The Orthodox faith holds that the most fundamental ground of the Church's life and faith is the actual experience of the true and living God. All that the Church teaches and holds as doctrine is rooted in that reality and is given to us to guard and nurture that reality in our lives. This is a distinctive and exclusive mark of Orthodox Christianity. Like almost everything of value in our faith - this grounding has not been preserved without a fight.
In the 14th century, as a fascination with rationality and scholasticism was becoming increasingly popular in the West, St. Gregory Palamas defended the Orthodox experience. As the West continued down a path of increasing scholasticism that created many problems, Orthodoxy continued to champion the same life that has been lived in the Church through the centuries.
This defense is seen as so important that the second Sunday of Great Lent is dedicated to honoring St. Gregory. This is entirely fitting inasmuch as Great Lent is a time in which we concentrate of the lived experience of the faith with renewed energy.
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