Orthodox churches are full of them. Thank you for this post! Step Two: Repentance There is no salvation without repentance. Why do Orthodox Christians keep a vigil at the Tomb of Christ? The priest censes them and elevates them in processions. Orthodox Christianity has a rich tradition of being mindful. Learn About the Religion. Christianity had, in fact, penetrated "Russia" by the early 900s, when at least one church had been built in the ancient city of Kiev. As the Body of Christ, the Church is a Divine-human organism, just as with the Person of Jesus Christ, the God-Man. Over coffee one day I asked an Orthodox priest whether I, as a Protestant theologian, might be considered a true Christian. Praise for Surprised by Christ "Surprised by Christ is an autobiography, an intellectual history, and a conversion story, and more than these, conveys a spiritual and theological vision in a message that touches people from many different backgrounds. Calvin objected to the "tyranny of human tradition which is haughtily thrust upon us under the title of the Church." The Orthodox Church has suffered throughout her history. The numbers are staggering! Much like a divorce where numerous and complex problems fester for years and then coalesce around a single event, the defining moment for a distinctly Orthodox identity came with the Great Schism of 1054. The reason Orthodoxy is stable is because she is grounded in the truth. Is the church made up of those who have been "regenerated" by infant baptism in an Orthodox church institution, or by those who have experienced new birth and been justified by grace through faith? Has Orthodoxy in these lands obscured the gospel, becoming merely a "cultural" religion thoroughly assimilated to ethnic identity? Why would a Protestant Christian convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? Tom Hanks Legion Media The famous Hollywood actor converted to Orthodox Christianity as an adult. I assumed this would somehow convince me not to continue on my discovery of the Orthodox Church, but it has more solidified it! In 1993 I was chrismated and joined the Eastern Orthodox Church, but only lately has it dawned on me that I must have strained friendships over the years, due to my vocal enthusiasm for my adopted church. While discovering the truth of Orthodoxy is exciting, we need to learn a gracious balance when dealing with our friends, family, workmates and others with whom we have contact. Granny and Pops and Uncle Pete love the little guy, and theyre going to be kindly and patient with him because hes going through a phase. Harakas asked. For taking Communion together? After his marriage Vladimir I officially changed the state religion to Orthodox Christianity and destroyed pagan temples and icons. Rome accused the "Greek heretics" of trying to "humiliate and crush the holy catholic and apostolic church." Without waiting for a response, Humbert exited the church and declared, "Let God look and judge." According to The Saga of Erik the Red, there were Christians among the people whom Erik the Red brought to Greenland to settle it in the late tenth century. There is a myth in Orthodoxy that people only became Eastern Catholics under force by Catholic kings. Conversely, evangelicals argue that this forensic framework for sin and salvation is not merely a historical and unduly negative carryover from Augustine and Anselm, but rather is the clear teaching of Paul in his Letters to the Romans and Galatians. Those friends benefit, no doubt, from this opportunity to practice patience and long-suffering. "The Orthodox Church of Christ never lost the 'unity of faith and the communion of the Holy Spirit' and does not accept the theory of the restoration of the unity of those "who believe in Christ," because it believes that the unity of those who believe in Christ already exists in the unity of all of Her baptized children, between themselves and According to the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 787, icons are of equal benefit as Scripture in presenting the gospel message. Although it is difficult to gather firm figures, worldwide Orthodox Christians number about 150 million, with 3 million in the U.S. alonemore than most evangelical denominations. Other times it is a youth group or Bible study group inspiring and educating. "Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." Turning to Jesus brings you to God, and you begin to understand His plan of salvation. Naturally, it is crucial to know what the Church teaches and acquire an Orthodox mindset on the intellectual level, so to speak, but it is equally crucial to grow in identifying with the People of God, the worshipping community, through fellowship. Or again, it is one thing to guard the doctrine of sola scriptura, but quite another to ignore or disdain two thousand years of tradition; surely there is a dangerous arrogance in imagining that we do not need to listen to the wealth of biblical wisdom from the patristic writers. Clickhereto learn more about the deeds we