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Aerial Toll-Houses

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The teaching of '''Aerial Toll-Houses''' regards the soul's journey after its departure from the body. In its most general form, it refers to the idea that after death, the demons attempt to convict the soul of being unrepentant in sin and insincere in following God, while the angels and the prayers of the living help the soul to be in true repentance, according to Fr. Thomas Hopko.<ref>Fr. Thomas Hopko on the Toll-houses, http://audio.ancientfaith.com/illuminedheart/hopko_tolls.mp3</ref> These demons are called "tax-collectors" in some early writings.
Dn. Andrew Werbiansky summarizes the theory (described in Fr. [[Seraphim Rose]]'s book ''The Soul After Death'') as follows: "following a person's death the soul leaves the body and is escorted to God by [[angel]]s. During this journey the soul passes through an aerial realm which is ruled by demons. The soul encounters these demons at various points referred to as "toll-houses" where the demons then attempt to accuse it of sin and, if possible, drag the soul into hell."<ref>[http://www.stlukeorthodox.com/html/evangelist/2000/deathtoll.htm Death and the Toll House Contraversy] by Deacon Andrew Werbiansky</ref>==Patristic evidence==
The toll-house concept is often said to occur in In the writings life of the Church Fathers where it is not explicitly namedSt. In its most general form, it refers to Anthony the idea that after deathGreat, the demons attempt to convict the soul he saw a vision of souls rising towards heaven and some being unrepentant in sin stopped by a large demon and insincere in following Godcast down, while the angels but no accounts of bargaining for sins with good deeds and the prayers of others. Likewise St. Bede recorded certain visions of a Celtic Saint who saw a soul arising and fighting off demons with the living help the of angels and his reposed wife's soul to be in true repentance, according to Fr. Thomas Hopko.<ref>Fr. Thomas Hopko on the Toll-houses, http://audio.ancientfaith.com/illuminedheart/hopko_tolls.mp3</ref> These demons are called "tax-collectors" in some early writings.
==Vision In the Philokalia, St. Diadochos of Gregory==Photiki (ca 400 – 486 a.d.) states:
The most detailed version of the toll:"If we do not confess our involuntary sins as we should, we shall discover and ill-houses occurs defined fear in a vision ourselves at the hour of Gregory our death. We who love the Lord should pray that we may be without fear at that time; for if we are afraid then, we will not be able freely to pass by the rulers of Thrace, apparently from the 10th centurynether world. In this vision, Gregory meets a recently departed Christian named Theodora, who tells him about her They will have as their advocate to plead against us the fear which our soul experiences after dyingbecause of its own wickedness. According to herBut the soul which rejoices in the love of God, every person has demons that attack him, and "shoot their arrows at them"the hour of its departure, as Church Fathers say, these "arrows" being thoughts that suggest committing sins. These demons write down every [[sin]] that they persuaded people to do, and even thoughts that people accepted and complied is lifted with, but did not, for what ever reason, actually actualize themthe angels of peace above all the hosts of darkness. When a person repents for a sinFor it is given wings by spiritual love, and confesses since it in ceaselessly carries within itself the love which 'is the fulfilling of the Holy Mystery law' (/SacramentRom. 13:10) of Confession ."<ref>if there is an opportunity for thatPhilokalia, if notVolume I, confession without a [[priest]] is sufficient, as in the case of the Good Thiefp. 295</ref>, it is by God's Grace and Power erased from the demon's papers.
