There is an organic quality here, and the thing itself is inexpressibly alive. 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. A person (who is searching within) goes through clerical education to explore questions. Thumb through Calvin's Institutes or a volume of John Wesley's Works and you will see our Protestant forebears thoroughly engaged with patristic tradition. Fr. The so-called Photian Schism brought this matter to a head. (2 Pet. In 1993, I was chrismated and joined the Eastern Orthodox Church. As former Campus Crusade staff member Gillquist put it, why have so many "Bible-believing, blood-bought, Gospel-preaching, Christ-centered, lifelong evangelical Protestants come to embrace this Orthodox faith so enthusiastically?" At the time I was so occupied with comprehending this strange thing called Orthodoxy that I emphasized the differences, and was impatient with kindly big-tent suggestions. But I slowly came to see that I cant communicate it. We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth, for surely there is no such splendor or beauty anywhere upon earth. Everyone associates Orthodox worship with sensory richness, but its also rich in theological content. The unchangeableness of dogma as well as the purity of rite [are] entrusted to the care not of one hierarchy but of all the people of the church." We must be willing to embrace mystery, to submit to other authorities, and to ultimately submit to the Church Herself. Romania, 19.8 million Oden, for example, who delights in referring to his theological method as "paleo-orthodox," is now working on a comprehensive patristic commentary on the whole Bible to be published by InterVarsity Press. Are Orthodox Christians "Bible believing?". 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. Over coffee one day I asked an Orthodox priest whether I, as a Protestant theologian, might be considered a true Christian. This hardly signifies any sort of congregational or ecclesiological democracy, however, for while all believers possess the truth, it is the special duty of church authorities to teach it. Frederica Matthewes-Green reflects on how new converts to Orthodoxy can sometimes be overzealous. For example, I know someone that spent over a year studying almost every aspect of Orthodoxy, including many fathers of the Church and practically every nuance of both doctrine and history. Most notable are its beliefs about baptism and the Eucharist. Rich worship taught the faith to literate and illiterate, peasant and emperor, and its essentially the same as our worship today. For church membership? Made using e, Book Cover for the Epistle This icon, Wedding Icon of The Mother Of God 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. You can also subscribe without commenting. 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. Through the centuries, theological, geopolitical, cultural, and linguistic factors have combined to differentiate the Orthodox ethos from Western patterns of Christianity. I can remember that, after Id been Orthodox a few years, developing an increasing sense of tension or frustration. YouTube | Surely there is enough evangelistic work for everyone. My husband and I were just Chrismated into the church on Christmas day. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. Persons wishing to become Orthodox of their own free volition, without any direct or indirect pressure from anyone, should firstly meet with a Priest of the Church. Not a few evangelicals in the last decade have forsaken Protestantism to join an Eastern Orthodox church. 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. At times it can be a healing group especially during the Liturgical services in particular the Eucharist and the Holy Prayer Oil services. Also, people should not join the Church in the hopes of solidifying an identity they have in the first place. There is an organic quality here, and the thing itself is inexpressibly alive. In the dystopian film,Children of Mendirected by Alfonso Cuarn, a world is imagined in the future where no more children are born, and, as the decades pass, humanity is plunged into despair. 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. Many would find themselves back in Rus with their new faith and establishing Churches (Spinka, 42-44). Liturgically, the Orthodox ethos of a formal worship setting will attract some Christians, but to many other vibrant movements within evangelicalism it will have little if any appeal. The genius of this principle is that it allows us to disagree with other believers, even vehemently so, yet in an edifying fashion with a degree of theological modesty and a perspective that seeks a deeper consensus within the bounds of true faith. Orthodoxy insists tenaciously on the role of tradition which is her very life and builds upon its past, without revisions. For example, their local parish was too ethnic; the priest wasnt nice or outgoing; their spouse wasnt interested; they found logical inconsistencies in the writings of the fathers; and so on. This is not just an explanation but an apology, and even an appreciation for the perseverance of friendship in the face of truly annoying behaviour. The Global Methodist Church welcomes Scott Jones, who led Methodists in Texas and had advocated for the extreme center and staying at the table., Emily McFarlan Miller - Religion News Service. Photius then branded the entire Western church as heretical for inserting the phrase "and the Son" (filioque) into the Nicene Creed. Each of them had his idiosyncrasies, and they regularly disagree. Their new group who were so "excited" to have them isn't interested/has no role for them as clergy. Instagram | (Some within Orthodoxy say there are 15, but this is a minor, internal debate.) Worse, they considered the interpolation to be theologically untrue and a threat to the doctrine of the Trinity. Buddhists fast, pray, and give alms. Q&A: A closer look at Orthodox Christians. In the security of the Orthodox Church one finds peace, reassurance. Schisms had already occurred in the Christian church, and others would occur later, but the Great Schism was the first of such major consequence. Not that every churchgoer is following that path, not that the church administration is perfect, but that the path still existed thats what amazed me. Conversion means belief and acceptance in Jesus Christ, the God-man, as the Savior of the world. But the impulse is to exaggerate the differences when you fear being hugged to death. I felt like Marco Polo. Calvin objected to the "tyranny of human tradition which is haughtily thrust upon us under the title of the Church." Unfortunately most "Orthodox Christian" are nominal even despite their active presence they are nominal because they extinguish the Holy Spirit and do not have a relationship with God, they outwardly seem to be praying but like the Pharisee praise themselves for being 'good with God'. In fact, it promises a Cross and joining with Christ in both suffering and humiliation. 