A reflection in Paschaltide: Addendum (free post)

Two videos

My previous post was mainly concerned with the most essential conviction of the Christian faith that its original paradosis (“tradition”), which supports everything it believes and does, including its “spirituality,” is based entirely on the revelation of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Logos. In addressing this chief matter, I touched on the secondary issue of what is referred to as the philosophia perennis (“perennial philosophy”), the idea that a common intimation of supreme truth is shared universally by human beings, expressed in innumerable traditional ways. As I indicated in cursory fashion, Christian disciples can hold together these two seemingly (but not truly) disparate approaches to the transcendent and unsurpassable, while giving necessary priority to the former conviction. I will let that post speak for itself; however, in what follows I offer two videos that make some of the same points I made, but at a more leisurely pace.

The first is a talk given by the late James Cutsinger, the title of which makes the subject matter plain. I have recommended this video before, but allow me to repeat the endorsement. While I don’t espouse the school of Perennialism that Dr. Cutsinger did, I find the overall perspective he presents in the talk agreeable.

The second video is an excellent talk as well. I was initially surprised at how much it dovetails with my last post, even though I hadn’t previously listened to the lecture. I’ll humbly chalk it up to divine inspiration. The video is introduced on YouTube with these words:

Fr. John Behr takes on those who dismiss Jesus Christ on “historical grounds”… The alternative to historicism [which is itself problematic] as our mode of interpretation, he explains, is Christ on the cross as the foundation of all our knowledge and interpretation.

The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr is the Dean of St. Vladimir's Seminary in Crestwood, N.Y., where he is also Professor of Patristics, teaching courses in patristics, dogmatics, and Scriptural exegesis. He also teaches at Fordham University, where he is the Distinguished Lecturer in Patristics.

This lecture was delivered as part of the annual Augustine College Weston Lecture series on March 23rd, 2012.

(Artwork: Josef Wagner-Höhenberg (1870 -1939) — Three Monks Playing Musical Instruments Around a Table, 1937)