The Way of Light and Fire

We believe in the one holy catholic and apostolic church ...

In 2025, the churches throughout the world celebrated the memory of the Council of Nicaea that convened in 325 before being completed in 381. This anniversary is an opportune time to re-visit the history of the churches of the East and West, how they separated, how their notions of theology, piety, liturgy and church structures developed separately over the centuries; and, especially, to consider how the richness of those traditions can be explored and shared.

The Way of Fire and Light acknowledges the spiritual and mystical richness of the traditions, proposes that they are both complementary and mutually dependent and suggests that their recovery will enrich churches and believers everywhere in our contemporary world.

It is also an opportunity to revisit the history of the split between Eastern and Western Christianity, to build bridges between the traditions so that truly we may confess with confidence our mutual belief in the ancient creeds of the Church and strive for ways towards renewed unity and understanding.

Fr John Gill is a retired psychiatrist and a priest of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, currently serving as Assistant Priest at the Melkite Parish of Sts Peter and Paul at Hampton Park, Melbourne. Having grown up in the Roman Catholic Church, he later developed an interest in Eastern Christian spirituality. Being attracted to the Byzantine tradition, he was drawn to the Melkite Church, after which he wrote his previous book: To Call on His Name: Perspectives on the Jesus Prayer. The current book is an effort to honour the spiritual traditions of the Churches of both East and West.