are talking of and to learn how you can become a part of our social ministry and help those in need. Those friends benefit, no doubt, from this opportunity to practice patience and long-suffering. But perhaps our theology of the church is too "low," much lower than our Protestant forebears would have it. We think the fundamental Christian schism occurred when Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg church, October 31, 1517. Orthodoxy, advocates suggest, reveals and corrects evangelical reductionism and superficiality. Indeed, what Protestant converts to Orthodoxy have often sought is not only a conscious continuity with the historic, apostolic past, but also a richer experience of God's majesty and mystery through a more liturgical worship setting. Also, people should not join the Church in the hopes of solidifying an identity they have in the first place. Questions & Answers / Alexandria, 350,000 But the human warts of where they are at and continuing searching within causes them to look elsewhere. that freedom of practice for faith groups should be "defended" in Holyrood's proposed ban on conversion practices and that she believes a trans woman is a "biological male who identifies as a . As independent churches, they are not bound together by any unilateral or monarchical organization, nor do they owe allegiance to a single primacy, as Roman Catholics do to the pope. Your email address will not be published. On the Path of Love: From Islam to Christianity, Madagascar: Church Opens Huge Complex with Church, Schools, Orphanage, Old Folks Home, Australia: Orthodoxy Fastest Growing Church amidst General Christian Decline. Conversion means belief and acceptance in Jesus Christ, the God-man, as the Savior of the world. We should expect nothing less of ourselves than total respect for and even love of the history, theology, and culture of Orthodoxy; still, two things ought to be said about Orthodox complaints about Protestant proselytizing. But why is our kind so characteristically obnoxious? But whether a non-Orthodox person can even be saved is an open question in Orthodox ecclesiology. Christimates 1 day ago. Almost everyone around me was a Baptist. Conversion is not only a matter of the intellect, but also of the heart. Rich worship taught the faith to literate and illiterate, peasant and emperor, and its essentially the same as our worship today. Thats surely a factor, but I think theres something else going on, more specific to Orthodox converts. More than 70 percent of the roughly 75,000 Antiochian Orthodox Christians in the United States are converts. What they objected to was the elevation of tradition to the status of Scripture. That is, Orthodoxy's commitment to "right belief" provides a natural link to evangelical concerns. If anyone is unwilling or not ready to submit to the Church in all areas of life, they should stay awayuntil or unless they are ready to do so. The last reason Orthodox converts are obnoxious resembles the reason adolescents are obnoxious. Let us know if corrections need to be made. It is not a surprise that many Catholics adhering to traditional values are converting to conservative Orthodoxy. Why have so many Evangelical ministers embraced the Orthodox faith? She is conscious of being the true Church founded by Christ. This statement cannot be challenged. In contrast, Orthodoxy offers a view of theological authority that is internal and pneumatic rather than external and dogmatic. He shares his witness of it. But I slowly came to see that I cant communicate it. There is a certain chemistry involved, which one cannot so easily verbalize. Originally the creed read that the Holy Spirit proceeded "from the Father"; a later Western interpolation (why, where, and by whom are not known), ratified at the Council of Toledo (589), added filioque to indicate that the Spirit proceeded from the Father "and the Son." Another danger is converting to Orthodoxy simply because it is beautiful. A wedding set o, Wedding Icon of Christ the Pantocrator (in Oklad /, A Handmade Bookcover For The Gospel. John 6 Comments Cole Knight, a former Anglican, got Baptized in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church. At the beginning, I thought I knew what I was getting into. For the past year or so I have been considering conversion to Orthodox Christianity. Most people like to be polite and get along, so they highlight our commonalities. For good and ill, it is a classic "cultural religion," and comprehending Orthodoxy is an indispensable key to understanding those countries, cultures, and people. The Orthodox Church has existed since the day of Pentecost and when we truly believe and become truly attached, not merely by baptism or chrismation, not merely by our presence but by our actions and our inner convictions, then and only then do we truly become connected to the Church, to Jesus Christ the Saviour and therefore to the Trinitarian God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. Can you explain why some former clergy (from non-orthodox backgrounds) can enter without formal orthodox seminary education, while other former clergy (again, from non-orthodox backgrounds) are kept away even after the bishop (he who has the control and power) makes a statement that none may come to the clergy with our formal orthodox seminary? At times it can be a healing group especially during the Liturgical services in particular the Eucharist and the Holy Prayer Oil services. