PREFACE to Aphesis: The Impossibility of Subjectivity
Aphesis is a philosophical journey through hell, ending with a brief–perhaps even miraculous–glimpse of salvation. Many readers of the first edition were quick to note that the transition from the atheistic philosophy of subjectivity to the meditations on Christian theology were sudden and did not naturally follow from the reasoning of the previous chapters, but is this not the very way in which the grace of God operates? It is often when the sinner is most lost in this world–totally unconcerned with anything beyond themselves–that the Spirit of God descends into their hearts and shatters all of their prior assumptions and misconceptions. I found Christ through this book. When I wrote the first word of Aphesis in the summer of 2019, I was a staunch (Nietzschean) atheist, and I wrote the final chapter as a catechumen in the Orthodox Church. When I say that I found Christ through this book, I mean it in the most literal sense. My “moment of conversion” occurred while I was shooting hoops in my driveway, in deep and troubled thought over my inability to complete the final chapter of this book, one which would overcome, or at least provide a reconciliation with, the “impossibilities of subjectivity.” And suddenly, as if a veil had been lifted from my eyes, I perceived the profound truth that the Christian story of salvation provides a “narrow path” out of every paradox and contradiction I found myself lost in. I dropped the ball, and the coincidences I perceived “made me suddenly stand still.” I then messaged my cousin, my best friend and brother in Christ, to tell him the good news. Over the next two years we discovered Orthodox Christianity. Orthodox Christian theology–which has its foundation in the ontology of communion–posits that the being of beings is found in the other, in communion with the other. Communion is not mere “relating” to the other as if there were an underlying self-relation that only secondarily “relates” to another self-relating being. The radicality of the communal ontology consists of its absolute opposition to the notion of self-relation, which it banishes into the outer darkness. Pure self-relation is not merely something to be avoided–it is strictly impossible. The source of all being, being as such, is the communion between the Persons of the Holy Trinity: “Nothing in existence is conceivable in itself, as an individual, such as the substance of Aristotle, since even God exists thanks to an event of communion.” The ontology of communion posits that one’s being is not found in oneself but in and through the other. One reconciles with and finds oneself in Christ. If one remains enclosed within oneself, one cannot commune; it is only in abandoning one’s self-imprisonment through self-sacrifice that one becomes open to communal life.
Hegel and the 7 Deadly Sins (w/Chad A. Haag)telosbound2023-06-18 | Thanks to @chadahaagphilosophychannel7329 for allowing me to repost this video! Chad's Phenomenology of Spirit video: youtu.be/G4sFDXLDpLc
PREFACE to Aphesis: The Impossibility of Subjectivity
Aphesis is a philosophical journey through hell, ending with a brief–perhaps even miraculous–glimpse of salvation. Many readers of the first edition were quick to note that the transition from the atheistic philosophy of subjectivity to the meditations on Christian theology were sudden and did not naturally follow from the reasoning of the previous chapters, but is this not the very way in which the grace of God operates? It is often when the sinner is most lost in this world–totally unconcerned with anything beyond themselves–that the Spirit of God descends into their hearts and shatters all of their prior assumptions and misconceptions. I found Christ through this book. When I wrote the first word of Aphesis in the summer of 2019, I was a staunch (Nietzschean) atheist, and I wrote the final chapter as a catechumen in the Orthodox Church. When I say that I found Christ through this book, I mean it in the most literal sense. My “moment of conversion” occurred while I was shooting hoops in my driveway, in deep and troubled thought over my inability to complete the final chapter of this book, one which would overcome, or at least provide a reconciliation with, the “impossibilities of subjectivity.” And suddenly, as if a veil had been lifted from my eyes, I perceived the profound truth that the Christian story of salvation provides a “narrow path” out of every paradox and contradiction I found myself lost in. I dropped the ball, and the coincidences I perceived “made me suddenly stand still.” I then messaged my cousin, my best friend and brother in Christ, to tell him the good news. Over the next two years we discovered Orthodox Christianity. Orthodox Christian theology–which has its foundation in the ontology of communion–posits that the being of beings is found in the other, in communion with the other. Communion is not mere “relating” to the other as if there were an underlying self-relation that only secondarily “relates” to another self-relating being. The radicality of the communal ontology consists of its absolute opposition to the notion of self-relation, which it banishes into the outer darkness. Pure self-relation is not merely something to be avoided–it is strictly impossible. The source of all being, being as such, is the communion between the Persons of the Holy Trinity: “Nothing in existence is conceivable in itself, as an individual, such as the substance of Aristotle, since even God exists thanks to an event of communion.” The ontology of communion posits that one’s being is not found in oneself but in and through the other. One reconciles with and finds oneself in Christ. If one remains enclosed within oneself, one cannot commune; it is only in abandoning one’s self-imprisonment through self-sacrifice that one becomes open to communal life.
