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October 17, 2006
Bishop Kallistos Ware speaks in Washington, DC
Bishop Kallistos (Timothy) Ware came to speak at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathdral Tuesday evening. One of his claims to fame is that he was the first non-Greek bishop consecrated in the Greek Orthodox Church in modern times. Others may be familiar with him from his books The Orthodox Church and The Orthodox Way. His talk was two-pronged, focusing on how we integrate Orthodoxy into our lives completely (not, I admit, an unheard-of topic) and also on how concerns about the earth's environment fit into Orthodoxy. The lecture ended up becoming heavily focused on the Jesus Prayer. Also, during the Q&A period, people actually asked questions rather than ranted! It seems that when a lecture is in a church rather than the local bookstore, members of the audience are more thoughtful.
His most insightful theological observation: that in the world, "We are not to destroy, but to transfigure."
Afterwards, there was a reception in which he signed books:
I didn't end up getting an autograph, this time, unlike some previous events I've attended, though I did finally get around to buying The Orthodox Way, which I've been intending to read for years. It dawned on me that the problem with reading a lot is that I get easily distracted by new books that I come across, and the books I keep intending to read I don't get around to because I have so many other books that I feel I need to finish.
Posted by Dean at October 17, 2006 11:10 PM
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Comments
I saw him in Weston on Monday and it was a great treat. "The Orthodox Way" was one of my introdocutions to Orthodoxy, and hearing him speak was quite an honor. I'm glad he made it down your way as well!
Posted by: jeff wasilko at October 18, 2006 12:30 AM