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. After being dunked in this sea of hymnography for a few years I began to recognise an underlying unity among all the elements of Orthodoxy the worship, the fasting, the exhortations to humility, the companionship of the saints, all of it. The stability that the Orthodox Church provides for the seeker consists in the assurance of the truth she possesses, her other-worldly and mysterious character, the beauty of her liturgical celebrations and her crucified lifethey all attest to what she is for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear: the unique, beloved Bride of Christ. A person (who is searching within) goes through clerical education to explore questions. I appreciate this articles use of blunt honesty! The Orthodox Church is the only Church, originally founded by Christ and still retaining the apostolic succession and the undistorted teaching of the Lord and . The church. Paganism was a mental mindset of the Eastern Slavs living in a world where a majority of the European countries surrounding them had already converted to a monastic religion. The independent Orthodox Church in America (OCA) desires to function as a fully "autocephalous" church, although as yet the oca has not been officially recognized by most of the thirteen patriarchates. On these points evangelical and Orthodox thinking diverge in significant ways. Orthodoxy has always affirmed that Peter was the "first among equals" (primus inter pares) ; but unlike Roman Catholics, the Orthodox have always denied that he held any "primacy of power" (primatus potestatis). This icon, Wedding Icon of The Mother Of God Needless to say, Rome was indignant; not until the Lateran Council of 1215 did it acknowledge the status of Constantinople. Along with Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, Orthodox Christianity is one of the world's three major Christian traditions. The first four enjoy special honor due to their antiquity. If only you could get them to form two lines.). Some have argued that evangelicals eager to "contend earnestly for the faith" (Jude 3) will find an ally in Orthodoxy's allegiance to the basic truths of Christianity. Evangelicals urge the necessity of personal conversion through the faith and repentance of the individual believer, as opposed to the Orthodox idea of regeneration by the sacraments. Perhaps this unanticipated experience of encountering something unknown and marvellously organic accounts for the distinctive lapel-grabbing impulse among converts to Orthodoxy. Reaching for the Transcendent on the Streets of New York, http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2007/12/icons-will-save-the-world, cool blog entry by Fr Andrew Damick - Christian Forums, http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/liturgics/athenagoras_remarriage.htm, http://www.oodegr.co/english/ekklisia/marriage_divorce.htm, http://www.oodegr.com/english/ekklisia/marriage_divorce.htm, http://www.patheos.com/blogs/justandsinner/the-church-fathers-interpretation-of-the-rock-of-matthew-1618-an-historical-refutation-of-the-claims-of-roman-catholicism-by-william-webster/. One finds that the Orthodox Church is indeed the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. Hello all, forgive me if I am posting to the wrong forum. Recently I worshiped at an Orthodox church in Palo Alto on this celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. In the Orthodox calendar, the first Sunday of Lent celebrates the Triumph of Orthodoxy, a commemoration of the final triumph of icons in the long and bitter battle with the iconoclasts (literally, "image-smashers") on March 11, 843. Inherent in this claim, of course, is the charge that both Catholics and Protestants have lapsed from the true faith into error, if not outright heresy. The so-called Eastern Orthodox Church is actually not one but thirteen "autocephalous" or independent, self-governing churches. Orthodox Christianity may be the o. But only lately has it dawned on me that I must have strained friendships over the years due to my vocal enthusiasm for my adopted church. You haven't "arrived" in this life. If they are looking for an ethnic identity because they feel they have none. Its not something you can figure out by studying the Church Fathers. As we move constantly between Unity and Trinity in God, so we must move between the parts and the whole in the Church, the whole being infinitely more than the sum of the parts. It took awhile because I grasped it through hearing the hymns of the church year, week in and week out. The pairing