The theological vision of God, and natural science
Orthodoxy does not exclude from the theological vision of God the findings of natural science. Science and faith can be in concert with one another and our desire to reinstate our communion with God can involve both natural science, and the science of the soul. An Orthodox Christian does not have to suspend scientific knowledge in order to adhere to faith. “Only with a superficial knowledge do there arise false contradictions between faith and knowledge, between religion and science (I.M. Andreyev).”
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Thanks to all our friends and benefactors for your continued support. As is usual, I have found myself remiss in writing personal notes to all of you, but I am so overwhelmed with visitors, tasks, duties, etc., that time just gets the best of me. Eventually, you will hear from me. Meanwhile, please forgive me.
Abbot Tryphon
Photos: Some of the many people who have made a pilgrimage to the monastery during the past few weeks.
Sunday November 30, 2014 / November 17, 2014
25th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone eight.
Nativity (St. Philip’s Fast). Fish Allowed
St. Gregory the Wonderworker of Neo-Caesarea (266).
Venerable Nikon, abbot of Radonezh, disciple of St. Sergius (1426).
Venerable Lazarus the iconographer of Constantinople (857).
Martyr Gobron (Michael) and 133 soldiers of Georgia (914) (Georgia).
Venerable Longinus of Egypt (4th c.).
St. Maximus (Maximian), patriarch of Constantinople (434).
Venerable Gennadius, abbot of Vatopedi, Mt. Athos (14th c.).
St. Gregory, bishop of Tours, and with him Venerable Aredius, abbot of Limoges and Venerable Vulfolaic, stylite of Trier (Gaul).
Venerable Hilda, abbess of Whitby (680) (British).
Martyrs Zachariah the Cobbler and his wife, Mary (3rd c.) (Greek).
Hieromartyr Basil, bishop of Hamah (282).
Martyrs Gregory, Victor, and Geminus of Heracleon in Thrace (304).
150 philosophers converted by St. Catherine, and who suffered in Alexandria (305).
St. John the Cobbler of Olumba, Cairo, and Sinai (7th c.).
Scripture Readings for the Day
Ephesians 4:1-6
Walk in Unity
4 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Luke 12:16-21
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Dear Abbot Tryphon,
Thank you for your words about faith and science. I am a nuclear engineer of some 30+ years of training and experience, as well as a devout Catholic. I completely agree with what you wrote. It is in consonance with Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, Fides et Ratio:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_15101998_fides-et-ratio_en.html
I hope that many others will read the message you have written and come to realize that there is a difference between the false doctrine of scientism that with great hubris elevates man’s cognition above God’s supremacy, and real science that accepts the world as He created it.
Sincerely Yours,
Paul Primavera