Existential Religiosity, Individuality, and Theosis in the Thought of Bishop George Khodr

Abstract

This work is a study of Bishop George Khodr, a leading Orthodox figure in the Church of Antioch in Lebanon; more specifically, its central hypothesis is that Khodr practises what is described as ‘existential religiosity’, which evolves both from an unflinching commitment and dedication to Christianity, and from his character. It considers whether his existential religiosity is a challenge to the Lebanese Orthodox community in particular, but also to Christians in general and how it might affect his philosophico-theological position on the ‘Other’, particularly with regard to the interfaith and intra-Christian relational dynamic. To expedite the task, the study will consider subject areas that include the role of religion and spirituality within the broader framework of modernity. The context of religion and spirituality is of some significance in a world where technology and social media have arguably instigated another Age of Enlightenment. It is the zeitgeist of this new age, it is contended, that is putting theistic spirituality under sceptical scrutiny, while questioning what religion means, not only to the Lebanese Orthodox community – has it a spiritual core or is it more a hook on which to hang one’s communal identity within a confessional society? – but to Christians worldwide. Khodr’s book, regarded as an autobiographical novel, acts as an analytical tool by which his attitudes to spirituality can be measured. These will be weighed against confessional insights into his own character as they are filtered through the fictional man. This will be supported by a variety of literary sources taken from Khodr’s other writings, as well as one-to-one interviews with him. The study seeks to show how, through Bishop Khodr’s existential religiosity, a profile can be created of a unique theologian and religious thinker, one that reveals his spiritual vision, his personal character, and his unique position, not only within the Lebanese Orthodox community, but within Lebanese society at large.