Anglicans and Orthodox: An Ancient Tale - Ron Dart and Lazar Puhalo

A video conversation with Ron Dart and Lazar Puhalo (from July 11, 2011) and reflections by Ron Dart today.

Anglicans and Orthodox: An Ancient Tale

Archbishop Lazar and Ron Dart in Conversation          

The Bible tends to end the Christian journey with the spread of Christianity in the Mediterranean and an end of times scenario in Revelation. Needless to say Christianity spread eastward and northward to India, Eastern Europe and Russia. This is not recorded in the Bible.

Christianity also spread north and northwest to what was then called Albion and a heartland of the Celts. Neither is this recorded in the Bible.

The form Christianity took eastward and to the north became, for the most part, Orthodoxy. The form Christianity took in Albion became a form of Celtic Christianity that, in time, became the church of the English (Anglicane Ecclesiae). The Anglican and Orthodox traditions, although emerging and maturing in different parts of the world, have much affinity.

There is, in the earliest records of the church, traffic between the growing Occidental form of Christianity and the Oriental form of Christianity. The history between these two historic forms of classical Christianity, at its best, is irenical and deeply rooted in the wisdom and contemplative theology of the Patristic Fathers and Mothers of the historic Church, major Creeds and Councils. There is, in short, no need for these classical Christian heritages to butt horns and indulge in the one up man ship game and melodrama that often dominates in some quarters. We have far greater challenges before us in the 21^st century then persisting in historic internal clashes and fragmentation. The close relationship between leading Anglican contemplative theologians of the 20^th and 21^st centuries such as Evelyn Underhill, Donald Allchin and Rowan Williams and such Orthodox theologians as Anthony Bloom, Timothy Ware and Andrew Louth does need to be duly noted. The formation of The Society of St. Alban and St. Sergius reflects and embodies such an affinity between Anglicanism and Orthodoxy.

I mention the above for the simple reason that Archbishop Lazar (obviously Orthodox) and I (Anglican) have had a fond and gracious working relationship for many a decade at a variety of significant levels. We founded the Canadian branch of St. Alban and Sergius and our many video collaborations on the Philokalia, Desert Tradition, High Tory Canadian politics, ecology and literature spanned a wide spectrum. I thought it apt and fitting, given the fact that Archbishop Lazar has suffered a stroke (hopefully, the mending will ever improve) that an earlier conversation between he and I on Orthodoxy and Anglicanism be reposted--comments welcome.

The joyful photo of Archbishop Lazar and I, glass tilted high in celebration, is its own sacred text and icon of sorts.

Amor Vincit Omnia

Ron Dart