When In the soul dies, on Alphabetical Sayings of the third day it is carried by [[angels]] towards Heaven. On that way, they must go past 20 aerial toll-housesDesert Fathers, which are huge groups Theophilus of demons arranged according to specific kinds of sins. When Antioch (who reposed in 412 a soul accompanied by angels gets to a toll-house, demons that tempted that soul during her life approach and accuse it for sins. The sins that are written on papers of demons have to be "payed for" by persons good deeds in life, such as prayer, fasting, asceticism, doing works of mercy, etc. or with prayers that are said on the person's behalf. In the vision Theodora told Gregory that she received a bag of gold which was the prayers of her spiritual father on her behalf, and that without them she would not have made it through the toll-housesd.) we find:
It should :"The same Abba Theophilus said, "What fear, what trembling, what uneasiness will there be noted at this point that for us when our soul is separated from the idea that one must "pay" body. Then indeed the demons for unrepented sins does not show up in many force and strength of the other descriptions adverse powers come against us, the rulers of darkness, those who command the toll-houses or world of evil, the toll-house concept. St. Anthony principalities, the Greatpowers, for example, saw a vision the spirits of evil. They accuse our souls rising towards heaven and some being stopped by as in a large demon and cast downlawsuit, but no accounts of bargaining for bringing before it all the sins with good deeds and it has committed, whether deliberately or through ignorance, from its youth until the prayers time when it has been taken away. So they stand accusing it of othersall it has done. Likewise St Furthermore, what anxiety do you suppose the soul will have at that hour, until sentence is pronounced and it gains its liberty. Bede recorded certain visions That is its hour of a Celtic Saint who saw a soul arising affliction, until it sees what will happen to it. On the other hand, the divine powers stand on the opposite side, and fighting off demons with they present the help good deeds of angels and his reposed wife's the soul, but again without any such bargaining for sin. Such a notion is also conspicuously absent from Consider the homiletics fear and trembling of the Church Fathers. It does appear soul standing between them until in one pseudo-Makarian story attached to judgment it receives the Fifty Homilies sentence of Stthe righteous judge. Macarius of Egypt If it is judged worthy, which mentions the demons will receive their punishment, and it will be carried away by the angels weighing . Then thereafter you will be without disquiet, or rather you will live according to that which is written: “Even as the habitation of those who rejoice is in you.” (Ps. 87.7) Then will the sins Scripture be fulfilled: “Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35.10).:"Then your liberated soul will go on to that joy and good works ineffable glory in a balance which it will be established. But if it is found to have lived carelessly, it will hear that terrible voice: "Take away the ungodly, that he may not see the glory of the Lord." (but makes no mention cf. Isaiah 26.10) Then the day of anger, the prayers day of affliction, the day of darkness and shadow seizes upon it. Abandoned to outer darkness and condemned to everlasting fire it will be punished through the ages without end. Where then is the living being usable as payment in lieu vanity of good deeds)the world? Where is the vain-glory? Where is carnal life? Where is enjoyment? Where is imagination? Where is ease? Where is boasting? Riches? Nobility? Father, mother, but other discussions brother? Who could take the soul out of its pains when it is burning in the struggle following death do not use fire, and remove it from bitter torments?" <ref>The Sayings of the imagery of a business transactionDesert Fathers: The Alphabetical Collection, translated by Benedicta Ward, p.81-82)</ref>
The demons accuse the soul at each toll-house of sinsSt. In some cases the demon might accuse the soul Mark of sins that they tempted her Ephesus wrote: :"But if souls have departed this life in faith and love, while nevertheless carrying away withthemselves certain faults, but it didn't comply withwhether small ones over which they have not repented at all, or great ones for which – even thought they have repented over them – they did not undertake to show fruits of sins that she repented repentance: such souls, we believe, must be cleansed from this kind of sin, but not by means of some purgatorial fire or a definite punishment in some place (forthis, and as we have said, has not been handed down to us). But some must be cleansed in that cases one of they very departure from the angelsbody, thanks only to fear, as St. Gregory the one which was Dialogist literally shows; while others must be cleansed after the departure from the persons guardian angelbody, speaks for either while remaining in the personsame earthly place, saying that those before they come to worship God and are lieshonored with the lot of the blessed, or – if their sins were more serious and that payment is bind them, for a longer duration – they are kept in hell [i.e., Hades], but not necessaryin order to remain forever in fire and torment, taking but as it were in prison and confinement under guard." <ref>First Homily: Refutation of the soul to the next toll-houseLatin Chapters concerning Purgatorial Fire, by St. This aspect comes from other hagiographic sources about demonic accusations, rather than from the story Mark of GregoryEphesus. Qtd.In "The Soul After Death, p 208f)</ref>
