Being orthodox in the Western world
Article summary proposed by the Contacts review with LLM assistance
This article is the transcript of a paper delivered in 2007 by Father Boris Bobrinskoy on the question of Orthodox identity in the West. Adopting both a reflective and theological approach, the author immediately rejects the geographical opposition between East and West, substituting for it a spiritual polarity: the East designates Christ, the Sun of justice, while the West symbolizes the world to be evangelized. Building on this framework, Bobrinskoy traces the gradual rooting of the Orthodox diaspora in Europe and North America, highlights the founding role of the Saint Sergius Institute, and affirms ecumenical engagement as an ecclesial imperative. The theological contribution of the article lies in the identification of three constitutive dimensions of Orthodox witness: the Paschal victory, the living Tradition transmitted through spiritual filiation, and liturgical and interior beauty. The whole argues for a transcendence of confessional identitarianism in favor of a universal evangelical witness animated by the Holy Spirit.
This article has not been translated yet — it is available in its French version here.
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