00:00 Intro 2:47 Outline of an Ontology 7:32 what are the logoi?Eucharistic Ontology - Chapter 1 (Study Session)telosbound2024-10-05 | MAXIMUS'S EUCHARISTIC THEOLOGY AND ITS ONTOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS
0:00 Intro 5:46 Summary of chapter 12:51 PART 1 23:00 PART 2 26:21 De-Mythologization is Atheism 46:16 Time 52:23 In defence of Christ 56:50 logoi 1:03:20 PART 3 1:06:16 Heidegger 1:08:18 Levinas 1:12:20 Love 1:17:30 PART 4 1:18:20 Origen 1:21:56 Zizioulas 1:28:00 PART 5 WR 1:32:39 Thanks! 1:36:10The Japanese Ecclesiastes (Hojoki: Kamo-No-Chomei)telosbound2024-09-28 | How do you handle loss, what happens to your identity when things are taken away from you? These are questions which are important to both Kamo No Chomei, of 1200AD Hino City Japan and Solomon alike. This video analyses the importance of "detachment" and "attachment" in Solomon's "Ecclesiastes" and Kamo No Chomei's "Hojoki".
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HASHTAGS: #philosophy #theology #metaphysics #ontology #orthodox #christianity #orthodoxchristianity #communion #church #jesus #christ #catholic #bible #hegel #negation #dialectics #epistemology #psychoanalysis #logic #ethics #theory #socialtheory #apologetics #God #aphesis #subjectivity #paradox #contradiction #reading #books #intellectual #japan #buddhism #hojoki #ecclesiastes #kamonochomeiSeptember Patreon Q&A: Talking Trinitarian Theology, Theosis, Hegel, and more!telosbound2024-09-27 | Answering all Patron and superchat questions!Should We Pretend Not To Hate Eachother? (The Misanthrope: Moliere)telosbound2024-09-07 | How important is the truth? Should we tell people what we think of them even if it hurts their feelings? Join us as we explore these questions and more regarding truth, resentment, social order through the lens of the 17th century play 'le misanthrope' by Moliere.
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@Seraphim-Hamilton is an Orthodox Christian apologist and author who received his Master of Theology at Duke University (2021), his M.A. in Early Christian studies from the University of Notre Dame (2019), and his Bachelor of Arts in History from Christopher Newport University (2017). He has been active in online Christian apologetics circles for over a decade and is well known for his profound knowledge of the Bible and Christian theology. In the past, he has engaged in formal and public debates with Reformed apologist Anthony Rodgers, Reformed apologist Matt Slick, and many others. In 2024, he joined the Telosbound Institute.Christian Hellenism: Greek Philosophy and Orthodox Theologytelosbound2024-08-29 | #bible #prophecy #endtimes #christ #jesus #shorts #christianity #orthodoxchristianity #orthodox #catholicChildless Cat Ladies: A Biblical Analysistelosbound2024-08-28 | Does the Bible agree with J.D. Vance on the "childless cat ladies" question? Today, we attempt to answer that question by going all the way back to the creation and fall of the first human beings.
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TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 J.D. Vance and the childless cat ladies 1:17 The creation and purpose of humanity 4:13 The fall of humanity 7:55 Politics isn’t the solutionGod’s Icon - How is Man the Image of God?telosbound2024-08-23 | In this video, we discuss the Trinitarian and Christological basis for the Biblical teaching that man is made in the “image of God.”
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0:00 Introduction 1:34 How Humanity Symbolizes the Trinity 4:14 Christ and His Body 7:08 God bless!Orthodox Trinitarian Theology: What is Nature, Person, Will and Energy?telosbound2024-08-21 | Answering a bunch of questions from this month’s Patreon/Substack/YouTube Members Q&A! I got a lot related to the Trinity, and since I’ve been reading a lot of patristic writings lately, I thought I’d do my best to explain the different “distinctions” predicated of the Godhead.
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Answering Protestantism and Calvinism (Bundled for a discount): buy.stripe.com/eVa2bz0zGgMofnO4gqSaint Photius vs the Filioque (Orthodox Christian History)telosbound2024-08-20 | #bible #prophecy #endtimes #christ #jesus #shorts #christianity #orthodoxchristianity #orthodox #catholicWhat Does God Do? (Theology Made Easy 1.4)telosbound2024-08-16 | Theology made easy is a short series of short videos briefly covering important theological concepts at an elementary level. The purpose of this series is to demonstrate as succinctly as possible the Christian view of the world (and what lies beyond it). This episode covers the theology of God's energies, or the manner in which the infinite God is known by His finite creatures. What can we say about God? What is there, really, to know about Him? Find out in this episode of Theology Made Easy; oh, and, make sure to tune in for the next episode... it's important...
