God and Creation in Orthodox Theology

Abstract

The question of the genesis of the world and the attitude of God toward the world
is one of the main issues discussed in theology, philosophy, and natural sciences
through centuries. The Orthodox Church while answering the question relies on
the thoughts of Fathers and Teachers of the Church as well as liturgy displaying
spiritual experience of many a generation of saint ascetics much more than other
Christian Churches. Asking the question of creation it analyses the views of Origen,
Cappadocian Fathers, Saint Basil the Grea, Gregory the Theologian, St. Gregory
of Nyssa and further Fathers such as Maximus the Confessor, Symeon the New
Theologian, Gregory Palamas. The author of the paper introduces orthodox theology
concerning the world and man vewing those realities from two perspectives: before
and after the sin, he discusses such issues as the act of creation, human body, ascetiscs,
and the responsobility for the creation. The issue of creation is divided between two
themes, of the Church and the Mother os God.