Vseproshchenie

[Sharon Knox]

Dear Jack,

Thank you for your reply.   I'm looking for some
literature describing all-forgiveness as peculiarly
an Orthodox idea - I don't know of an analogous term
in Catholic or Protestant theology, although the idea
that God is all-forgiving is there.

I'm writing a chapter on The Idiot for my dissertation
on forgiveness in Dostoevsky.  Mochulsky notes vseproshchenie
as one of Myshkin's Christlike qualities, and I discuss
Myshkin's success/failure as a Christ figure in those
terms.

Thanks again,
Sharon Knox

Quoting Jack Kollmann <jack.kollmann at STANFORD.EDU>:

> Dear Sharon,
>
>          Can you say more about what you're looking for?  The two responses
> that come to my mind are:
>          (1)  In a general sense, forgiveness is an integral element in
> Orthodox theology, in that man, mortal yet made in God's image, may
> approach divine likeness by working to suppress the corrupt side of his
> nature (due to original sin, a tendency towards corruption -- but not guilt
> -- inherited from Adam and Eve) and to pursue incorruption by following
> God's teachings. We all inherit something of the divine likeness (theosis,
> apotheosis, deification of man) and the opportunity to become godlike (or
> nearly so) by leading a vigilant Christian life.  Thus we are all
> "forgive-able."
>          (2)  This general tenet of Orthodoxy is made specific and manifest
> in the celebration of  Forgiveness Sunday -- also called Cheese Fast
> Sunday, the seventh Sunday before Easter and the day before the Great Fast
> begins -- and the following day, the Monday that marks the first day of the
> Great Fast.  The prayers and Scriptural readings for vespers on Forgiveness
> Sunday, and for matins the next morning, focus on (a) the expulsion of Adam
> and Eve from Eden, and how we have inherited corruptibility from Adam, and
> (b) stress that forgiveness by God for our sins begins with forgiving one
> another.  There is actually a ceremony of forgiveness commonly performed
> after vespers in which each believer asks forgiveness of the priest, the
> priest asks forgiveness from his parishioners, and the believers turn to
> one another to ask and to receive forgiveness.  All this is done in
> preparation for Great Lent and for the promise (to those who are forgiven
> for their sins) of salvation inherent in Christ's resurrection celebrated
> on Easter Sunday.
>          I hasten to say that I am not an Orthodox theologian, so you
> should take the above remarks as coming from a lay student of
> Orthodoxy.  Sources abound on #1 above; re: #2, for starters, see, e.g.,
> Hugh Wybrew, "Orthodox Lent, Holy Week and Easter:  Liturgical Texts with
> Commentary," Saint Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1997, pp. 35-39.
>          If the above comments don't answer your question, please
> elaborate, and I and others can try to respond.
>
> Best wishes,
> Jack Kollmann
> Stanford University
>
>
> At 10:59 AM 10/24/02 -0500, you wrote:
> >Can anyone direct me to a discussion of vseproshchenie
> >in Eastern Orthodoxy?
> >
> >Thanks,
> >
> >Sharon Knox
> >sccampbe at uchicago.edu
> >
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