TREY’s book “Aphesis: The Impossibility of Subjectivity”: amzn.to/3hzxZARSt. John Chrysostom - The Victory of the Gospeltelosbound2024-08-09 | We agree with Saint John Chrysostom that the Hebrew Scriptures prophesied Jesus Christ. Specifically, we believe that the Bible teaches that, through the work of the Messiah, all the nations will be united with God. But with all the evil and apostasy around us, how can we possibly believe that we, living after the life of Jesus Christ, have inherited all the promised blessings? Well, in order to answer that, we must do a deep-dive into the meaning of the Messiah and the "Messianic Age."
TREY’s book “Aphesis: The Impossibility of Subjectivity”: amzn.to/3hzxZAR
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction 1:26 Isaiah's Prophecy of the Messianic Age 3:11 The Conquest of the Messiah as the Power of the Cross 7:59 Saint Paul and the "Logic of the Cross" 10:48 Saint John Chrysostom's TakeHow Do We Know God? (Theology Made Easy 1.3)telosbound2024-08-02 | Theology made easy is a short series of short videos briefly covering important theological concepts at an elementary level. The purpose of this series is to demonstrate as succinctly as possible the Christian view of the world (and what lies beyond it). This episode covers the question of if God is someone that we can actually know or not. So far we have explored the existence of God, what or who God really is, and now we discuss the important question of how we can relate to or know this God.
TREY’s book “Aphesis: The Impossibility of Subjectivity”: amzn.to/3hzxZARWhy Was the Second Day of Creation Not Good? (Scriptural Shenanigans 2)telosbound2024-07-26 | The “firmament” dividing the waters above and below is the only thing not blessed as “good” by God throughout the 6 days of creation. Why?
TREY’s book “Aphesis: The Impossibility of Subjectivity”: amzn.to/3hzxZARWhat the Bible REALLY Says About 666telosbound2024-07-24 | ...The Tree of Knowledge (Scriptural Shenanigans 1)telosbound2024-07-19 | CHECK OUT THEOLOGY MADE EASY: youtube.com/watch?v=AULYqjYv72o
For those who wish to participate: https://www.telosbound.institute
TREY’s book “Aphesis: The Impossibility of Subjectivity”: amzn.to/3hzxZARThe Heresy of Nestorianism (Orthodox Christian Theology)telosbound2024-07-17 | ...The Genius of SAINT Dumitru Staniloaetelosbound2024-07-13 | Subscribe to Johnathon on Substack: substack.com/@thecudchewer
TREY’s book “Aphesis: The Impossibility of Subjectivity”: amzn.to/3hzxZARTalking Eucharist, Icon Veneration, Essence-Energy Distinction and More!telosbound2024-07-11 | ASK.What is the True Church? (According to a Catholic Saint)telosbound2024-07-10 | A vision of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Seraphim of Sarov!
#orthodoxchristianity #catholicchurch #catholic #christian #jesus #christ #christianity #bible #saint #god #trinityWho is God? (Theology Made Easy 1.2)telosbound2024-07-07 | Theology made easy is a short series of short videos briefly covering important theological concepts at an elementary level. The purpose of this series is to demonstrate as succinctly as possible the Christian view of the world (and what lies beyond it). The first episode covers the question of if God even exists, which is a pretty important precursor to the topic of this second instalment. In this video we discuss, since God does exist, what or who God actually is. How can we know that it is specifically the Christian God who is real?
TREY’s book “Aphesis: The Impossibility of Subjectivity”: amzn.to/3hzxZARSaint Paul’s End Times Prophecy!telosbound2024-07-05 | #bible #prophecy #endtimes #christ #jesus #shorts #christianity #orthodoxchristianityFour Senses of Scripturetelosbound2024-06-30 | For those who wish to participate: https://www.telosbound.institute
TREY’s book “Aphesis: The Impossibility of Subjectivity”: amzn.to/3hzxZAR
00:00 Intro 1:01 Historical/Literal 2:03 Allegorical/Typological 3:22 Tropological/Moral 4:46 Anagogical/Eschatological 5:28 Theological ImplicationsPornography: The Devils Iconographytelosbound2024-06-28 | For those who wish to participate: https://www.telosbound.institute
TREY’s book “Aphesis: The Impossibility of Subjectivity”: amzn.to/3hzxZARCosmic Mystery of Jesus Christtelosbound2024-06-27 | ...Does God Exist? (Theology Made Easy 1.1)telosbound2024-06-23 | Theology made easy is a short series of short videos briefly covering important theological concepts at an elementary level. The purpose of this series is to demonstrate as succinctly as possible the Christian view of the world (and what lies beyond it). This first episode covers the question of if God even exists--as if He didn't, this whole series would be rendered meaningless.
