In the Image and Likeness of God

Rating:
Summary: Man's destiny is communion with the Life of the Trinity
Review: A collection of essays, this gem is sure to deepen and change your understanding of salvation, creation, God, the Church and many other topics. I found it hard to sleep after reading this book at night, as it seemed to charge my mind with a surge of creativity and a desire to put my face on the floor to pray. These essays are far from dry. Engaging from the start, they cover the following topics: 1.Apophasis and Trinitarian Theology 2.Darkness and Light in the Knowledge of God 3.The Theology of Light in the Thought of St.Gregory Palamas 4.The Procession of the Holy Spirit in Orthodox Trinitarian Theology 5.Redemption and Deification 6.The Theological Notion of the Human Person 7.The Theology of the Image 8.Tradition and Traditions 9.Concerning the Third Mark of the Church: Catholicity 10.Catholic Consciousness: Anthropological Implications of the Dogma of the Church 11.Panagia 12Dominion and Kingship: An Eschatological Study Bibliography

It is hard to imagine a better presentation of these topics. My only complaint is his use of greek and latin without translating. While his use is usually inferrable from the context, if you are unfamiliar with theological jargon, you'll want a greek-latin-english dictionary at hand (maybe not, though). PLEASE don't let that scare you. It is a minimal amont of times that you'll not get what he means. Besides, isn't time to learn a little greek? Although Lossky's works are always worthwhile, his "Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church" takes the cake. He's done his homework, now do yours!

Rating:
Summary: Boring technicalities
Review: The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church was one of my favorite spiritual books for many years and it is with high expectations that I ordered In the Image and Likeness of God. I was sorely disappointed. This thin book presents a series of rather short theological articles dealing with the Trinity, Eschatology and Ecclesiology. There is also an article on the Imago Dei. Hence the title of the book.

When I read these articles I often put down the book and asked myself: what did I learn from what I've just read ? And believe me or not: I was absolutely incapable of remembering a single notable idea! Lossky seems to have caught the virus of French intellectuals, talking endlessly and without contributing anything substantial or interesting about extremely technical matters such as the difference between the trinity of Clement of Alexandria and the trinity of Dyonisius the Areopagite. Who cares?

The article about the Imago Dei was extremely disappointing and seems to have been written with a view to please the Protestant intelligentsia: in it we learn that the image of God is nothing more that the capacity of man to dominate nature. Barth and consorts must have been pleased.

Don't waste your money and your time on these sterile musings of what turns out to be a very tired Orthodox theologian.If you want to read a really good book on theology, try Behold the Spirit by Alan Watts, a refreshing and innovative exploration of the Incarnation and of the relationship between God and the world.