You wrote:
“From an Orthodox pov, that is very, very bad theology...this deserves a “Barf Alert”.”
Really?
Greek Orthodox: “The mysteries ... introduce us continuously and in various ways to the transforming power of God, which communicates salvation, i.e., the cure of our fallen humanity and “the elimination of the germ of mortality.” In them we encounter Christ, in order to be Christ. We enter upon a decisively new reality: in Christ we learn to become fully conscious of what it really means to be human. Encountering God, we also see the power of evil, whose force invades, pervades and distorts the image of God in us. Allied with Christ, we share in his victory over sin and death; the power of divine love overcomes evil in us and makes us a new into children of God and heirs of his Kingdom.” http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7106
“The Role of the Sacraments:
We must further emphasize the role and purpose of the holy sacraments in attaining spirituality. In the sacraments, we receive divine grace, and in the case of the holy Eucharist, Christ himself, who aids us in waging war successfully against the satanic powers. As Fr. Sergius Bulgakov says: “The heart of Orthodoxy lies in its rites.” All the Orthodox rites and sacraments are meant to combat the powers of evil. The sacramental life of the Church is the chief means toward the attainment of spirituality and of ultimate salvation.” http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith9284
The Eucharist for the Orthodox is “Our personal encounter with the living Christ” http://www.goyouth.org.au/downloads/cyc/Catechism5.pdf
“Fr. Hilarion foregrounds St Symeon’s sacramentalism, for his was not an individualistic ‘mysticism’ in the modern sense, nor a neo-charismatic anti-sacramentalism. Christians who read this book belonging to present-day forms of ‘charismatic’ revivalism may, however, be struck to find St Symeon speaking of a ‘Second Baptism’. This is very audacious language indeed for a Father of the Orthodox Church, where it is axiomatic that there can be but One Baptism. To understand this in an Orthodox sense, Fr Hilarion argues that St Symeon, whilst never doubting the efficacy of the sacraments, wanted to stress as much as possible that sacramental life involves a personal encounter with Christ, something awesome and life-changing.”
http://en.hilarion.orthodoxia.org/8_1
Maybe this idea is wider spread in Orthodox than we know?
The first two quotes are right on the money. This:
““Our personal encounter with the living Christ””
and this:
“Fr Hilarion argues that St Symeon, whilst never doubting the efficacy of the sacraments, wanted to stress as much as possible that sacramental life involves a personal encounter with Christ, something awesome and life-changing.””
however, also deserve a “barf alert”. Met. Hillarion (not “Father”)is a fine theologian and musical composer. He is a known authority on +Symeon the New Theologian. I find it difficult to credit that he uses the phrase “personal encounter with Christ”; its too Protestant and modernist but he is a Russian so who knows?
Happy New Year, Vlad! :)