For those who wish to participate: https://www.telosbound.institute
TREY’s book “Aphesis: The Impossibility of Subjectivity”: amzn.to/3hzxZAR
#orthodox #orthodoxchristianity #theology #bible #christianity #philosophy #trinity #jesus #christ #GodHow to Have Eternal Lifetelosbound2024-06-21 | So now that we know what eternal life is, we can now move on to discuss how we receive it. It may seem arbitrary, but do you trust Jesus?
TREY’s book “Aphesis: The Impossibility of Subjectivity”: amzn.to/3hzxZAR
00:00 Faith and Theosis 5:05 God on the Cross 9:22 The Answer
#orthodox #orthodoxchristianity #theology #bible #christianity #philosophy #trinity #jesus #christ #God #salvationWhat is Eternal Life?telosbound2024-06-09 | The idea of "eternal life" is so ingrained in the Christian mind that we often forget to reflect on its meaning. It is important to remember that eternal life is not something that first exists in relation to us, but is the life of the eternal God Himself (which He freely shares with us). What, then, can we say about this eternal life, and what does Jesus reveal about it?
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TREY’s book “Aphesis: The Impossibility of Subjectivity”: amzn.to/3hzxZAR
#orthodox #orthodoxchristianity #theology #bible #christianity #philosophy #trinity #jesus #christ #GodThe Life of Saint Anthony the Greattelosbound2024-06-07 | ...Original Sin: Orthodox Christianity vs Roman Catholicismtelosbound2024-06-05 | #orthodoxchristianity #orthodoxy #christ #christianity #orthodoxsaints #church #orthodoxchurch #catholic #jesus #shorts“Behold Your Mother”telosbound2024-06-03 | The name “Theotokos” is, according to the theology of the ecumenical councils, a NECESSARY implication of the reality of the “God-Man”. God becomes man through Mary; just as it pleases Him to work in and through us to enter into communion with His creation. The person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the total content of God’s communion with the world, so to enter the Father’s house consists of entering into Jesus Christ. Since it is an eternal fact that Mary is the Mother of Jesus, the Word of God, she is THE Mother, the eschatological Mother whose prayers unite heaven and earth. @Seraphim-Hamilton explains it all here: kabane52.tumblr.com/post/187130464190/some-notes-on-mary-and-the-eucharist-in-johns/embed
This is a clip from our VIP book club (for serious theological study), a central part of the Telosbound Institute: https://www.telosbound.institute
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00:00 Pre-Stream Intro 8:08 Introduction to Symbolism 21:10 Day 1 / Gabriel / Moon 31:37 Day 2 / Uriel / Mercury 44:36 Day 3 / Barachiel / Venus 54:56 Day 4 / Michael / Sun 1:06:33 Day 5 / Raphael / Mars 1:22:48 Day 6 / Jegudiel / Jupiter 1:32:23 Day 7 / Salathiel / Saturn 1:47:30 Q&AOrthodox Christianity vs Mormonismtelosbound2024-05-29 | #orthodox #orthodoxchristianity #theology #bible #christianity #philosophy #trinity #jesus #christ #GodThe Life of Saint Mary of Egypttelosbound2024-05-27 | ...St Maximos’ Cosmologytelosbound2024-05-26 | #communion #orthodoxchristianity #theology #christianityThe Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicity (Orthodox Christian History)telosbound2024-05-22 | ...3 Differences Between Orthodox Christianity and Judaismtelosbound2024-05-20 | ...Do Sea Monsters Exist?telosbound2024-05-18 | ...The Sense Of Being Stared Attelosbound2024-05-15 | ...The Three Levels of the Biblical Cosmostelosbound2024-05-11 | ...What is Pride?telosbound2024-05-08 | ...Heresy and Schism in the Orthodox Church #history #communion #orthodoxchristianity #christianitytelosbound2024-04-29 | ...Two Powers in Heaven? (Jewish vs Christian Theology)telosbound2024-04-24 | ...Hesychasm and Orthodox Christian Theologytelosbound2024-04-22 | 🎙️TELOSBOUND DISCORD: discord.gg/bC3vwsDNCf
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