Western European Christendom finds it difficult to comprehend the Eastern Orthodox Church because it knows little about the practice and doctrines of Orthodoxy. Even what is known is overlaid by many strata of prejudices and misunderstandings, partly political in nature. One of the obstacles has been the natural tendency to confound the ideas and customs of the Orthodox Church with familiar parallels in Roman Catholicism. To escape this tradition pitfall, Ernst Benz focuses on icon painting as a logical place to begin his examination of the Orthodox Church. Beginning with a brilliant discussion of the importance of icons in the Eastern Church--and the far-reaching effects of icons on doctrine as well as art--Benz counteracts the confusion, explaining simply and clearly the liturgy and sacraments, dogma, constitution and law of Eastern Orthodoxy. In brief history, he describes the rise of Orthodox national churches, schismatic churches, and churches in exile; the role of monasticism and its striking differences from Roman Catholic monasticism; the missionary work of the Orthodox Church; and the influence of Orthodoxy on politics and culture. The role of the church can be defined in terms of the image. Benz writes that the church exists so that "members may be incorporated into the image of Jesus Christ à in that individual believers are æchanged into his likeness'" as Paul writes in the second letter to the Corinthians. Thus, Orthodox theology holds up the icon as the true key to the understanding of Orthodox dogma. The Eastern Orthodox Church will be valuable to anyone interested in learning more about the church, its thought, its life, and its ideals.

The Eastern Orthodox Church: Its Thought and Life (Anchor)

Politics & Social Sciences

BENZ, ERNST

Sociology

Routledge

Emanuel Swedenborg: Visionary Savant in the Age of Reason (SWEDENBORG STUDIES)

The distinguished German theologian Ernst Benz documents the rich and fascinating life of Emanuel Swedenborg, who claims an exceptional place in history as both a scientist and a visionary. Also an active statesman, Swedenborg accomplished major engineering feats, contributed numerous groundbreaking studies in a variety of scientific fields, and played a prominent role in Swedish public institutions. This is one of the most comprehensive biographies of Swedenborg available in print.

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

Swedenborg Foundation Publishers

The distinguished German theologian Ernst Benz documents the rich and fascinating life of Emanuel Swedenborg, who claims an exceptional place in history as both a scientist and a visionary. Also an active statesman, Swedenborg accomplished major engineering feats, contributed numerous groundbreaking studies in a variety of scientific fields, and played a prominent role in Swedish public institutions. This is one of the most comprehensive biographies of Swedenborg available in print.

The Mystical Sources of German Romantic Philosophy: (Pittsburgh Theological M...

The Mystical Sources of German Romantic Philosophy (Pittsburgh Theological Monographs-New)

Literature & Fiction

History & Criticism

Pickwick Publications

The Theology of Electricity : On the Encounter and Explanation of Theology an...

The Theology of Electricity: On the Encounter and Explanation of Theology and Science in the 17th and 18th Centuries (Princeton Theological Monograph)

History

World

Christian Kabbalah is the great scholar Ernst Benz’s introduction to the relatively little-known but fascinating subject of Christian Kabbalah. Christian Kabbalism is the interpretation of Jewish Kabbalistic themes in the context of the Christian faith, or an interpretation of Christian doctrines utilizing Kabbalistic methods and concepts. Its beginnings are generally traced back to Count Pico de la Mirandola, the well-known Renaissance philosopher and creator of a Christian Neoplatonism. The great surge of mysticism within the theology and theosophy of German pietism during the early modern period led not only to a renaissance in the study of the Kabbalah within Protestant theology, but also to a positive evaluation of the religious content of the Kabbalah in its own right. This work includes illustrations of the famous Kabbalistic master tablet of Princess Antonia and discusses in detail the work of the great Christian theosopher Friedrich Christoph Oetinger. Christian Kabbalah is currently the only introduction available to the history and teachings of this important form of mysticism and religious cross-pollination.

Christian Kabbalah

Religion & Spirituality

Christian Books & Bibles

Grailstone

Zur Überlieferung der Matthäuserklärung des Origenes (Vol 1): und Nachlese (Classics in the History of Early Christian Literature) (English and German Edition)

Arts & Photography

Klostermann, Erich

Religious

Gorgias Press

Zur Überlieferung der Matthäuserklärung des Origenes (Vol 2): und Nachlese (Classics in the History of Early Christian Literature) (English and German Edition)

Les Sources Mystiques De La Philosophie Romantique Allemande (Bibliotheque D'histoire De La Philosophie) (French Edition)

Philosophy

Librairie Philosophique J. Vrin

Leibniz und Peter der Grosse: Der Beitrag Leibnizens zur russischen Kultur-, Religions- und Wirtschaftspolitik seiner Zeit (German Edition)

Reference

Walter de Gruyter

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