The Gospel burns us ceaselessly

This article reproduces a lecture delivered by Vladimir Lossky in 1956, devoted to the theological significance of spiritual life in the Orthodox tradition. Belonging to the domain of dogmatic reflection, the text examines the christological and pneumatological foundations of Christian existence, articulating them within a precise ecclesiology. The central idea is that authentic spiritual life can only unfold in Christ and in the Holy Spirit, within a Church conceived both as a unified organism and as a space for the free edification of persons. Lossky's theological contribution lies in establishing a structural link between spiritual life, Trinitarian theology, and ecclesiology, affirming the unity of the divine economy of the Son and the Spirit. His critique of Roman ecclesiology is situated within the institutional context preceding the Second Vatican Council.