Orthodox Theology: An Introduction

At the time of his death in 1958, Vladimir Lossky was already known as one of the most brilliant Orthodox theologians of our century. His study, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, was widely recognized not only as an authoritative presentation of Orthodox theology but also as a challenge to the prevailing Western understanding of God-man relations. Yet only in the posthumous publication of Lossky's many other works has the full extent of his contribution to modern Christian thought been revealed. Orthodox Theology: An Introduction was originally intended as a course in dogmatic theology. It investigates the fundamental questions every theologian must ask: Can we know God? What is the relation of the creation to the Creator? How did man fall, and how is he saved? Lossky shows that such doctrinal issues are not merely abstract propositions for theological debate but affect the whole Christian life. Thus, as Lossky demonstrates, the Orthodox tradition of the Trinity is directly related to the Orthodox understanding of the human person. For, like the divine Persons of the Trinity, the human person in its absolute uniqueness yet equally absolute "relatedness" to other persons can only be understood theologically.