tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27139233.post2336577261066190958..comments2023-12-22T19:01:28.512-08:00Comments on Holy Nativity Orthodox Church: Education and IlluminationFr. Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981965403145920704noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27139233.post-79211190724722380442010-09-09T18:24:06.862-07:002010-09-09T18:24:06.862-07:00Dear Barbara,
A lot hangs on how one defines heart...Dear Barbara,<br />A lot hangs on how one defines heart and enlightenment and education. A kindergarten teacher as much as a spiritual elder can go a long way to preparing someone to receive Grace. Formation, training, modelling, teaching can help someone know "were to look" or encourage them to accept the Grace of God. People can also be taught appropriate means of repentance, and they can certainly be taught to avoid behaviours and thinking pattens that disintegrate rather than integrate them. Certainly all of this may be considered a kind of enlightenment. But in the context of St. Gregory Palamas, Enlightenment is a rather technical term that refers to the Grace of God dawning in one's heart (nous). It is not something that can be brought about, it can only be longed for and cooperated with. It is like the sunrise, you cannot bring it about, but you can be awake when it happens. And here would be where teachers, parents and others play a significant role.Fr. Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16981965403145920704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27139233.post-14767505875750534012010-09-09T14:13:43.502-07:002010-09-09T14:13:43.502-07:00Dear Fr. Michael,
I am really struggling with you...Dear Fr. Michael,<br /><br />I am really struggling with your insistence that education cannot inform the heart. I do understand that the heart is always informed by Grace and this is something beyond human control or measurement. I also understand that education doesn't automatically become part of drawing a heart to repentance. However, if I am taught by an illumined scholar/teacher, isn't there a possibility that I may see the grace they exude and feel my heart drawn to the beauty, goodness and truth in them? Can't synergy include the way God uses all of us and our whole lives as part of our salvation? Can't an educator who is repenting teach in a way that touches hearts or at least encourages a descent of the mind to the heart, to an awareness of the Kingdom of heaven within? Isn't knowledge of God connected to all knowledge of creation? Maybe I am missing your point, but the distinction seems to relegate education to a scientific/technical/robotic process rather than a dynamic relationship between teachers and students that will always have heart impact (for good or bad).Barbarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00691469684374195663noreply@blogger.com