Some things I think about

This last year I have been feeding a fascination with [Eastern] Orthodox theology, especially as it colors my own understanding my simple protestant history. I play around with the idea of getting some formal theological training and part of me aches to get something like the training provided by saaot.edu and use that to enrich (or afflict) more traditional seminary type training.

Some of the fun things I've learned along the way: "Mother of God" or "Mother of Christ" was a huge issue. Does Jesus have two inseparable natures: one divine and one human; or does He have a single nature both human and divine? This cause the first schism in the church.

Other things I've been reading about that is somewhat foreign to my simple mind:

• Holy Tradition and Holy Scripture (the big Catholic / non-Catholic line)
• Mary ... (the "Immaculate Conception", and the nuace between "Mother of God" and "Mother of Christ")
• Pictures (iconography), Relics, and Saintly Prayers
• What the Orthodox Church finds important and what it does not ... interesting stuff
  

Some of these things I find to be somewhat strange to my Roman/Protestant perspective and some of them I find very interesting. It is providing me understanding to more of how some of the (what I find "weird") dogmas of the Roman or Orthodox church with color and gives me more grace because I understand more of the fundamental things that hold us all together -- Christ.

One of the most interesting things I found out was how the simple theology we've learned at the Vineyard is so very orthodox in nature. It really is nice to find such an ancient church that thinks relatively the same about God so many years ago. Maybe it's because I'm more mystical in nature ... I don't think I'll quite get the ascetism, iconic veneration, and mariology of the Orthodox church but I really do appreciate it's history.

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I do not usually write about other web-logs but I did find an article for which I will make an exception. Get Religion follows news stories in the major media outlets and uncovers the hidden "religion story" in them. It's an interesting read; as it is a conservative Christian perspective but said through the media, and by voices which range from a few varieties of backgrounds.

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I love coffee roasting, creating really. I also love my "yeasty babies" -- viz., my beer making enterprise. I love to watch them grow, have babies, and then go to sleep again. Ooh, man, the flavors. I'm in the middle my batch of Kona Espresso Stout ... ah, the perfect marriage of tasty and delicious.

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/s/ B. /
Ιησους Χριστος Νικα