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. However, because I've never been really exposed to . This is no archaic, dusty doctrine, either. The Orthodox Church does not fit into the paradigms of modernity; it is not a wholly rational faith. What Scripture proclaims by word, the icon proclaims by color. It must sound like vague, fluffy religious talk (though in my experience it is anything but). The Reformers did not reject tradition as a help to wisdom, as a reading of Calvin, Luther, or Wesley easily shows. 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. For such a question presupposes a particular person's journey of faith. Toggle signature Rather, "theosis" (literally, "deification"), or the progressive transformation of people into full likeness to God, in soul and body, takes center stage. If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you If they persecuted me, they will persecute you (John 15:18. The Orthodox Church in America, with roots in Moscow and about 85,000 adherents . Alister McGrath, an intellectual historian and proponent of paleo-orthodoxy, claims that many of the . In contrast, Orthodoxy offers a view of theological authority that is internal and pneumatic rather than external and dogmatic. Rather, each of the thirteen Orthodox churches has its own head, variously referred to as the patriarch, archbishop, or metropolitan. Young teens go through a few years when they are trying to understand their own unique identity, and trying to establish it in the face of well, it would be one thing if they had to establish it in the face of hostility, because, even though that would be hard, it would be bracing and clarifying. 5:12). I do not wish to antagonize anyone and if there is a place online where I might go to better have my questions answered, please. When the media seized on John Paul II's statement, they not only missed his main point, they missed a wider story. Orthodoxy generally affirms the same seven sacraments as Catholicism: baptism, chrismation or confirmation, the Eucharist, repentance or confession, holy orders or ordination, marriage, and holy unction or anointing of the sick. 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. And such a journey can only be spoken of from experience. Orthodox spiritual life gives central prominence to the sacraments. Differences over clerical beards, the tonsure, and fasting also exacerbated the growing deterioration of East-West unity. Sizable groups of the Russian population are disenchanted with Orthodoxy for a number of reasons. All rights reserved. Any vestiges of hope for unity after the estrangement of 1054 were dashed with the pillage of 1204. Facebook | There are other problems as well: overlapping jurisdictions, lack of communication across jurisdictional lines, and a tendency to isolate ourselves from communities in which we live. Share your feedback here. They have not given up the idea of being clergy. Sad, very sad. This perspective presupposes a defective Christologyone that fails to account for the anthropos of the theanthropic (Divine-human) Church. 1. 3:15 ). I can remember, after Id been Orthodox a few years, developing an increasing sense of tension or frustration. Why should we welcome that? For example, on the Feast of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, the chanter launches into this: Of the Father before the morning star You were begotten from the womb without mother before all ages, even though Arius did believe You to be created, not God, classing You in ignorance and impudence with creatures Thats just a fraction of a thorough march through what happened at the first Council of Nicaea, and why it was important (including Arius unpleasant death from digestive indisposition: his bowels were torn by a divine hookin a repulsive manner his soul came out). we'll be happy to answer it! I sincerely wish to know everyone's reasons for converting to Orthodoxy. Orthodox Christianity offers a third solution, that is faith with an emphasis on symbolism, inner experience, and Church communion. Then the reality sets in. 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. Do we mean essential for salvation? Becoming Orthodox means being willing to submit to the Church and Her bishops, who might not be interested in ordaining you. 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. When you convert, you must verbalize your commitment to live in accordance with all of the Torah 's commandments as they are explained in Torah law. Similarly, a person can read a dozen books on Orthodox Christianity, but that which he or she has read will not come alive until he or she actually encounters the Church as the worshipping People of God. They conceded a special honor to the Western papacy but insisted that the bishop of Rome was only the first among equals. Then B. When I visit prisons where floors are shiny, morale is noticeably higher. Now, I dont share all of this in order to dissuade anyone from becoming a catechumen, but rather to encourage those who are on such a journeyor who have strayed away from one that began on the wrong foot. These Protestant movements, important in their own right, are liturgical light years from Orthodoxy. Second, in biblical interpretation the Reformers placed the Scriptures above the church. Those who approach Orthodoxy looking for all their questions to be answered in a neat-and-tidy manner will be deeply disappointed, left rejecting the faith to which theyve only been shortly exposed. Others charge complicity with the state, both past and present. John A. Peck, The Apostolic Mission of Journey To Orthodoxy, Armenian Muslims Living in Turkey are Returning to Christianity, Devotion