Returning ==Liturgical Evidence== In both the Greek and Slavonic Euchologion, in the canon for the departure of the soul by St. Andrew , we find in Ode 7: "All holy angels of the Almighty God, have mercy upon me and save me from all the evil toll-houses." In the Octoechos, there are many references to the Toll Houses: :"When my soul is about to Theodorabe forcibly parted from my body's tale limbs, then stand by my side and scatter the counsels of my bodiless foes and smash the teeth of those who implacably seek to swallow me down, so that I may pass unhindered through the rulers of darkness who wait in the air, O Bride of God." [http://www.anastasis.org.uk/weekday_vespers1.htm Octoechos, Tone Two, Friday Vespers] :"Pilot my wretched soul, pure Virgin, and have compassion on it, as it slides under a multitude of offences into the deep of destruction; and at the fearful hour of death snatch me from the accusing demons and from every punishment." [http://www.anastasis.org.uk/weekday_vespers1.htm Ode 6, Tone 1 Midnight Office for Sunday] In the [http://www.saintjonah.org/services/midnightdoc.doc Saturday Midnight Office], the prayer of St. Eustratius, contains the following: :"And now, O Master, let Thy hand shelter me and let Thy mercy descend upon me, for my soul is distracted and pained at its departure from this my wretched and filthy body, lest the evil design of the adversary overtake it and make it stumble into the darkness for the unknown and known sins amassed by me in this life. Be merciful unto me, O Master, and let not my soul see the dark countenances of the evil spirits, but let it be received by Thine Angels bright and shining. Glorify Thy holy name and by Thy might set me before Thy divine judgment seat. When I am being judged, suffer not that the hand of the prince of this world should take hold of me to throw me, a sinner, into the depths of hades, but stand by me and be unto me a savior and mediator..." <ref>See The Unabbreviated Horologion or Book of the Hours, ed. Fr. Laurence Campbell (Jordanville, NY: Holy Trinity Monastery, 1995), p. 34, and The Great Horologion (Boston, MA: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1997), p. 48</ref> ==The Number of the Toll Houses== The most detailed version of the toll-houses occurs in a vision of Gregoryof Thrace, if apparently from the 10th century. The demons accuse the soul at each toll-house of sins. In some cases the demon might accuse the soul of sins that they tempted her with, but it didn't comply with, or of sins that she repented for, and in that cases one of the angels, the one which was the persons guardian angel, speaks for the person, saying that those are lies, and that payment is not necessary, taking the soul to the next toll-house. If a person has unrepented sins, and does not have enough good deeds and prayers of the living to pay for them, the demons of the corresponding toll-house grab him, and take him to hellhades to await the final judgment. The soul navigates This vision recounts the toll-houses in the following order:
* At the first aerial toll-house, the soul is questioned about sins of the tongue, such as empty words, dirty talk, insults, ridicule, singing worldly songs, too much or loud laughter, and similar sins.
==Are They Literal?==
Many of the Orthodox who accept the doctrine of the toll-houses do not take the form or all the teachings from the vision of Gregory literally. Thus for example Fr. Thomas Hopko maintains that one should not try to associate a particular time after death to the process, nor should one take the toll-houses as being literally "in the air," or necessarily twenty in number. Likewise, he makes no mention in his argument for them of the doctrine of bargaining for sins (which is similar in some ways to the Latin doctrine of merits). Instead, his description, drawing on St. John Chrysostom and the Fifty Homilies of St. Macarius of Egypt, among others, takes the toll-house encounters to describe the attempt of the demons to assault the soul with its own vulnerability to sin, or to entice it away from God, and describes passing through the toll-houses as the purification of the soul.<ref>Fr. Thomas Hopko on the Toll-houses, http://audio.ancientfaith.com/illuminedheart/hopko_tolls.mp3</ref>. St. Theophan the Recluse likewise said that what the demons are seeking is "passions," and suggested that, although the toll-houses are often depicted as frightening, the demons might equally well try to entice the soul by appealing to one of its weaknesses. Some others go so far as to say that the demons and angels are metaphors for the sins and virtues of the soul.<ref>Fr. Michael Pomozansky, http://www.new-ostrog.org/pomazansky.html</ref> It is particularly notable that even those who advocate for a more literal interpretation do not generally advocate for the doctrine of "bargaining over sins." Such a doctrine appears to have little to do with the idea of salvation of theosis, since it makes salvation a matter of having adequate payment, whether in the form of one's own deeds or of Such a doctrine may also conflict with the prayers in the Mystery of Confession, in which the priest prays for the forgiveness of all one's sins, including the unconfessed ones.
