Authority and freedom as the Holy Spirit’s gifts: from opposition to reconciliation in obedience according to Fr. Alexander Schmemann

The article analyzes the issue of relationship between authority and freedom in the light of the theological proposals of Fr. Alexander Schmemann. According to the liturgist, worship as a source of theology reveals the basic principles of the Christian worldview. And the eschatological experience of the presence of the kingdom of God here and now in the Eucharistic community of the faithful avoids the artificial spiritual-material way of thinking and offers an all-embracing theological concept that unites the Church, the kingdom and the world. The eschatological perspective developed by the author helps to have a fresh look on significance of authority, freedom and obedience that are revealed in the Holy Trinity.