I think people just dont believe me, and I hardly provide a good personal example. Experience Church Services. 3:15 ). Converts to Orthodoxy usually precede their decision with voluminous reading and research, so their friends must endure agitated lectures on church history, ancient heresies, and what words mean in Greek. Constantine had once controlled the entire Mediterranean perimeter, and as a result, Christianity flourished. One finds that the Orthodox Church is indeed the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. For employment at a seminary? 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. Forgetting early on that Orthodox worship is liturgical and cyclical (i.e. To support our efforts, join us as a member . Upon joining the Orthodox Church, converts vow to "accept and understand Holy Scripture in accordance with the interpretation which was and is held by the Holy Orthodox Catholic Church of the East, our Mother." I assumed this would somehow convince me not to continue on my discovery of the Orthodox Church, but it has more solidified it! Another issue is becoming Orthodox because one thinks the Church will reward them in some way for doing so. This could take some timeperhaps a year or more, depending on a variety of circumstancesand should not be rushed. Just as we pray that Gods will, not our own, be done, so too we pray that we might embrace the faith in Gods time, not our own. Maybe you have to soak in it for years, till the evidence becomes overwhelming. A Aristocles Merarches Joined Apr 23, 2003 Messages 10,031 Reaction score 1 Points 0 Location Pittsburgh Aug 5, 2006 #4 Matthew777 said: John 6 Comments Cole Knight, a former Anglican, got Baptized in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church. As with liturgy, conversion to Orthodoxy is hardly a prerequisite for a renewed engagement with apostolic tradition. It is not about rules and regulations but rather guide posts to make choices to transition to what we were designed to become. Let us know if corrections need to be made. One of the problems the Orthodox Church currently suffers in this country is a lack of converts. It must sound like vague, fluffy religious talk (though in my experience it is anything but). 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. 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. 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'. 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 had been to the east and discovered something wondrous that I assumed all Christians crave. There is not going to be a restored "Celtic" Orthodoxy or "Anglo-Saxon" Orthodoxy. Lol. 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?" Search, Learn more about the Orthodox Church in America, Orthodoxy and Cults and Non-Christian Groups. It is precisely this view that elevates Scripture above the church and actually encourages private interpretation that the Orthodox theologian Georges Florovsky once called "the sin of the Reformation.". Step Two: Repentance There is no salvation without repentance. 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." Cerularius condemned Humbert and entreated Orthodox believers to "flee the fellowship of those who have accepted the heretical Latins." 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. Thus Georges Florovsky once referred to tradition as "the witness of the Spirit.". The so-called Photian Schism brought this matter to a head. Rather, "theosis" (literally, "deification"), or the progressive transformation of people into full likeness to God, in soul and body, takes center stage. (To be fair, we should note that a large number of Orthodox have become evangelical Protestants as well.). A second theory is that converts of any sort have a tendency to exuberance that is wearying to outsiders. Most Protestants would experience an Orthodox liturgy as something strange, even exotic. The sacraments. The rise of Islam after Muhammad (died 632) was likewise crucial. The priest censes them and elevates them in processions. The basic theological impetus for the ever-virginity of Mary (besides the fact that it is presumably historically true and would have been passed down from the early days of the church) is the fact that Mary was profoundly sanctified by her role as the living sanctuary in which God dwelled (quite literally) for nine months and from whom he In this wonderful, 4-minute video, Fr. This book cover is made to order i, Hand-painted Icon of Christ the Pantocrator (acryl. Converts to Orthodoxy usually precede their decision with voluminous reading and research, so their friends must endure agitated lectures on church history, ancient heresies, and what words mean in Greek. She is committed to the same, unchanging, absolute truth. You haven't "arrived" in this life. And I would try hard, no doubt to the point of rudeness, to convince them this was not so. 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. 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. Assuming that, after subsequent visits, you grow into the conviction that Orthodox Christianity is the fullness of Truth as revealed by Jesus Christ and discern your desire to embrace faith in Our Lord in its fullness, make your desire known to the parish priest, who will initiate the period of instruction and spiritual formation that eventually would lead to your reception into the Church. 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. 