Orthopathy
Faith as Right Passions
For years in this space I've made the point that faith involves both orthodoxy and orthopraxy. There is both "right belief" and "right practice." The notion that one can "practice Christianity" is new to many people and is generally neglected. Christianity tends to become mental, theological, doctrinal, creedal, propositional, and metaphysical. Christianity is something we "believe in," "espouse," or "assent to." We hold to Christian "values," "beliefs," and "worldviews." But Christianity is also something we do. Christianity is acting, behaving, and living.
Beyond orthodoxy and orthopraxy, there is a third description of faith that has increasingly come to occupy my attention. This word is "orthopathy." Orthopathy concerns "right passions" and "right affections." The emotional, passionate, affectional, and motivational life of the Christian has a particular shape, character, and orientation. I mention motivations as emotions are what drive or draw us toward a goal. For example, in some activity or life-defining goal we describe our investment as "pursuing our passions." We pursue what we are passionate about. Orthopathy, therefore, gets down into the deep motivational structures of our lives. In the Bible, orthopathy is located in the "heart" and, as Jesus says, it is from the heart where good and evil comes.
Also, many of the imperatives of the Christian life aren't really behaviors but address our emotions. The arena is internal and affectional. The ask is for orthopathy. Love your enemies. Do not be anxious. Rejoice in the Lord always. Forgive. Such commands address our passions.
And finally, there is the Augustinian notion that all sin is, in the end, malformed desire, a twisted love. If so, spiritual formation is primarily, to coin a new word, orthopathic, the right ordering of our passions and affections.
So, if you've never heard of it before, I wanted to set before you this trio. There is orthodoxy, orthopraxy, and orthopathy. Right belief, right practice, and right passion.
You might get some pushback on this subject from your Eastern Orthodox friends and monastics. You will very rarely hear any Orthodox Christian say there is any such thing as a "right passion." In that mindset, the <i>passions</i>--our passions--are to be brought under subjugation and rooted out, since they originate in our flesh rather than our hearts. The passions take over our hearts and rule our hearts, rather than originate from our hearts. Our passions are rooted in our pride [another fun word to try and pin down its meaning], which again is fleshly not spiritual. If we are talking about <i>the desires of our heart</i> being rightly ordered, then our terminology may have to be negotiated so we all are on the same page. I think that follows what St Augie was getting at and what you are getting at. Anyway, semantics I guess, but it pays to be careful.
Brings to mind the three theological foundations of the Anglican Tradition.
Scripture (Orthodoxy)
Tradition (Orthopraxy)
Reason (Orthopathy)