Why Orthopraxis & IMPACT?

St. NIcholas Cabasilas summarized the entirety of Orthodoxy as 2 dimensions: a) Participation in the Holy Mysteries, and b) training the will for virtue. This mirrors the 2 liturgies, the 2 great commandments, the entire New Testament structure of faith expressing itself through love/works, and the Orthodox approach of “synergy”–God’s work and ours in response.

However, as Noted Orthodox ethicist Stanley Harakas, and many(!) others have noted:

In our day, in Orthodox Theology, we are presently under the powerful influence of liturgy and mystical experience in Theology which tend to weaken the role of ethical concerns and interest in ethical living within the larger concept of what it means to be an Orthodox Christian For Orthodoxy, this is erroneous. (Har, Toward.. p4)

Orthopraxy is dedicated to elaborating this neglected side of “ethical living” of Orthodoxy, what Cabasilas called “training the will for virtue”, and Maximus simply called “action”.

Ok then, well what does this look like in Orthodoxy? How is the will trained for the virtues that culminate in love? If “half” (to speak crudely) of our salvation depends on this, it is imperative that we understand in what this training consists.

Key is, as Gregory Naziunsas says, God is pleased by acts of mercy and not the performance of the virtues, per se.” This is because virtues are developed through action! We become good by doing good; we become virtuous by acting virtuously. And for Christians and especially Orthodox, this growth is closely linked with mercy offered to the vulnerable. As Maximus argues, “Nothing is so conducive for justification or so fitted for divinization … and nearness to God as mercy offered with pleasure and joy as those who stand in need. (Maximus).

This is also why Maximus asserts: “Theology without actions is the theology of demons!” (cf James 2:19)