The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation

by Dr Christopher Veniamin

Dr Christopher Veniamin just published his essay on the

Orthodox understanding of salvation in the teaching of

St Silouan the Athonite and Elder Sophrony of Essex.

It is available in digital form in Kindle format.

This is a very important subject and Dr Veniamin manages 

to explain theological concepts with ease. He writes,

"There are, described in this passage, four stages of love, the

fourth and highest of which is that which is attested to by the

penetration of Divine Grace into the body, into the very marrow

of a person's being. And this is identified by Saint Silouan as the 

highest state of holiness. 'He who feels grace in both soul and

body is a perfect man, and if he preserves this grace, his body

is sanctified and his bones will make holy relics.'

As with Christ's voluntary death, in which it was not possible for

the Body of the Logos of Life to see corruption, and which was 

thus raised together with His human soul on the third day, so too

will it be with the bodies of those saints which have known great

grace in this life, and who have been able to preserve it. They too,

even after death, are not separated from the grace and love of 

God, neither in soul nor in body, and hence their bodies are 

revealed as holy relics." Kindle location 226 of 341.