Page 313 - Orthodoxy Zizioulas

T H E H I S T O R I C A L O R I G I N S O F T H E M O D E R N W O R L D
contemporary world. It is influenced by it, but it is also called
to carry the message of the Gospel into it, thereby shaping
culture. The history of the Orthodox Church shows that its
impact on the world of each era can be decisive; Byzantine
culture remains a classic example of this.
These considerations lead to a fundamental question: what
is the relationship of the Orthodox Church to the world of our
time? What impact can Orthodoxy have on the modern
world? Many—both enemies and even “friends” of Ortho-
doxy—would confine it to the margins of history. Indeed, the
modern world has often attempted to do precisely this. Yet the
Church, by its very nature, is not marginal. Its people partici-
pate organically in the daily life of their time, carrying within
that life the experience they receive from the Church, and thus
becoming a living space of exchange between Church and
world. The theology and leadership of the Church cannot be
separated from these lived experiences of its body. Only by
knowing the problems and influences faced by its people can
the Church speak a word of “edification and consolation” and
make its presence felt within history.
The modern world, however, is largely shaped by Western
culture. Other cultures certainly exist, but none has defined
the life of our era as decisively. Its achievements in science,
technology, and social organization have elevated it to global
influence and made it a standard to which other peoples look.
This culture therefore forms the primary historical context in
which Orthodoxy must act today.
But what is this Western culture? Where are its roots, and
what defines its character?
To understand it, one must return to the early centuries of
Christianity, when the Gospel was transmitted into the Latin-
speaking regions of the Mediterranean and Europe. Already
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