Author: Rev. Prof. Adrian Niculcea (Faculty of Orthodox Theology, “Ovidius” University of Constanța)
Keywords: philosophy, theology, Bible, dogmatics, Orthodoxy, God, presence, imanence, trancendence, deism
Abstract:
The divine transcendence and immanence have represented important themes in religious and philosophical literature for centuries. The fact that the origin of the terms is related to the period of the Protestant Reform or the Enlightenment is somehow symbolic for the Western spirituality and philosophy, which through these concepts betrayed its spiritual deism, a fact which is partly responsible, for the (post) modern nihilism. Naturally, from certain points of view, these concepts can be interpreted positively, or economically, using Orthodox vocabulary, although the heterodox world would find this idea hard to understand. Since this is theoretically a fundamental theological theme, that of God’s presence and activity in the world, the author of this study hopes that by discussing these philosophical-religious terms – transcendence and immanence – he can avoid their misinterpretations, by following a deist or dualist methodology. The approach in this article emphasises the biblical, dogmatic and philosophical evidence, which is more accessible to Western contemporary theology and philosophy than it used to be. The author asserts that this is a contribution to the dialogue between Orthodox theology and philosophy, which has been in an impasse for a long time, because although they both have used common philosophical and theological concepts for centuries, their interpretation has been very different, and in many situations even opposing. Thus, we should not be surprised at the moral disaster which our contemporary society experiences, and it is not mainly the result of disregarding some laws or regulations, but of the philosophical and religious foundation which was the basis for the formulation of these laws.
Pages: 25-70