Page 258 - Orthodoxy Zizioulas

O r t h o d o x y
Ethos and Culture: Beyond Ethics
The icon does not end in contemplation alone. What is re-
vealed in the icon must also shape the way Christians in-
habit history, culture, and the moral tensions of the world.
The icon does not end in contemplation alone. What is
revealed in the icon must also shape the way Christians in-
habit history, culture, and the moral tensions of the world.
Ethics has gained a dominant place in our life and in the
life of the Church. Taught in schools and theology faculties, it
is often regarded as equal to Dogmatics, if not more impor-
tant. Departure from Dogmatics is increasingly tolerated,
even within the Church, while violation of ethical norms is
considered inadmissible.
It is striking that until recently ethics as a distinct term was
almost unknown in the Orthodox tradition. It is scarcely
found in the Fathers and was not taught in schools. It is large-
ly a Western product that has entered the life of the Church.
Yet we fail to perceive the volatility that characterizes Western
ethics, due to our own conservatism. This creates a growing
gap between the Church and society, which is forced to adapt
to rapid ethical changes—divorce, sexual ethics, euthanasia,
and others. On what criteria, then, will the Church take a
stance?
The variability of ethics shows that it cannot justify itself or
claim absolute authority. For believers, its authority must de-
rive from the will of God as expressed in Scripture, Tradition,
and the life of the Church. Yet here arises a crucial question:
who can interpret this will authoritatively?
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