Orthodoxy, Ecology, and Art

 

    The following is an approximation of the teachings of the Church, which I am exploring here to better my dim understanding. 

    The following is a summary of the writings of Patriarch Bartholomew in On Earth as in Heaven regarding theology and ecology, from pages 65-72. In Orthodox theology, there is an ontological category called the 'energies' of God, which are said to be that through which God created the world and that to which the believer is united through theosis. Thus, there is the Divine Essence, common to all persons of the Holy Trinity, the Hypostases (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and the Energies of God. God's energies are made manifest to us through His activity in the world, such as in the creation of the world and acts of divine love. Human beings are made in the image of God, sharing in a common human essence which is expressed as the individual, i.e., every individual is a hypostasis of the human essence. The activity of the individual person in the world is known through their unique energies. God, being known through His creative energies, can be encountered in the beauty of the cosmos, while an individual person's energies can be known through their creative work, such as music, visual art, poetry, etc. 

    On this view of reality, I argue that the contemplation of nature is both an avenue toward understanding God and our fellow humans and that art is an avenue toward understanding our fellow humans and God. When I look at a piece of art, I do not look for photo realism, technical skill, or complexity. For me, good art is that which reveals something of the artist in the work.  

The Starry Night, Vincent Van Gogh, found on Wikipedia.org  

 

When I see Van Gogh's The Starry Night I do not see an exact reproduction of reality, but the way some small piece of reality struck the soul of an artist I've never met, and the impact this made on the way he expressed his energies. When I see the created world, I see reality as willed by God: forms brought into existence to be filled by exactly this kind of matter. The shape of the tree is as much the will of God as the bark, the leaves, and the roots. There is a perfect blending of the flesh and the spirit of reality. There is no superficiality in a created world, for all levels of existence are perfectly suited to turn the mind toward God. There is no missing the forest for the trees; the forest and the trees are totally appropriate scales at which to think of the Good and the Beautiful. The dialogue between Creator and creation plays out in an encounter that shapes my mind and my heart in a unique way. God has created me and placed me in this world, not merely as a repetition of a human form, but as myself. God has created all my fellow humans and all other creatures both to share a common spirit, and to be a totally unique, unrepeatable piece of divine poetry. 

    Ecologically, on this view, creation is a work of art and all the constituents of the environment are like brush strokes which, if taken away, would unmake the piece. Now, it is the case that God's art is capable of self-motility, free will, and sub-creation, and it is thus that, unique among artists, God alone is capable of sustaining a finished work which is ever in motion. What kinetic artists dream of, a piece of art which reveals its beauty in its motion, is an indication of the complexity of our world. The work of the Lord is revealed in all of its emotion, sub-creation, and flow. Therefore, there can be no final ecological vision, no final ethic, on which humanity can rest. Our knowledge and discovery of His creative energies cannot be exhausted; He is beyond measure. We must therefore never attempt to imprison our ecological thinking in concepts and diagrams which aim to give us a sense of control and finality. 

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