Orthodox theology and modernity

This article by Georges N. Nahas, honorary dean of the Institute of Orthodox Theology of Balamand, examines the relationship between Orthodox theology and modernity. Proceeding through an analytical study structured in three stages — contextualization, exposition of theological foundations, and illustration through concrete cases — the author argues that Orthodox theology possesses the necessary resources to engage in dialogue with the contemporary world. He identifies three pillars of the Orthodox tradition — life in Christ, the communal dimension, and witness — as levers for authentic engagement with modernity. Through the issues of the person and society, ethics and the body, the article demonstrates that Orthodox specificity, particularly its anthropological vision and its notion of "sobornost," offers a coherent alternative to the dead ends of modern individualism, provided that the Church develops structures for collective reflection and adopts a proactive rather than reactive stance.