In the Image and Likeness of God

In this collection of essays Vladimir Lossky explores the themes of orthodox theology as they relate to the salvation of humanity. He surveys mystical knowledge of God, the work of the Spirit, redemption and deification, the human person, Tradition, the Church, and eschatology. Lossky's great strenghth is his commitment to maintaining an apophatic attitude in his theology, which makes his thinking always personal and avoids scholastic abstraction. Highlights of this collection for me are his essays on 'The Theology of Light in Gregory Palamas', and 'Dominion and Eschatology'. These lay out a glorious vision of God's endlessly gracious, powerful and loving presence and work in the world. His essays on redemption, tradition, and the Holy Spirit are fine works, but for me marred slightly by his polemical intention against Western theology. In my opinion Bulgakov, whom Lossky criticises, offers a better take on the Filioque question and the role of the Spirit in the redemption of the world. The rich personalism that flows from a Trinitarian theology is on full view here, and Lossky anticipates much of what John Zizioulas has written on the subject in more recent times. If you've read 'The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church', there is not a great deal of new material in this collection, but it is still worth it for the more detailed explorations of particular topics.

This series of essays which was compiled by Lossky himself contains a great deal of insights into the topics treated - including Trinitarian theology, anthropology, Mariology and ecclesiology. As always Lossky shows an incredible knowledge of Patristic theology, while keeping apophatic theology and deification central to his thought. While the book doesn't quite back the inspirational power of his famous "Mystical Theology", the essays do connect well if you follow his nuance and for my money it is still one of the best theology books I have read. Blessings.

REVIEW: If you like Lossky's work and would like to see an articulate presentation of the Eastern theological tradition and see how it contrasts with the Western conceptual framework on critical points, then there is no reason not to purchase this book, case closed. This book provides a wonderful introduction to the Orthodox faith for those of the Augustinian tradition (Catholics and Protestants.) This book champions intellectual sophistication without becoming inaccessible and is critical of other positions without coming across as harsh or unnecessarily abrasive to those of contrary opinion. This is *not* a book for those who want just "the basics" or a general idea of what Orthodox theology is all about, and that is why I believe this book has received a few negative reviews on this page; those who are looking for that kind of material should check out popular works such as Bishop Kallistos Ware's "The Orthodox Church" or "Facing East" by Frederica Mathewes-Green. This is not a popular work but a collection of scholarly papers (which are accessible to most with an interest in theology.) OVERVIEW: The first three chapters of the book concern how man comes to know and experience the Holy Trinity according to the Eastern Tradition. The fourth chapter covers the Filioque Controversy, contrasting Eastern & Western Trinitarian theology. Chapter Five ("Redemption & Deification") covers soteriology. Chapter Six compares Eastern and Western notions of personhood and critically examines their implications for Trinitarian theology. Chapter Seven is a very brief essay on the concept of "image" with a special focus on anthropology & Christology. Chapter Eight ("Tradition and Traditions") is a brilliant essay on the nature of Tradition and God's revelation to man. Chapters Nine & Ten cover ecclesiology and shed light upon the theological presuppositions many Western Christians take for granted. Chapter Eleven covers the place of Mariology in the Orthodox Tradition and the last covers eschatology.

This collection of essays by Vladimir Lossky - one of Eastern Orthodoxy's greatest 20th century voices - is a fine complement to his more popular book (which is a modern classic), The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church. It is important to note that this book is not about Orthodox anthropology - that is, the theology of human nature - and although the essays within this volume do touch upon various facets of this theme, only a few of them do so explicitly. Several essays deal with the Trinity and apophatic theology, the meaning of deification, and ecclesiology (the study of the Church). Largely technical in nature, for those that wish to dig a bit more deeply into Orthodox thinking, this is a fine volume to do so with. Lossky is one of those authors that, for myself at least, seems to range between two poles: the technically dry and the thrillingly illuminating. Some of this has to do with his own beliefs concerning theological method: "There is nothing more dangerous, more contrary to true theology, than a superficial clarity at the expense of profound analysis" (170). When Lossky reaches profundity - and he does so repeatedly throughout the essays in this volume, particularly in his discussions of the meaning of Tradition - it is like standing on the highest mountain peak in the mountain range. This can make the rest of his writing seem more like a valley, but the journey is well worth wading through some of the more difficult and dry material within. As with all Orthodox theologians, Lossky spends a good bit of time with the Church Fathers. The first essay, "Apophasis and Trinitarian Theology", and the second essay, "Darkness and Light in the Knowledge of God", traverse similar ground as they look at what is more often called "mystical theology" - the interplay between the theological language of presence of transcendence, excess and seeming absence. Between the affirmative (cataphatic) and negative (apophatic), Lossky points like St. Dionysius the Aeropagite (who figures prominently here) to the God who is beyond both affirmation and negation. These essays are followed by an essay on the theology of transfigured light in St. Gregory Palamas and an essay on the procession of the Holy Spirit in Eastern thought. In both essays, the cataphatic and apophatic are again drawn together and shown as being equally necessary to each other and to us now today. Salvation - deification/theosis, "becoming by grace what God is by nature" - is the theme of the next three essays. Perhaps this is necessary, for having contemplated God we now move on to contemplate human nature and its relation to the Trinity. This "move" is made in the double paradox of God's kenotic descent into humanity which draws humanity up into God's life. Within this incarnational descent and graced ascent, the Orthodox understanding of humanity emerges a bit more clearly: the possibility of union with God on the one hand, or a falling into a "region of dissimilarity"

A collection of essays, this gem is sure to deepen and change your understanding of salvation, creation, God, the Church and many other topics. I found it hard to sleep after reading this book at night, as it seemed to charge my mind with a surge of creativity and a desire to put my face on the floor to pray. These essays are far from dry. Engaging from the start, they cover the following topics: 1.Apophasis and Trinitarian Theology 2.Darkness and Light in the Knowledge of God 3.The Theology of Light in the Thought of St.Gregory Palamas 4.The Procession of the Holy Spirit in Orthodox Trinitarian Theology 5.Redemption and Deification 6.The Theological Notion of the Human Person 7.The Theology of the Image 8.Tradition and Traditions 9.Concerning the Third Mark of the Church: Catholicity 10.Catholic Consciousness: Anthropological Implications of the Dogma of the Church 11.Panagia 12Dominion and Kingship: An Eschatological Study BibliographyIt is hard to imagine a better presentation of these topics. My only complaint is his use of greek and latin without translating. While his use is usually inferrable from the context, if you are unfamiliar with theological jargon, you'll want a greek-latin-english dictionary at hand (maybe not, though). PLEASE don't let that scare you. It is a minimal amont of times that you'll not get what he means. Besides, isn't time to learn a little greek? Although Lossky's works are always worthwhile, his "Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church" takes the cake. He's done his homework, now do yours!