Alyosha’s accounts of Zosima’s talks and homilies shed light on Zosima’s theology. Zosima emphasizes the importance and role of prayer, love, and touching other worlds. Prayer, in Zosima’s words, is extremely important in refreshment and in intercession for those who have died. Love is also a teacher like prayer, and one should love the sinner despite his sin. Knowledge of the other world compels people to take upon themselves the burden of humanity’s sin. These three statements have several valid points and a few disputable points. Zosima argues that prayer is important for receiving new feelings and new thoughts, to create further new courage. However, he also urges his followers to pray throughout each day for those who have died and gone before God to be judged. They should pray for God to be merciful on the soul before the Lord. While I agree that prayer is an important form of communication and refreshment, why should one pray for someone who has already died? Haven’t they already made their decision to believe and place their faith in Christ’s redemptive power or not? Does praying for the dead really cause God to change his judgment and be more ‘merciful?’ Concerning love, Zosima urges followers to not be afraid of sin, but to love the sinner in order to show God’s love on earth. I affirm this statement, however, I do not understand Zosima’s command of “man do not exalt yourself above the animals?” (319). This statement does not make sense in light of the story of creation: “God blessed them [Adam and Eve] and told them, ‘Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters over the fish and birds and all the animals’” (Genesis 1:28, NLT). Nevertheless, I affirm Zosima’s command to love children and to let their faith be an example to us. Zosima’s third point concerns the touching of other worlds. He urges his followers to take up a burden to tell others the truth and in that way, take up the sins of all. In addition, it is emphasized that this earth is only temporary and not the final home. Although everything may not be clear to us on this earth, for believers, there is eternal hope and purpose. Alyosha recounts Zosima’s theology to reveal his beliefs and reflect his triumph over Karamazov blood. Zosima advocates love and prayer as teachers and the perspective that this world is not our home.
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Blog 02-04-08
Alyosha’s accounts of Zosima’s talks and homilies shed light on Zosima’s theology. Zosima emphasizes the importance and role of prayer, love, and touching other worlds. Prayer, in Zosima’s words, is extremely important in refreshment and in intercession for those who have died. Love is also a teacher like prayer, and one should love the sinner despite his sin. Knowledge of the other world compels people to take upon themselves the burden of humanity’s sin. These three statements have several valid points and a few disputable points.
Zosima argues that prayer is important for receiving new feelings and new thoughts, to create further new courage. However, he also urges his followers to pray throughout each day for those who have died and gone before God to be judged. They should pray for God to be merciful on the soul before the Lord. While I agree that prayer is an important form of communication and refreshment, why should one pray for someone who has already died? Haven’t they already made their decision to believe and place their faith in Christ’s redemptive power or not? Does praying for the dead really cause God to change his judgment and be more ‘merciful?’
Concerning love, Zosima urges followers to not be afraid of sin, but to love the sinner in order to show God’s love on earth. I affirm this statement, however, I do not understand Zosima’s command of “man do not exalt yourself above the animals?” (319). This statement does not make sense in light of the story of creation: “God blessed them [Adam and Eve] and told them, ‘Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters over the fish and birds and all the animals’” (Genesis 1:28, NLT). Nevertheless, I affirm Zosima’s command to love children and to let their faith be an example to us.
Zosima’s third point concerns the touching of other worlds. He urges his followers to take up a burden to tell others the truth and in that way, take up the sins of all. In addition, it is emphasized that this earth is only temporary and not the final home. Although everything may not be clear to us on this earth, for believers, there is eternal hope and purpose.
Alyosha recounts Zosima’s theology to reveal his beliefs and reflect his triumph over Karamazov blood. Zosima advocates love and prayer as teachers and the perspective that this world is not our home.
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