Half Pint with Melkite Joe (“Christ the Eternal Tao”)

In Season 9 we explored The Abolition of Man where Lewis argues for “The Tao”. That seemed like a perfect excuse to talk about something of a classic work in Eastern Christianity, Christ the Eternal Tao.

Show Notes

01. “Melkite Joe”

• Melkite Greek Catholic
• Christ the Eternal Tao
• Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile
• The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth
• David referred the story about envoys of Prince Vladimir of Kyiv whom he sent to investigate different religions in the late 10th century. Those who visited Hagia Sophia in Constantinople reportedly said: “We no longer knew whether we were in heaven or on earth”. The fuller passage describes the church as so beautiful that they were unable to describe it adequately and says that they believed God dwelt there among men. It is part of the story explaining Vladimir’s eventual adoption of Byzantine Christianity and the Christianization of Rus in 988.
• Chester, Chesterfield

02. “Christ the Eternal Tao”

In the beginning was the Tao and the Tao was with God and the Tao was God.
The Tao was made flesh and dwelt among us.

Christ the Eternal Tao rendition of John 1:1

• Saint Herman of Alaska Monastery
• Seraphim Rose
• Tao Te Ching
• Justin Martyr and Clement of Alexandria
• Lewis’ favourite Pslam speaks of the God revealing Himself in creation:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Psalm 19:1

• In Mere Christianity, Lewis describes how becoming a Christian allowed him to be more liberal:

When I was an atheist I had to try to persuade myself that most of the human race have always been wrong about the question that mattered to them most; when I became a Christian I was able to take a more liberal view. But, of course, being a Christian does mean thinking that where Christianity differs from other religions, Christianity is right and they are wrong. As in arithmetic—there is only one right answer to a sum, and all other answers are wrong: but some of the wrong answers are much nearer being right than others.

C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (Book II, Chapter 1)

03. “Reading #1”

• Melkite Joe read the rendition by Christ the Eternal Tao of Matthew 21 (and quotes Isaiah 53:3):

The Ancient Sage, follower of the Way, said:
“He who is conscious of honor and glory, Yet keeps to disgrace,
Resembles the Valley of the World.”

The Way entered the City,
And the crowds stood on either side of the road,
Shouting praises and blessings upon Him.
The children laid clothes and branches under the hooves of
the child-ass on which He rode.

He was conscious of the honor and glory,
Yet He knew that He was going to His ultimate humiliation;
That some of those who now shouted His praises Would soon be shouting for His death.
“For He is a man of sorrows,”
As foretold the Ancient Prophet,
“A man of sorrows, And acquainted with grief.”

Christ the Eternal Tao (Chapter 28)

• Holy Transfiguration Monastery

04. “Taoist Background?”

• David’s interview with Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, author of the essay “C.S. Lewis, an ‘Anonymous Orthodox”
• David mentioned Ecumenism Month where he interviewed Lewis-lovers from different religious backgrounds

05. “Warnings and Reservations”

–

06. “Shaping your spiritual outlook”

• Filioque

07. “Eastern Orthodoxy in China”

• John of Shanghai and San Fransisco
• Orthodox Cathedral in San Francisco
• David mentioned how C. S. Lewis’ brother Warren, had his reversion to Christianity while stationed in the East.

08. “Reading #2”

• The interview was wrapped up by reading the subsequent chapter of Christ the Eternal Tao about Matthew 26:

The Ancient Sage, follower of the Way, said:
“He who is conscious of honor and glory,
Yet keeps to disgrace,
Returns to pristine Simplicity.”

The Way left the City and descended into the Valley of the World.
Ascending again to the other side of the Valley, He came to a Garden
Like unto the primordial Garden in which His love had once been betrayed.
And now the duplicitous one, pretending to return His Love, Betrays Him with a kiss.
Now the duplicitous one, pretending to do Him reverence, Disgraces Him in front of all.
Love ushers in freedom,
But the duplicitous one puts Him in shackles.

The duplicitous one delivered the Simple One to death, And the Simple One was brought back into the City.
Before, He had entered in honor, to be led to final disgrace.
Now He enters in disgrace, to be led to final honor:
He being Himself the Way in which He trod
The Way of return to pristine Simplicity

Christ the Eternal Tao (Chapter 29)