of both secular groups with the Orthodox in a religious freedom case is rare they have frequently been on opposite sides on church-state separation issues such as same-sex marriage . Hymns like these offer quite a theological education to anyone who comes to services, and if you didnt catch it all, theres a good chance theyre going to sing it two more times. Icons. This may be to some extent true but it is much more than that. The theological objections evangelicals have traditionally had with Rome on these two points rightly apply to Orthodoxy. Like baptism, the Eucharist is administered to infants. It took me a few years to sense that there was a whole other something going on. He sailed to Greenland with a priest to convert the people. In his homily, Father Vladimir explained the history and theology of icons, adding that the heresy of iconoclasm was alive and well: "Just look around us at all the Protestants. That vision is of the Living God revealed in Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant, the life of the Faithful, the hope of the . Converting to Orthodoxy. While Rome stumbled toward destruction in 476, Constantinople enjoyed relative theological and political stability for another 1,000 years, until it was sacked by the Turks in 1453. Rather, they are a source of revelation. Because everyone has their own presuppositions in which they interpret reality and thus no surprise you'll find people based on these presuppositions won't accept Christianity. Despite efforts at reunification, to this day the Catholic and Orthodox churches remain estranged. It takes a while to get it, because its received by a process of immersion, by soaking in a context of worship. This gives strength and spiritual joy to her members, true to the Lords words, Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Mt. Some have even ended in apostasy. For me it was due to the fact that papal supremacy is a later doctrine, yet I could not become a Protestant because the writings of the Fathers do not agree with Protestantism. I cant be the only one to have done this. An Orthodox Christian Perspective: Overcoming Difficulties in Life, Church Under Soviet Totalitarianism: Suppression, Resistance and Compliance, St Kassia and Her Creations, Still Heard at Todays Divine Services, The feast of the Most Holy Theotokos of the Inexhaustible Chalice, Why Our Catalogue Is More Than Just an Online Store Selling Church Supplies, The List of Musical Instruments Mentioned in the Bible, The First 40 Days after Death Explained by St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, An Old Icon of the Mother of God of the Sign Has Started to Exude Myrrh in the Diocese of Tula, Complete List of Prohibited Marriages in the Orthodox Church. Its not something you can figure out by studying the Church Fathers. Copyright 19962023. Women and men who marry into the Orthodox Jewish faith are required to convertand both genders follow an identical process. Toggle signature Everyone associates Orthodox worship with sensory richness, but its also rich in theological content. For such a question presupposes a particular person's journey of faith. Believe in the Church as the true Body of Christ, and the Churchflawed people and allwill help lead you down the right path. The Orthodox Churches share with the other Christian Churches the belief that God revealed himself in Jesus Christ, and a belief in the incarnation of Christ, his crucifixion and resurrection. Rich worship taught the faith to literate and illiterate, peasant and emperor, and its essentially the same as our worship today. The Spirit of God himself, realizing the sacramental presence of Christ in the church, speaks to us in tradition. "It was a calling of the soul," Devorah Guilah Koren, who converted from Catholicism with her husband and two children, told me. Photius then branded the entire Western church as heretical for inserting the phrase "and the Son" (filioque) into the Nicene Creed. Is Orthodox different from Catholic? It must sound like vague, fluffy religious talk (though in my experience it is anything but). This book cover is made to order i, Hand-painted Icon of Christ the Pantocrator (acryl. Have something to add about this? For employment at a seminary? Discussion online about converts to Orthodoxy in America includes papers and blogging by writers in venues such as Public Orthodoxy of the Fordham Orthodox Christian Studies Center, the allied Orthodox Theological Society of America, and various blogs and social media. It took awhile because I grasped it through hearing the hymns of the church year, week in and week out. In Orthodoxy one encounters the eternal, unchangeable God. Alister McGrath, an intellectual historian and proponent of paleo-orthodoxy, claims that many of the . This conception lessens the validity and value of the Holy Scriptures as the primary source of Christian dogma." Excellent comment Kosmas, I totally concur. Converts from Protestantism claim that Orthodoxy is strongest where evangelicals tend to be