This is My Beloved Son: The Transfiguration of Christ by
Andreas Andreopoulos
This book is a remarkable journey into an Orthodox
understanding of the Transfiguration of Christ found in the Gospel
narratives. Right from the beginning,
Andreopoulos locates the story of the Transfiguration within the concept of a
‘journey.’ Understanding the plight of
the Christian as a journey to the kingdom of heaven, Andreas writes, “The
Transfiguration of Jesus Christ is an important landmark in this journey. It is a timeless story, a wonderful and
miraculous episode from the life of Jesus Christ that reveals a lot about our
own journey toward salvation” (2). Andreas goes on to locate the story of the
Transfiguration within the present context of the church gathering for
sacraments, for the grace that comes through the ecclesia (6). What is significant about these statements
concerning this event in the life of Christ is the way in which the church is
drawn up into this event through worship and the celebration of the
Eucharist. Protestant churches on the
whole have not given much thought to the Transfiguration as a formative event
in the life of Christ, much less to the significance for the present faithful surrounding
this miraculous event.
Connecting the baptism of Christ and his Transfiguration,
Andreas writes, “In both cases the voice reveals something about the
relationship between the Father and Son, and how the Son reveals the Father to
the world” (27). There is a Trinitarian
coherence to the voice of God being seen in both events. The three person of the Trinity working
together in simultaneous harmony is found here in the Transfiguration. The Spirit’s work in awakening the eyes of
Peter, James and John was evident in their responses (38). What was also illuminating in this chapter
was the great important Andreas gave to the role of the Holy Spirit in both
events, the baptism and Transfiguration.
From the descent of the dove to the opening of the eyes of Peter, James
and John, the Spirit’s work is to remove the scales from our eyes and allow us
to see clearly the work of both the Father and the Son, and in turn, bring
worship to all three.
In chapter 3 Andreas writes about Christ leading the
apostles up on the Mount where the Transfiguration was to take place. There is much practical value here that
Andreas draws out concerning this momentous event. Concerning the concept of freedom, Andreas
writes, “For God, who is both good and loves humanity without limits, freedom
does not mean the option to step away from abandon his creature, but to act in
the most irrational way if it can bring about even a change of bringing that
creature closer to him” (63). The events
of the Incarnation and Death of Christ are the most irrational events in human
history. These events remain irrational
to us because they invest themselves with radical concepts of love and
sacrifice that we often fail to grasp. Yet, we often think the most rational way to
follow God is to rely on our own strength.
Andreas reminds us to that follow God up the Mount of Thabor or Calvary
requires the putting to death of our sinful atttitudes and behaviors
(crucifying our flesh). The only
criticism I have of this point is the absence of any reference to the Holy
Spirit in the process of crucifying the flesh and its passions. For we rely on the Spirit to guide us and to
lead us out of temptation no matter the event.
Not written as an academic tome nor a devotional commentary,
this book is a welcome addition to understanding the Transfiguration from an
Orthodox viewpoint. More than this, the
book radically helps people, including me, to see the ongoing connection
between the event of the Transfiguration and the Christian life. Lastly, the book bears witness to the beauty
of the Trinity in all its fullness through both the relationship between each
person (Father, Son and Spirit) and the roles that they follow.
Much thanks to Paraclete Press for the complimentary review
copy of this book.
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