Mission as Deification in Orthodoxy and the Rebuilding of Plausibility Structures Today. Perspectives from the Theology of Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae for the Mission of the Orthodox Church in the West
Mission as Deification in Orthodoxy and the Rebuilding of Plausibility Structures Today. Perspectives from the Theology of Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae for the Mission of the Orthodox Church in the West

Author(s): Dragoș HERESCU
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Theology and Religion
Published by: Editura Doxologia
Keywords: Deification; Plausibility Structures; Mission; Orthodox Theology; Dumitru Stăniloae; Ecclesiology; Secularisation; Witness;
Summary/Abstract: This article explores the intersection of Orthodox theology, contemporary mission, and the sociological concept of “plausibility structures”. In the 21st century, the Church faces a significant challenge: the erosion of shared societal constructs that once rendered faith credible and accessible. Drawing on the theological insights of the Saint Confessor Priest Dumitru Stăniloae and the pastoral reflections of Fr. Alexander Schmemann and Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, this study argues that the mission of the Orthodox Church must transcend institutional, denominational, or “branded” identity. Instead, it must be rooted in a transformative process of deification (theosis).The article posits that the restoration of religious plausibility structures is inseparable from the personal and ecclesial restoration of the human person. True mission is not merely the promotion of an organisation or a static worldview; rather, it is a prophetic, eschatological witness that requires self-reflective ecclesial metanoia. By adopting a critical distance from political power and moving away from institutional self-sufficiency, the Church can reclaim its missiological authority in both society and the lives of individuals.The article demonstrates that mission as deification entails a “Christification” of life that encompasses asceticism, sacrifice, and active engagement with society’s pursuit of justice and communion. Specifically, it examines how these principles can inform the witness of the Orthodox Church in the West, urging diaspora communities - including the Romanian Orthodox presence in the UK - to move beyond ethnic or historical insulation. Ultimately, the article contends that when the Church lives as a genuine, vulnerable, and Christ-centred body, it becomes the most effective plausibility structure, mediating the Kingdom of God and answering humanity’s fundamental questions regarding its purpose and connection to the Divine.

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