The energy of the mind inside the heart
In the patristic tradition the heart is the center of our self-awareness. This self-awareness is the energy of the mind inside the heart, something the holy fathers referred to as our “noetic faculty”. There is an important distinction that must be noted concerning the difference between the Western and Eastern understanding of how we come to know God. The scholastic approach that places emphasis on the use of logic and reason in the acquisition of the knowledge of God, as seen in the teachings of Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas, is unknown in the East.
The Ancient Church taught that knowledge of God comes only through the noetic science of the heart. From the standpoint of Orthodox theology, the mind and logic are not the same thing, since logic functions within the brain, while the mind functions within the heart. Thus, the noetic faculty of the heart is the energy of the mind inside the heart. This important distinction results in the Eastern Church seeing herself not as a religious institution, but rather a hospital of the soul, wherein one comes for therapeutic procedures that restore the health of the soul, and allow for the ultimate goal of union with God (theosis). For those who wish further understanding of these ancient Christian teaching, the writings of my favorite modern theologian, Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos, are a worthy read.
It is within the life of the Church that we enter into ascetic struggle, “working out”, just as an athlete, through fasting and prayer, and the reception of the Holy Mysteries (Holy Communion), in order to be made well. We are restored to health within the walls of this hospital of the soul, the Church, and trained to this athletic/ascetic dimension of living.
Our mishandling of the memory of God that led to the fall, is now corrected and reactivated through the healing of the “nous” (the eye of the soul), and that memory is restored. This memory is not the reclamation of something of an historical nature, but rather the opening up of a knowledge that has always been there. This healing is not of a juridical nature whereby an angry God has decided to overlook the evil and fallen nature of our souls by the bloodletting of His Son, but by the cleansing of the nous that has been darkened, restoring us to health and wholeness. The memory of God is thus restored, and we are again in full communion with the Most High, freed from the permanency of death by the trampling down of the power of death through Christ’s Holy Resurrection.
The purpose of the Church’s presence in the world is for the cure of humankind, and the restoration of the hearts of men and women. The Church thus functions as a therapy centered hospital, and the priests function as therapists. This Divine-human Organism is the living Body of Christ, the Church, and is life itself. The healing of the nous that comes within the life of the Church returns us to our true nature. In this state of wholeness our faculties are able to use logic and reason as it was meant to be used. Our reason and logic becomes the rightful vehicle by which we can explore the universe, and behold all that God has created, and science, nature, and even the cosmos, can be seen in the light of a heart is the center of our self-awareness.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photos: I just returned from twelve days on the road, and am so relieved to be back in my monastery. Spring has turned the grounds into a paradise! (click on photos to enlarge)
Tuesday May 1, 2018 / April 18, 2018
Fourth Week of Pascha. Tone three.
Venerable John, disciple of St. Gregory of Decapolis (820).
New Hieromartyr Bessarion priest (1918).
New Hieromartyrs Priests Nicholas (1937) and Basil (Derzhavin) (1930) and lay people of the city of Gorodets, Nizhni-Novgorod.
Virgin-martyr Tamara (1942).
Martyrs Victor, Zoticus, Zeno, Acindynus, and Severian of Nicomedia (ca. 303).
Venerable Cosmas, bishop of Chalcedon, and his fellow-ascetic Venerable Auxentius (815-820).
New Martyr John the Tailor of Ioannina, at Constantinople (1526).
“Maximov” Icon of the Mother of God (1299).
Venerable Euthymius the Enlightener of Karelia (1435), and Venerables Anthony and Felix of St. Nicholas Monastery in Karelia.
Monks John and Athanasius of Aegina (Greek).
St. Naucratius, abbot of the Studion (848).
St. Athanasia the Wonderworker of Aegina (9th c.).
St. Basil Ratishvili of the Holy Mountain (13th c.) (Georgia).
Martyr Sabbas the Goth (372).