to Orthodox History leads Malaysian Priest to Mount Carmel. A radical conversion to Christianity. Thank you for this! Protestant theologian Adolf von Harnack once described the Orthodox church as "in her entire structure alien to the Gospel and a perversion of the Christian religion, its reduction to the level of pagan antiquity." Suspicion and recrimination have often characterized relationships between Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Protestantism. Here, according to Ronald Roberson's 1993 book The Eastern Christian Churches, is a list of these churches and their approximate sizes: Constantinople, 3.5 million Buddhists are called to meditate. There is not going to be a restored "Celtic" Orthodoxy or "Anglo-Saxon" Orthodoxy. Growing up in the Bible Belt, I was only ever exposed to Christian theology. In Russia, the largest figure usually cited for the Orthodox Church is 85 million people (some estimates are as low as 50 million), which means 100 million Russiansmore than half the countryare not affiliated with Orthodoxy. Hello all, forgive me if I am posting to the wrong forum. 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. It took me a few years to sense that there was a whole other something going on. This conception lessens the validity and value of the Holy Scriptures as the primary source of Christian dogma." 1:4). Rather, they are a source of revelation. Becoming Orthodox means being willing to submit to the Church and Her bishops, who might not be interested in ordaining you. In Orthodoxy one encounters the eternal, unchangeable God. already I have lost many people I thought were friends but so be it! Around 2-3 months ago I decided that I wanted to convert to Christianity. At the time, I was so occupied with comprehending this strange thing called Orthodoxy that I emphasized the differences, and was impatient with kindly big-tent suggestions. After that, Orthodoxy is by far the best possible choice of religion for Russia because of Byzantium. As Philip said to Nathaniel, Come and see [John 1:46]. In the 950s, Olga, the grandmother of Vladimir, was . She stands firm on her dogmatic and moral teachings. "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. Chrysostom's liturgy says of the Eucharistic sacrifice: "Your own, from your own, we offer you, in all and for all." After his marriage Vladimir I officially changed the state religion to Orthodox Christianity and destroyed pagan temples and icons. The East allowed some priests to marry, while the West required celibacy. Greenland. Forgetting early on that Orthodox worship is liturgical and cyclical (i.e. Those friends benefit, no doubt, from this opportunity to practice patience and long-suffering. The Orthodox Church is indelibly marked by the One who is its origin and source. John 6 Comments Cole Knight, a former Anglican, got Baptized in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church. They saw this as a perception skill, something anyone could (with diligent practice) hone; it has nothing to do with emotion. But every church must have its distinctives, or wed all be in the same church. Even more obnoxious, though, must be the tendency to reject hospitality. Our digital archives are a work in progress. There most certainly will never be a "Southern" or "Confederate" Orthodoxy".And yet another reason not to join is the hopes of having a base of operations for a goofy political ideology. Yes, because clearly a Christian is the most honest person to talk about the inner thoughts of atheists . The Orthodox Church has been, for me, the ultimate revelation of what it means to be "in Christ"; my upbringing in Evangelical Protestantism has not only helped me appreciate this now, but was very much preparing me for this all along [1]. Pray for the Lords mercy, and you can find the strength to endure to the end. People are attracted by the permanence of Orthodoxy. It also must be noted that embracing the faith involves a running to Christ and His Church as the Ark of Salvation, rather than a running away from somethingother than sin. And I would try hard, no doubt to the point of rudeness, to convince them this was not so. Are you sure you heard the Meaning of Christmas? She rightly claims the wholeness of the truth. Not to be outdone, the Orthodox could respond in kind. Almost everyone around me was a Baptist. He sailed to Greenland with a priest to convert the people. Another danger is converting to Orthodoxy simply because it is beautiful. The beauty and majesty of her liturgical services celebrating the majesty and mystery of God continue to be a major attraction to many seekers of a religious experience that transcends the mundane reality and elevates the spirit to the divine realm. This simple change of dress symbolized a radical shift that has characterized the Protestant West ever since: that the knowledge of God is mediated primarily through the written Word. Along with Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, Orthodox Christianity is one of the world's three major Christian traditions. For them the fundamental schism occurred 500 years earlierin the year 1054 (more about that below). Another danger is converting to Orthodoxy simply because it is beautiful. 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. Such a question cannot be answered through the use of dogmatic assertions or theoretical musings. Ignatius's followers, however, refused to acknowledge the transition, and eventually both Ignatius and Photius appealed to Pope Nicholas (858-67) in Rome. In this wonderful, 4-minute video, Fr. After five years or so in the Orthodox Church, Ive seen a lot of friends and acquaintances come home to the apostolic faith. Such a question cannot be answered through the use of dogmatic assertions or theoretical musings. Those friends benefit, no doubt, from this opportunity to practice patience and long-suffering. There I was, a Protestant theologian teaching in the former Department of Scientific Atheism in the land where Eastern Orthodoxy had reigned for over 1,000 years. I have read many things on the internet, as well as a number of books about the Churchs faith, worship and history. One can find Orthodox statements that ascribe a unique authority to Scripture over tradition, but these are few and far between, and they speak of tradition in a narrower than usual sense.