Prefaceto

ThePlaceofBlessedAugustineintheOrthodoxChurch
byFatherSeraphimRose

(FortheGreekEditionpublishedbytheHolyWomensMonasteryofSt.Augustine,Florina,Greece)

Fr.PeterHeers

What is the great contribution of Fr. Seraphim Rose to the Church today? Why should
Orthodox people of Greece read this book and others written by aconverttoOrthodoxyfrom
California?CananythingofspiritualprofitcomefromCalifornia?

Fr. Seraphim was a man who loved Truth above all else and sufferedgreatlytounitehimself
to Him. Being a native ofCalifornia, born and bred on the cutting edgeofmodernity,where
the new man is frantically being shaped,farfromlimitinghisprogress,contributedtohoning
his vision and insight even more. Due to his great love of Truth and the graceof God which
pursued him, he saw through the false religions and philosophies created by man and
inspired by the evil one, and obtained the prize of hissearching theTruth,ChristHimself
andwithit,heobtainedthegiftofspiritualdiscernment.

He did not, however, horde this gift for himself. Rather, multiplying the talents, heputthegift
to extraordinary use in guiding others down the Royal Path of the Fathers tothe Truth heso
loved avoiding pitfallson the left
and right.
This is his great contributionto allofustoday
all of us today who have been, in fact, formed within the modern worldview, which issimply
the flowering of the heretical worldview of the heterodox West. We all withoutexception
have need of being freed from the pestilence of the age, from thespiritofAntichrist,whichis
spread at an everincreasingrate, preachedevenfromthe chairsofuniversityprofessorsand
thehighestrankingclergy.

Father Seraphim is one of GodsguidestoHispeople intheselasttimesandweshalldowell

tofollowhislead,forheknowsofwhatandofWhomhespeaks.

This book, The Place of Blessed Augustine in the Orthodox Church , at first glance might
seem to us of limited interest and usefulness. The last book on the bookshelf that will help
us gain discernment of the spirit(s) of the age. A book for specialists in Church history or
patrology.Areadwhenandiftimepermits.

But this book is not just about ancient controversies and theopinionsofChurchFathersfrom
centuries past. Far from it! In examining the controversy surrounding Blessed Augustine,
Father Seraphim teachesus howoneHolyFather approachesanother,pointsustothat tone
of Orthodox life and thought which comes between the lines as it were, and identifies the
the true Orthodox perspective which is first of all, to distrust ones abstract theological
outlookandask:whatdooureldersthinkwhatdidtherecentFathersthink?

Father Seraphim teaches us Orthodoxy of the heart, in which trust in theOrthodox Fathers
of the past extinguishes thecoldnessofheartsocharacteristicofourtimes.Heshowsusthat
our approach to theteaching of the Holy Fathers should notbe academic but practical, and
should see beyondsuperficial disputes to thedeepermeaningofthePatristicteaching.The
arrogance and coldness of todays patristic elite is one of the greatest temptations of our
time, since everyone is nowaffected to some degree or other by the soulless academic air
aroundus.

Father Seraphim opens our eyes toseeanewgivenswed takenforgranted.Hetearsdown

the walls built between the two extremes of ecclesiastical life today zealotry and
modernism showingthattheyaretwosidesofthesamecoin,two expressionsofthesame
spirit. Fr. Seraphim teaches us that theparty spirit, the sectarian spirit, which is really
zeal
notaccordingtoknowledge(Romans10:2),isbynomeanslimitedto oneextreme oranother,
to the left
or right, but rather both are products of cold heartsoftheintellectuallycorrect,
in which he sees a preparationfor the work ofAntichrist(whoseimitationofChristmustalso
extendtocorrecttheology).

Father Seraphim opens our eyes to ourselves, brings us to selfknowledge and humility,and
turns our easilyheld and proclaimed selfevidenttruthsontheirhead.Muchhasbeenmade
of the Western captivity of Orthodoxy over these past few centuries. And, indeed, no one
can deny that Orthodox theology has been affected by the rationalism emanating from
Western scholasticism. But, as Father Seraphim points out, pointing fingers at the Holy
Fathersofthepastonlyrevealstheselfignorance ofourpreciseandcorrectbutcoldand
unfeeling generationofOrthodoxChristians.For,thenit affectedtheologicalformulationsof
doctrine, whereas today the Western captivity surrounds and often governs the very
atmosphere and tone of our Orthodoxy, which is often theoretically correct but wanting in
trueChristianspirit,intheindefinablesavoroftrueChristianity.

ItwaspreciselythissavoroftrueChristianity,thefieryzealandlove,thedeep
compunctionandpurityofheartfoundinSaintAugustines Confessions thatsoinspiredFr.
SeraphimtotakeuptheSaintsdefense inspiteof
histheologicalerrors.Inpainofheart
andhavingsufferedfortheTruth,Fr.SeraphimsawpasttheSaintserrorsand embracedthe
man, inwhomhesensedasufferingheart.For,theTruthwasnotheoreticalorideological
suppositionforFr.Seraphim,butaPerson,evenChristourGod.And,inthepersonofSaint
Augustine,FatherSeraphimsawthePersonofChrist.Fr.Seraphimknewexperientiallythat
wehavethistreasureinearthenvessels,thattheexcellencyofthepowermaybeofGod,and
notofus (2Cor.4:7).

Therefore,inreadingthisbook,dearreader,thereismuchmoreatstakethansimplywhat
opinionweshouldholdofSaintAugustine.Fr.SeraphimpresentstheChurchFathersstance
onthisandmakesitclearforalltosee.Beyondthis,however,weshalllearnsomethingof
whatitmeanstohaveahumble,brokenandcontriteheart,toloveandsufferfortheTruth,to
avoidthepitfallsofcold,heartless,academicapproacheswithoutmarginalizingtheTruthor
embracingfalsehood.

WeallwanttobeandremainOrthodoxinthisdayandageofapostasyandrelativizingof
Truth.Todothatitwilltakemuchmorethancorrecttheology.Therebemustbecreated
withinusadeeplyChristianheartandsoul,whichlovestheTruthasaPerson,which
cosufferswithHim,whichfeelspainofheartwithdevotion.

Fr.PeterAlbanHeers
Petrokerasa
November17,2009
MemoryofourVenerableFatherGregorytheWonderworker,BishopofNeocaesarea