Aristote Papanikolaou

This article by American Orthodox theologian Aristotle Papanikolaou examines the role of fear in the process of deification (*theosis*) based on a lecture delivered in an academic and ecclesial context. Drawing on contemporary trauma psychology and the theology of Saint Maximus the Confessor, the author shows that fear — particularly fear of punishment — constitutes an obstacle to authentic love of God and neighbor. The study distinguishes several forms of fear and analyzes their dynamics in the spiritual life, before examining their effects in the ecclesial and political sphere, illustrated by religious fundamentalism and the war in Ukraine. Drawing also on Mother Maria Skobtsova and Elisabeth Behr-Sigel, the article argues for an integration of ascesis into eucharistic ecclesiology, so that Christian faith may be expressed in the world through trust and love rather than fear.

This article examines the question of sexual ethics from the perspective of contemporary Orthodox theology. Aristote Papanikolaou offers a systematic theological study that distinguishes a simple prescriptive "Orthodox morality" of sex from a genuine ethics of sexuality. Drawing primarily on the thought of Saint Maximus the Confessor, the author develops an anthropological approach in which human nature is conceived as dynamic and oriented toward deification. The central idea is that the sexual relationship between two persons engaged in a shared path can only be evaluated morally in light of this theological finality. The contribution of the article lies in the construction of a coherent ethical framework, rooted in the patristic tradition, which allows human sexuality to be approached not as a disciplinary problem but as an integrated dimension of the human vocation to union with God.

This article examines the role of reason in the development of Trinitarian doctrine within contemporary Orthodox theology. Aristotle Papanikolaou conducts a critical and argumentative study aimed at reassessing the place of rationality in dogmatic discourse. The central idea is that the excesses of apophaticism, as they manifest in Vladimir Lossky's Trinitarian approach, are detrimental to a coherent and rational understanding of the dogma of the Trinity. Drawing on the theology of Father Sergius Bulgakov, the author advocates for a rehabilitation of a more rational and systematic approach. On a theological level, the article contributes to the debate on the articulation between reason and spiritual experience in the Orthodox tradition, by offering a critical reinterpretation of two major figures of twentieth-century Orthodox theology and by questioning the epistemological foundations of Trinitarian discourse.