Métropolite Séraphin

This article by Metropolitan Seraphim (Joanta), bishop of the Romanian diocese in Western Europe, addresses the question of the foundations of Christian life in the face of the challenges of the contemporary world. Belonging to the genre of theological meditation with a pastoral aim, the text is structured around three axes: the diagnosis of the contemporary human condition as an experience of hell, the permanent newness of the Resurrection as a response to this condition, and the antinomy of the Cross as lived through ascesis, trial and prayer. The central idea is that the Resurrection of Christ constitutes the ultimate foundation of Christian life, capable of responding to the deepest anxieties of modern man. On the theological level, the article is rooted in the Orthodox patristic tradition, drawing notably on Saint Maximus the Confessor, Saint Silouan the Athonite and Father Sophrony, to show that Orthodoxy offers a living and relevant response to the fallen human condition.