Two Presuppositions.

        From the perspective of classic Christian tradition which Eastern Orthodoxy represents, an assessment of the nature of theological discernment and diagnosis must take into account at least two fundamental presuppositions. The first is the ecclesial character of theology and theological truth as sources of discernment and diagnosis. By ecclesial is meant not something abstract but the Church in all its concreteness — its experience of God, worship, core teachings and values, disciplines of piety, and spiritual ethos. Of course all fields of knowledge are in various degrees sociologically conditioned because the very language and symbols used for communication are part of the given cultural heritage. Yet such culturally conditioned elements can in most fields of human affairs be modified, corrected, and even rejected or replaced by new elements in the course of the interaction of cultures and the progressive accumulation of human knowledge. In the case of classical theology, however, there are a number of deep and abiding truths and values which are not open to revision because they are grounded in revelation, that is, the self-disclosure of God himself as a gift to be received by the community of faith but not be controlled by human will, reason or skill. Although such truths must also be received, understood, and interpreted by human beings, nevertheless they pertain to core experiences, principles and values constitutive of the deep nature and self-understanding of the religious community born in integral connection with great moments of revelation such as the incarnation of Christ, His death and resurrection, and the gift of the Spirit on Pentecost as events of the new covenant enjoyed by Christians.

        In addition, the ecclesial experience of God is not a reality located only in the past but also in the present, namely, in the worship, prayer, study, work, recreation, and Christian living of believers. In other words, the Church as a community is a concentrated locus of God's gracious action and the healing context within which Christian discernment and diagnosis, as well as their application, occur. Unless engagement of the divine presence is taken with utter seriousness, talk about spiritual or theological discernment and diagnosis remains hollow and easily coopted by psychological models and considerations. The religious context then becomes a sociological frame, a pretext, for the application of psychological methods and principles.

        The integrity, power and efficacy of Christian discernment and diagnosis derive not simply from theoretical considerations, as accurate as they may be, but from the actual cooperative dynamics between God's saving presence and the grateful response of human beings who pray, worship, and live together in spirit and truth. The prayers and supportive love of a simple Christian may be far more healing for a hurting soul than the counsel of a professionally trained pastor filled with psychological knowledge but empty of the divine presence. The integrity of the pastor himself qua pastor is always rooted in one's God-given call to and empowerment in that ministry.

        The second fundamental presupposition which determines the nature of theological discernment and diagnosis is the universal vision of Christian theology. Classical theology stands on the truth claim that it seeks to understand and interpret all of reality from the standpoint of God. The adjective theological and the noun theology do not signify the knowledge of God as metaphysical speculation but the revealed knowledge of God, as we know it especially from Scripture, appropriately applied to all spheres of life. Therefore, theological discernment and diagnosis do not pertain only to specifically religious behavior or to a narrowly defined religious realm, but rather to all human endeavors valued and interpreted from the standpoint of the revealed Creator, his truths, his purposes, and his will for humanity and creation.

        Thus a Christian going out to the world — whether a doctor, psychologist, engineer, economist, lawyer, politician, businessman, or even a consumer in a shopping mall — cannot leave his or her Christian convictions at home. The dynamic process of discernment and diagnosis, just as the struggle for truth and life, is always at hand. If this reality of revealed truth in its universal scope is not taken seriously, any theological judgment is rendered impotent. Theology itself becomes either sectarian or a coopted vehicle of a culture's latest wisdom and favored values. However, when theology holds to its true position and function as reflection on and interpretation of God's self-disclosure for the whole world, it retains its authenticity and power, and remains the queen of the sciences, a service it should perform in humility.

        We have emphasized the ecclesial or communal character of theological truth grounded in the experience of God in the life of the Church. We have also insisted on both the personal and universal scope of theological truth applicable to all walks and areas of life. We have also suggested what now may be stated directly, namely, that theological discernment and diagnosis constitute responsibilities not only of the Christian pastor, teacher, counselor or other professional, but also of every Christian. Each Christian is a free and synergistic agent in the process of one's spiritual growth and ultimate salvation. Each Christian, with the help of others, especially pastors, must always seek to discern deeper and wider aspects of God's presence and God's truth, make the appropriate diagnosis regarding personal and social considerations, and live by this truth with faith and integrity. Even in a close pastor-parishioner relationship, the Christian's personal responsibility of discernment is never eclipsed by obedience to a spiritual father, as for example in the case of temptation to violate a clear spiritual principle or biblical commandment. The same goal is set before all Christians, lay and clergy, that is, in the words of the Epistle to the Ephesians, to grow “to mature personhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Eph. 4:13). As St. John of the Ladder much later put it, the essence of true Christian life is “to imitate Christ in thought, word, and deed as far as this is humanly possible.”