When Orthodox Theologians Theologize Like Protestants

"Breaking the Unity of Theology" 

By His Eminence Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

In our days there is much talk about so-called “post-patristic theology”. Whatever definition anyone gives to this phenomenon, one thing is certain, that it is a “theology” that alters Orthodox ecclesiastical theology and associates it with so-called “scientific” theology, which in many ways deconstructs all the basic principles of the theology of the Church.

Many theologians, through the use of logic, reflection and biblical study methods developed in Protestant lands, try to interpret the prophetic, apostolic and patristic texts through different methods to that which has been given by Orthodox theology. Here I will briefly comment on one aspect of this interpretation.

Professor Savvas Agourides, who is well known to all modern theologians, and whom I had as a professor in the interpretation of the New Testament at the Theological School of Thessaloniki, speaks of “attempts within biblical scholarly circles towards the breaking of the continuity of the unity of the biblical message with Ecclesiastical Tradition.”

What does this reality mean?

The Bible of the Early Church

300 years before Christ was born, the Hebrew bible, which Christians consider the Old Testament, was translated into Koine Greek. The title of this translation was called the Septuagint. It is this translation that was used by the Paul, the Apostles, and the early church. It is still in use by the Orthodox Church today, however, sadly, it is rejected by most modern Christians in favor of the Masoretic text.

Brief History of the Septuagint

After Alexander the Great conquered much of the know world, the Greek language become the common language in the Mediterranean. Over time Jews outside of Jerusalem ceased to understand Hebrew, but only Greek. Soon a Greek translation of the Hebrew bible was commissioned. It was translated by 72 scribes in 72 days called the Septuagint, which means “70” in Latin or LXX for short. The Septuagint was approved by the High Priest and the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem as an accurate translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

By the time of Christ, the Septuagint was the translation used throughout the Mediterranean. Both Jews in and out of Jerusalem were familiar with it and considered it Holy Scripture. It is evident that Jesus and the Apostles were very familiar with the Septuagint because of the 350 (approx) quotes of the Old Testament contained in the New Testament, 300 are from the Septuagint. The Apostles used the Septuagint on their missionary journeys. Greek speaking Jews were converting to Christianity because, in part, of what they were reading in the Septuagint.