and agency of said Holy Spirit.
We believe the Deposit of Faith is to be found and accessed *within His Church*.
We believe the Deposit we received was handed down by Christ Himself, in fullness, to His Apostles; which was then handed down to their disciples, and on and on, clear to the present day.
While we’d never deny - as errors from the devil arose over time, to confound and befuddle the Faithful, perchance to lead them astray - many millions of words have been spoken since, to *expound* upon this Deposit, and make clear the meaning of this Faith-once-recieved in fullness by Christ’s Apostles; these do not constitute “additions to the Deposit”, because their meanings can be found already there, clear back in The Gospel.
In other words, the Holy Fathers did not “add the Creed” to the Deposit of Faith; everything said in the Creed was already there in the beginning!
And so too, we believe, is the case with Hesychasm.
Obviously, the argument isn’t that the word “Hesychasm” is in the Holy Scriptures; but rather, it’s a term later used to identify a teaching that has always been there, in the Deposit of Faith, since the Apostolic Age. The word itself may not have appeared so early; not until such a time as the need arose by the Grace of the Holy Spirit, to clearly distinguish our received *Holy Tradition* from erroneous teaching the devil wished to insert at a later time.
We believe this Holy Tradition is God’s chosen means by which to communicate His will, desires, and expectations for His Church. Insofar as Hesychasm has always been a demonstrable part of said Tradition, we believe its complete and exact preservation in the lives, minds and hearts of His Saints *is and has always been something He desires of us*.
As such, we believe deviations from this - whether through addition, distortion or distraction - necessarily fall short of His expectations. Such a development is *contrary to His Will* - and His Church therefore desires not that that should come to pass.
***
I’m not myself a Hesychast, nor a Theologian, but merely a concerned Layman. I do not write from any of my own authority - and these are only my meager attempts an a “preface“ of sorts - as to why we think Hesychasm is important.
Any decent introduction must begin as do all things; with the Almighty God. Given, the Trinitarian God, as described in the Symbol of Faith, the Nicene/Constantinopitan Creed (or simply the “Creed” for short). I cannot say whether you believe this God exists or not; we *do*, in any case.
We believe this “Holy Trinity” exists; is the tri-Personal *source* of all that exists; the *sustainer* of everything that continues to exist; the *End* to which all that exists will, ultimately, attain.
As such, *all authority* depends absolutely and inextricably upon this God; derives from this God; has zero reality apart from this God; and has no part that exists independently of this God.
While infinite ink can be spilled to further develop this understanding, we’ll rather go on to say we affirm this God has *revealed* Himself to us, to such an extent as we can understand Him, that His Reality *can* be discerned as distinct from any other possible “god”. We know enough to be able to distinguish Him; enough to contrast Him with any other possible “god”, and realize thereby His utter uniqueness.
We then believe *this* God, by His unutterable Mercy, through the Holy Mysteries of His Incarnation, established thereby His Church - that is, that specific Holy “Community” - that becomes ontologically *united with Him* through absolute Faith in Him. This Faith - symbolized in The Creed, but not limited to it - we can refer to as The Deposit.
We believe and affirm this Church actually exists, and is actually indwelt by His Holy Spirit - one Divine Person of the Holy Trinity - and as such has gone through the millennia subsequent the Incarnation of Christ under the active guidance and agency of said Holy Spirit.
We believe the Deposit of Faith is to be found and accessed *within His Church*.
We believe the Deposit we received was handed down by Christ Himself, in fullness, to His Apostles; which was then handed down to their disciples, and on and on, clear to the present day.
While we’d never deny - as errors from the devil arose over time, to confound and befuddle the Faithful, perchance to lead them astray - many millions of words have been spoken since, to *expound* upon this Deposit, and make clear the meaning of this Faith-once-recieved in fullness by Christ’s Apostles; these do not constitute “additions to the Deposit”, because their meanings can be found already there, clear back in The Gospel.
In other words, the Holy Fathers did not “add the Creed” to the Deposit of Faith; everything said in the Creed was already there in the beginning!
And so too, we believe, is the case with Hesychasm.
Obviously, the argument isn’t that the word “Hesychasm” is in the Holy Scriptures; but rather, it’s a term later used to identify a teaching that has always been there, in the Deposit of Faith, since the Apostolic Age. The word itself may not have appeared so early; not until such a time as the need arose by the Grace of the Holy Spirit, to clearly distinguish our received *Holy Tradition* from erroneous teaching the devil wished to insert at a later time.
We believe this Holy Tradition is God’s chosen means by which to communicate His will, desires, and expectations for His Church. Insofar as Hesychasm has always been a demonstrable part of said Tradition, we believe its complete and exact preservation in the lives, minds and hearts of His Saints *is and has always been something He desires of us*.
As such, we believe deviations from this - whether through addition, distortion or distraction - necessarily fall short of His expectations. Such a development is *contrary to His Will* - and His Church therefore desires not that that should come to pass.
***
I’m not myself a Hesychast, nor a Theologian, but merely a concerned Layman. I do not write from any of my own authority - and these are only my meager attempts an a “preface“ of sorts - as to why we think Hesychasm is important.