February 2008  *  Web version

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A Civilization without Heart

      The theory of a western history that follows a progress-line belongs to the era of the so-called ‘Enlightenment’. The more demanding our thinking becomes, the more this theory collapses. Is Kant or Hegel more ‘advanced’, compared with Plato? Is Goethe or Hoelderlin more ‘advanced’, compared with Homer? Is Wesley or Luther more ‘advanced’ compared with Augustine or Maximus Confessor? In reality there has been only one progress, in science and technology (and a really interesting question would be, why ancient Greeks, who discovered science, did not have a great interest in it). Not even in politics can we speak about a progress, since the older monarchic governments of the West and the current ‘democratic’ ones, in many and the most crucial aspects, are inferior to the governments of ancient Greece and Byzantium.... Read Complete

     Other posts : Writing and Memory * New address for the Greek pages * New Address for the Greek Directory * New address for Ellopos Blog * Archbishop Christodoulos * Escalation of hatred against Christians in Turkey * Greek Learning in Harare, Zimbabwe

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    Fasting, Desire and Self-Control (a discussion): if we were to talk about fast in Christian terms, we wouldn't say that it is a means to control our flesh, but that it is one among many gifts God gives us in order to help us get closer to Him. Even in Plato, the aim is not to "control our flesh" but to set our soul free from desires that hinder the knowledge of God. Eastern, Orthodox, Christianity, although keeping fast days, does not place importance on fasting as such... Read Complete

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    Genesis 3:6 meaning of κατανοῆσαι All those epithets together tend to describe an almost sexual relationship with the tree, involving the senses (vision, taste) and reaching knowledge - with knowing meaning also "to make love". This series is destroyed by those who translate katanoesai as if it was synonym of see, thus just repeating the previous part (areston idein). Read Complete 

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More on "Save and Restore Ancient Diolkos petition" : While officials are always ready to present presumed proofs of interest for Diolkos, the mental, moral and operational incompetence of the Greek Ministry of Culture is shocking... Read complete

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    Genesis 3:8 question the whole chapter is about the particular tree, and is simultaneously ironical, (since the firstborn tried to hide from God in the very place of their sin) and prophetic, showing the need of exiting a paradise that had become, instead of the original habitation of man, the place of the origin of sin. Read Complete

    Other topics : What it means to be a Christian in Europe today * Meaning of οὐ μὴ - strong prohibition?  * Genesis 3:1 all the trees or any of the trees * Genesis 3:2 - Singular or plural?  * Septuagint Genesis 2:19 question * The Rule of one is best

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Ελληνικές Σελίδες

Γιὰ τὸ ἐκπαιδευτικό μας πρόβλημα * Τὸ πάθος τοῦ Χριστόδουλου καὶ ὁ νέος Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος * Γιὰ τὴν χαμένη ἀξιοπιστία τῶν πολιτικῶν μας * Γιὰ τὴν διαφθορὰ τοῦ δημόσιου βίου

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