weak-its robust liturgical celebration of the majesty and mystery of God, its unyielding insistence on the indispensable role of tradition in theology, and its admirable heritage of perseverance amid terrible fires of persecution. Second, Christian theology perfectly explained why Jesus, who was also called a prophet, was worthy of worship. As a young convert to Orthodox Christianity myself, I can testify that confession and Communion have filled my life meaning and have directed me when I have felt lost. One need not travel overseas to encounter Eastern Orthodoxy. She is the Church of martyrs. Antioch, 750,000 So, you have decided to convert to the Greek Orthodox Christian religion. It takes awhile to get it, because its gotten by a process of immersion, by soaking in a context of worship. They have not given up the idea of being clergy. They conceded a special honor to the Western papacy but insisted that the bishop of Rome was only the first among equals. We are looking forward to our journey in the church. I love the Church, and so I find it difficult to understand how a person could not see the beauty in our faith, leaving it all behind. Geoff. Evangelicals focused on social ethics may also find little comradeship in Orthodoxy, as there is nothing in Orthodoxy comparable to the body of Catholic social teaching, for instance. What steps would I take to become an Orthodox Christian? Hymns like these offer quite a theological education to anyone who comes to services, and if you didnt catch it all, theres a good chance theyre going to sing it two more times. The Biblical Basis for Holy Tradition., On the Path of Love: From Islam to Christianity, Madagascar: Church Opens Huge Complex with Church, Schools, Orphanage, Old Folks Home, Australia: Orthodoxy Fastest Growing Church amidst General Christian Decline. In 1993, I was chrismated and joined the Eastern Orthodox Church. If our only reason for converting is more somber, reverent, and beautiful worship, the newness of this experience soon wanes. Q&A: A closer look at Orthodox Christians. Andrey brings us the news about Orthodox Christianity (the form of Christianity . The collapse of the Roman Empire created a power vacuum that was increasingly filled by the growing power of the Roman papacy. Schisms had already occurred in the Christian church, and others would occur later, but the Great Schism was the first of such major consequence. Vladimir agreed, in exchange for a marital tie; he also agreed to accept Christianity as his religion and bring his people to the new faith. At one level, I was close in heart and mind to my Orthodox sisters and brothers in Christ; but on another level, I agreed with many of my atheist friends' criticisms of Russian Orthodoxy. As I realized what the big difference is, I grew more insistent, Im afraid. Most people like to be polite and get along, so they highlight what we hold in common. Because their focus for years was on their theological education (which they may still be paying for) often they end up in a low wage job that they don't love. This perspective presupposes a defective Christologyone that fails to account for the anthropos of the theanthropic (Divine-human) Church. You may wish to call the parish priest in advance to introduce yourself and explain that you will be joining him and the faithful of his parish for the first time, although this is not absolutely essential. And I would try hard, no doubt to the point of rudeness, to convince them this was not so. All rights reserved. Today 23 percent of all Orthodox Christians in the United Statesabout one in fourare converts, as are 30 percent of the clergy and 43 percent of seminarians. (Some within Orthodoxy say there are 15, but this is a minor, internal debate.) He senses that its something much more profound than that, as he is turning into a different person, the adult he is destined to be. Russia, 50-85 million But if you are still intrigued and drawn to the Orthodox Church, considering all of these disclaimers, then do so with faith, reverence, and a healthy fear of God. Orthodoxy provides a full-bodied, full-souled spiritual life that assumes that everything you do as a Christian makes you either more like God or less like Him, and because becoming like God is what salvation consists of, that means that everything you do is critical. Why would a Protestant Christian convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? 2. The Orthodox Church in America, with roots in Moscow and about 85,000 adherents . Contact | In some places in the world, Orthodoxy is the primary Christian game in town (as in Russia and Serbia), and it is inextricably wedded to the local ethnic culture. On the Path of Love: From Islam to Christianity, Madagascar: Church Opens Huge Complex with Church, Schools, Orphanage, Old Folks Home, Australia: Orthodoxy Fastest Growing Church amidst General Christian Decline. Although my parents intentionally raised my brother and me without a focus on .
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