The Scripture Readings
Acts 10:21-33
21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, “Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?”
22 And they said, “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you.” 23 Then he invited them in and lodged them.
On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
Peter Meets Cornelius
24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.” 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together. 28 Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?”
30 So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.’ 33 So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.”
John 7:1-13
Jesus’ Brothers Disbelieve
7 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
6 Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” 9 When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.
The Heavenly Scholar
10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. 11 Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?” 12 And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.” 13 However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.
Abba, bless. Welcome home!
It is interesting how the western Church has lost the idea of noetic science and the higher functions of the heart (and as I type this, my computer is trying to tell me “noetic” is not a word, but wonders if I rather mean “notice” or “poetic” ), while western education hasn’t the slightest clue as to the relationship of Being to knowledge–that higher Being is required for higher knowledge–and thus our institutes of “higher learning” have over time become instruments of destruction of truth and the promotion of vanity. That sounds high and mighty, but it is really what is happening. We come out bigger fools than when we went in.
Anyone can be logical. Marx was logical. Feminism is logical. Logic is only as good as its premises, and those premises must inevitably be constricted or otherwise flawed. Thus today , sophisticated people condemn the Bible as having been written “by a bunch of men” for the sole purpose of enslaving women.
We imagine “this is me thinking” when really it is only a part of us that is thinking, and a very weak part of us, at that.
But how many people can be made aware that they must change in order to really know and experience the truth? It seems a person must already have some inkling of the truth still available to them in their hearts, otherwise they would never begin the long journey. How many people are still alive to this?
Hello Father Tryphon,
I was having a conversation with a Protestant friend and he said that the soul dies at the time the human body dies and comes back to life at the resurection. I told him I don’t think thats true. Would you please explain the Orthodox views on death, the soul and the resurrection.
He also stated that praying to the Virgin Mary and the Saints, was praying to the dead. Since Protestants do not believe in the Apostolic Holy Traditions that were shared verbaly and in action, would you please help me explain the Orthodox perspective using Biblical passages?
Our poor protestant friends have gone adrift from the teachings and practices of the Ancient Church, precisely because they are constantly re-inventing the Christian faith. Holy Tradition is our guard against slipping into heresy. I’ll address these issues in a future blog article.
On the science of Noetic knowing which book by Hierotheos of Nafpaktos do you recommend and are there other books that would help explain this in a western context? I follow your posts on a weekly basis and have been turning east for some time now. Thanks for your faithfulness.
You could start by reading “Empirical Dogmatics” by Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos.
My sister sent me this message today. I’ve had cancer since November 2016 and went through a stem cell transplant last April. Since then I’ve had some good a bad days. My faith and Lord Jesus Christ has been by my side since. I pray several times each day, Greek morning prayers, afternoon prayers and Greek evening prayers. During the morning, afternoon and before going to bed I read Greek Healing prayers. I can feel Jesus touch me each day. Iam a faithful Greek Orthodox Christian. I love my faith and Jesus Christ. He is my savior and God almighty. Everythime I pray for the sick, hungry, unemployed, homeless, our leaders, peace on earth, my family and friends etc. Most of all I thank Gogd for his love, his blessings, taking his right hand and guiding me through my illness and touching me with his heal power and touch each day.! I love Jesus more then anything. When I see people at the clinic I always start up the conversation by asking them about the illness they have. The second point and most importantly I mention faith and Jesus Christ. Always telling them to have faith and hope. Fancy cars, big houses, big bank accounts and portfolio are not #.1. Your faith and love for the Lord Jesus Christ is. My life is in Gods hands even though I would like to stick around a little long. Again my faith is stronger then ever. Growing up I was an alter and senior alter boy from when I was a youngster. Even though I went to church ever Sunday I feel closer to Jesus since I got sick. I believe Jesus is with me every day. I talk to him every day and feel him within me. I tease a little bit because I’m a Nicholas or Saint Nicholas. Thank you for your time and may God Bless you.