Paul Evdokimov

Born in 1901 in Russia, Pavel Evdokimov was a lay theologian. He was known by friends as a theologian of the beauty of God.


“While sharing the saints, monasticism, liturgy and iconography of the Orthodox Church, he appreciated and appropriated the holiness of Western Christianity”. This quote is from the introduction to the English translation of his book “Ages of the Spiritual Life”.

I’ve spent some time and energy trying to convince others of the truth of the Christian faith. After experiencing a Cursillo weekend I entered the fourth day convicted and convinced that I could persuade anyone of the truths of the faith. My enthusiasm and powers of persuasion would not be resisted by anyone.

Of course that was sheer folly. I was at a relatively advance age when I realized the error. I’m not going to say how old I was. Not that I don’t want anyone to know my age. It’s just that in knowing my age one might be surprised how little wisdom I’ve attained.

Anyway, the following quote from chapter two of his book speaks to my point.

“The insufficiency of the proofs of God’s existence is explained by a fundamental fact: God alone is the criterion of his truth, God alone is the argument of his being. In every thought concerning God, it is God who thinks himself in the human mind. That is why we can never prove his existence rationally nor convert another by arguments, for we can never do so in the place of God. We cannot submit God to the logic of demonstrations nor enclose him in a chain of causes.

If God is the sole argument of his existence, this means that faith is not invented. It is a gift, and it is to its royal and gratuitous nature that man must bear testimony, for faith is given to all in order that God may effect his Parousia, his coming again, in every human soul.”