The Ecclesiology of St. Basil the Great : A Trinitarian Approach to the Life of the Church

In This Book Olga Druzhinina Analyzes St. Basil's Understanding Of The Church, Paying Special Attention To His Trinitarian Approach To Its Life. Although The Role Of God The Trinity In The Life Of The Church Occupies A Considerable Place In St. Basil's Thought, As Druzhinina Demonstrates, It Is A Subject That Has Not Previously Been Addressed By Scholars. The Analysis Offered Here Of The Life Of The Church As Grounded In Trinitarian Philanthropy Provides Fresh Insights Into St. Basil's Understanding Of The Worldwide Fellowship Of Believers. Druzhinina Also Brings Into Focus Another Neglected Aspect Of St. Basil's Ecclesiology--his Perception Of The Church As A Two-dimensional, Heaven-and-earth Mystical Reality With A Strong Bond Between Both Parts (the Heavenly And The Earthly). Introduction -- Trinitarian God And The Human Community -- Trinitarian Communion And The Concept Of The Church -- Persons Of The Trinity And The Metaphors Of The Church -- Inward Life Of The Church : Education And Transformation Through Praises And Prayers To God The Trinity -- Unity Of The Church And Trinitarian Confession -- Trinitarian Philanthropy As A Basis For Ministry Of The Church -- Monastic Communities As Practical Realization Of An Ideal Community -- Final Conclusions. Olga A. Druzhinina ; Foreword By David Rainey. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. "Human hostility is not the narrative of a selected few. Since the fall of the grandparents of the human family, Adam and Eve, all humans have continued to participate in the reality of evil. Accordingly, the question is no longer whether evil will strike, but rather, when evil strikes, how should humans, particularly Christians, respond to it? This book offers a relevant and effective theology and ethics for addressing the issue of Christian response to violence in Nigeria and beyond. It situates the whole gamut of the reign of human hostility in its various manifestations: self-interest and greed for power, deception and social injustices, governmental official corruption, terrorism and so on. It encourages humans to take seriously both the fact of God creating humans good and the fall serving as the gateway of evil into the human race. It recognizes the complexity of human problems. Yet it offers possibility for just peacemaking. In spite of the horrific violence across the globe, humans are still able to do tremendous good. Thus the book recognizes the paradox of humanity: humans are capable of doing tremendous good and equally capable of doing tremendous evil."--Back cover