==Controversy==
There is disagreement in certain circles regarding the status of this teaching within the Orthodox Church. Some, including [[Archbishop]] [[Lazar (Puhalo) of Ottawa]], consider this teaching controversial, even false (describing it as gnostic or of pagan origin). The traditional proponents of the teaching argue that it appears in the hymnology of the Church,<ref>January 27, The Recovery of the Holy Relics of our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom, Troparion 1, Ode 5 of Orthros: "Grant me to pass untroubled through the host of noetic satraps and the tyrannic battalion of the lower air in the hour of my departure..."</ref> <ref>Parakletike, Friday Vespers, Second Mode: "When my soul is about to be separated violently from the members of the body, then, O Bride of God, come to my aid; scatter the counsels of the fleshless enemies and shatter their millstones, by which they seek to devour me mercilessly; that, unhindered, I may pass through the rulers of darkness standing in the air."</ref> in stories of the lives of saints (for example, the Life of St. [[Anthony the Great]], written by [[Athanasius of Alexandria|St. Athanasius the Great]], the life of St. [[Basil the New]], and St. [[Theodora]]), in the homilies of St. [[Cyril of Alexandria]]<ref> St. [[Cyril of Alexandria]] ''Ephesi praedicata depoito Nestorio, ACO''.14(5<sup>2</sup>.405D) as referenced by Lampe, G.W.H., ''A Patristic Greek Lexicon'', Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1961, p.1387</ref> in the Discourses of [[Abba Isaiah]],<ref>''The Twenty-nine Discourses of our Holy Father Isaiah,'' Volos, 1962, p. 37 (in Greek): "[Live] every day having death before your eyes, and concerning yourselves with how you will come out from the body, how you will pass by the powers of darkness what will meet you in the air, and how you will answer before God..."</ref> the [[Philokalia]], the [[Ladder of Divine Ascent]], and the [[Dogmatics of the Orthodox Church]] by Blessed [[Justin Popovich]]. Several contemporary Church figures speak about toll-houses.<ref>[http://orthodoxinfo.com/death/soul_taxing.aspx The Taxing of Souls] by Metropolitan Hierotheos (Vlachos)</ref> <ref>[http://orthodoxinfo.com/death/critic.aspx Answer to a Critic, Appendix III from The Soul After Death] by Father [[Seraphim Rose]] of Platina</ref> <ref>Vid. Ephraim, Elder, [http://www.amazon.com/Counsels-Holy-Mountain-Selected-Homilies/dp/0966700023 ''Counsels from the Holy Mountain,''] St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery, Arizona, 1999, pp. 436, 447.</ref> <ref>Cavarnos, Constantine, ''[http://www.amazon.com/Future-Life-According-Orthodox-Teaching/dp/0911165061 The Future Life According to Orthodox Teaching,]'' Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies, Etna, California, 1985, pp. 24-26.</ref> Secondly, not a single Church Father ever wrote even one sentence expressing doubt about this teaching (which is present in its most general form in the Church since at least fourth century), although their discussions of the topic are always about general struggles with "tax-collector" demons, lacking the details present in Gregory's vision (apart from one pseudo-Makarian story which also mentions numerous toll-houses and a bargaining over sins at each one). Thirdly, some of the greatest modern authorities of the Orthodox Church, such as St. Ignatius Brianchaninov<ref>A Word on Death, chapter "Aerial toll-houses"</ref> and St. [[Theophan the Recluse]],<ref>What is spiritual life, and how to obtain it, chapter "Perfect preparation for the Mystery of Repentance"</ref> insisted not only on the truthfulness, but on the necessity of this teaching in the spiritual life of a Christian.
 
It should again be noted that many of these sources stress that the toll-houses should be understood figuratively, and that they do not in general defend the idea of "bargaining for sins" as found in the story of Gregory. The form that they take can also differ depending upon which source one considers; thus, St. Anthony saw only a single very large demon watching souls rising and trying to block them, rather than many demons arranged in some order, which is quite different than the vision of Gregory. Likewise the liturgical passages ask for deliverance from demonic forces at our deaths, but do not try to express exactly what form the struggle will take.
 
Those who oppose the doctrine maintain that the liturgical passages cited do not actually refer to the toll-houses.
==Reference==
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