The driving force behind Radu Bordeianu’s study is an experiential approach to ecclesiology. While Bordeianu draws from Scripture, tradition, and contemporary theology, his starting point is the concrete experience of the Church. This decision—to begin with experience—profoundly impacts the conclusions that he draws. Icon of the Kingdom of God is more progressive than what one generally finds in mainstream Orthodox theology, challenging the strict boundaries of several traditional answers to contested ecclesiological questions. Bordeianu advances his proposals always with charity, well-informed about the position of those who disagree with him and sensitive to the concerns of his interlocutors. The monograph, as a whole, is a trusted resource for learning about Orthodox theology, though readers with a more conservative bent are likely to find some of its suggestions startling.

By way of example, Bordeianu argues that the Orthodox Church should explore a path for intercommunion, beginning with Catholics but with the possibility of extending to Protestants as well. An experiential ecclesiology, he argues, pushes in that direction. “Throughout most of our history,” Bordeianu notes, “Orthodox and Catholics shared in the Eucharist” (p. 198). Even after the unfortunate split of 1054, “East and West continued to share in the Eucharist”—not in every place, of course, but in specific locales, the history of which Bordeianu briefly outlines (p. 199). Theological divergences do matter, and as an Orthodox priest, Bordeianu is committed to upholding tradition as it has been passed down in his Communion. He gestures respectfully to the reality of the Eucharist as a boundary marker, for instance, but adds that this facet of sacramental theology should not obscure the Eucharist’s equally important function in being a means toward greater unity. As a first step toward greater Eucharistic sharing, Bordeianu recommends limited intercommunion for Orthodox-Catholic families residing in the West, which he believes would strengthen such marriages, “nurtur[ing their] growth with the most exulted means gifted to the Church, namely the Eucharist” (p. 127).

Bordeianu’s discussion of mixed marriages is one example of how well versed he is in Catholic theology and practice. He teaches at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, and his time there has clearly provided him with an impressive grasp both of the history of Catholic thought as well as the lived experience of contemporary Catholics. At various points throughout the book, Bordeianu references magisterial Catholic teaching, most noticeably, the documents promulgated at the Second Vatican Council. Not surprisingly, he pushes back on certain Catholic doctrines (e.g., Vatican I’s definition of papal primacy), but it’s also clear that he has been influenced by significant elements of Catholic tradition. For example, Bordeianu quotes glowingly Vatican II’s statement about the active participation of the faithful in the liturgy, and with respect to the question of intercommunion, he considers existing Catholic discipline to be superior to that of Orthodoxy. With these questions and others, he believes that the Orthodox have a great deal to learn from their Catholic counterparts. His general irenicism struck me, as Orthodox theologians are sometimes defensive of the distinctiveness of their tradition and, in turn, wary of the encroachment of Western approaches. Neither of those dynamics are discernable in this volume.  

On the whole, Bordeianu is hopeful about the possibility of ecumenical breakthroughs between East and West. He even concedes that “in a future united Church, Orthodox theologians are ready to ascribe to Rome a position of primacy,” as long as that primacy is in accord with papal practice during the first millennium of the Church and not as articulated at Vatican I (p. 284). Theologians who have participated in ecumenical dialogue may find Bordeianu’s outlook overly optimistic. He displays a manifest boldness in advancing his proposals, though this is tempered, refreshingly, with an honest acknowledgement that some of his ideas are personal judgments and not the official position of his ecclesial body, the Orthodox Church in North America (see, e.g., p. 128). There is a time and place for catechetical instruction, for sure, but there should also be room for theologians to test the application of their tradition’s doctrine and stated practice. I appreciated Bordeianu’s open acknowledgement that his work belongs to the latter category, which reminded me of Benedict XVI’s statement at the start of his Jesus of Nazareth trilogy that he composed the work in his role as a trained theologian and not in his official capacity as pope and bishop of Rome.   

Of particular interest to Catholic readers will be Bordeianu’s extended discussion of synodality, as this topic has become a point of emphasis under the leadership of Pope Francis. When healthy, the Church, Bordeianu asserts, is “synodal at all levels: parish, diocese, regional, and universal” (p. 340). Stated another way, “The Church is synodal inclusive of all its members” (p. 341). Recognition of this reality pushes back against top-heavy ecclesiological approaches that view hierarchy along secular lines, presenting the Church as a community made up of unequal members with power concentrated in the hands of superiors who rule over their subordinates. Against such an understanding, Bordeianu appeals to the theology of Pseudo-Dionysius, who held that “the Church is a hierarchy … as a communion of sanctification in which grace circulates both downward and upward” (p. 340). This patristic understanding of hierarchy, Bordeianu continues, should challenge bishops to invite the contributions of laity and theologians in the most significant conversations of the Church, including ecumenical councils. Serious doctrinal discernment does not belong to the purview of bishops alone, for the members of the body—priests, theologians, and (yes) laity—participate in what John Henry Newman called “the sense of the faithful.” This truth has been borne out at various points in history when the faithful were instrumental in helping to preserve orthodox doctrine, even in some instances when certain bishops faltered in their responsibilities as guardians of the faith.   

Icon of the Kingdom of God is a first-rate work of ecclesiology. While some studies settle into simply repeating what dead theologians have previously written, Bordeianu is bold in tackling contested issues such as deaconesses, ecumenical rapprochement, and intercommunion. That being said, he approaches all of these questions with a close eye to tradition, always seeking to articulate his position by drawing upon the abundant resources of inherited theology, both East and West. Bordeianu adopts as his lodestar a remark by the eminent Church historian Jaroslav Pelikan, who wrote that, “Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living” (quoted on p. 272). Throughout the course of his study, Bordeianu aims to carry forward the bright flame of tradition without falling back into traditionalism, which “supposes that nothing should ever be done for the first time” (ibid.) In my opinion, he succeeds admirably at this goal, even though I disagree with some of the conclusions that he draws. Catholics who are interested in Orthodoxy will find this study to be particularly valuable, but ecclesiologists of all stripes should consider adding it to their library.