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. However, because I've never been really exposed to . As Philip said to Nathaniel, Come and see [John 1:46]. "It's typically an immigrant faith, so I was really interested in that experience and why it spoke to. The Catalog of Good Deeds is the official blog of the Catalogue of St. Elisabeth Convent. Made using e, Book Cover for the Epistle It was like seeing a face emerge from a random pattern of dots, and then wink at you. Orthodox Christianity has a rich tradition of meditation, of fasting, of praying, of giving alms. If someone is approaching the Orthodox Church from a purely rationalistic standpoint, they will almost surely find it wanting. While reading about the Orthodox Christian tradition is certainly important, it is crucial to stepliterallyinto an Orthodox Christian parish church near you to witness/experience the Churchs worship and fellowship. A radical conversion to Christianity. Russian Baptists, Adventists, and Pentecostals feel persecuted. 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. She is not the endshe is the way. Although she is in this world, she is not of this world (cf. Required fields are marked *. As Saint Paul reminds us, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another [Romans 12:5; see also Ephesians 4:25]. Kind of like large scale serial monogamous people. Excellent comment Kosmas, I totally concur. 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. I can't be the only one who's observed a friend converting to Orthodox Christianity and noticed them instantly, literally overnight, losing their sense of . Over coffee one day I asked an Orthodox priest whether I, as a Protestant theologian, might be considered a true Christian. Yeah, I think Ive gotten it out of my system. In the end, they concocted a list of reasons for not converting. Christ is thus "the Offerer and the Offered, the Acceptor and the Distributed," all in such a way that nothing is added to his once-for-all sacrifice on the cross. Not a few evangelicals in the last decade have forsaken Protestantism to join an Eastern Orthodox church. Alister McGrath, an intellectual historian and proponent of paleo-orthodoxy, claims that many of the . Toggle signature Daniel B. Clendenin is a graduate staff member for InterVarsity at Stanford University and author of Eastern Orthodox Christianity: A Western Perspective and Eastern Orthodox Theology: A Contemporary Reader (both published by Baker). One finds that the Orthodox Church is indeed "the pillar and foundation of the truth" ( 1 Tim. Orthodoxy's size alone warrants our attention, despite its invisibility on the cultural radar screens of most Americans. While the Church is certainly Divine in one respect, She is also comprised of human beingshuman beings that can, and do, err. It was like seeing a face emerge from a random pattern of dots, and then wink at you. I've chosen Oriental Orthodoxy over the Byzantine Church because I believe that ours is closer in doctrine and liturgy to the earliest Christians. "We are Orthodox because (we) follow the same laws like in other Orthodox communities in the world," explains Meyer Sanchez, assistant to a rabbi in Medelln. There are many basic beliefs that Orthodoxy and evangelicalism hold in common: the inspiration of Scripture; the two natures of Christ, the finality and uniqueness of Christ's death on the cross, the resurrection, and our future hope of eternal life. Buddhists are called to meditate. From Islam to Indonesian Orthodox Priest In "Clergy" 97% of Moldovans Identify as Orthodox Christians In "Latest Stories" Some have even ended in apostasy. John Meyendorff writes that "the Christian faith can in no way be compatible with the notion of sola scriptura." There is world of difference between going Orthodoxy vs staying pagan. First, Christianity had no doctrine to support the Islamic hypothesis about Jesus' modification into a semi-god. Any vestiges of hope for unity after the estrangement of 1054 were dashed with the pillage of 1204. In fact, what Orthodox converts "vow to accept" diverges significantly from important, basic tenets of evangelical Protestantism. Facebook | Perhaps this unanticipated experience of encountering something unknown and marvelously organic accounts for the distinctive lapel-grabbing impulse among converts to Orthodoxy. While this exclusivism is not unique to Orthodoxy, with this self-understanding it is easy to see why the Orthodox Church in countries such as Russia is extremely unhappy about Western, Protestant missionary incursions. She is conscious of being the true Church founded by Christ. Russia, 50-85 million John 17:14.16). Well, was it so? we'll be happy to answer it! The last reason Orthodox converts are obnoxious resembles the reason adolescents are obnoxious. In Catholicism this external dogmatic authority resides in the teaching magisterium of the church as expressed in the primacy and infallibility of the papacy. But whether a non-Orthodox person can even be saved is an open question in Orthodox ecclesiology. There are no doubt some ways that he is the same person he will always be, and there are ways Orthodoxy and every other church has significant points in common, not least that we love the same Lord. Different Orthodox theories exist as to what, exactly, this means. Orthodox worship can be overwhelmingly beautiful and attractiveon multiple, deeply-felt levelsbut this should not be the only reason why a person converts. 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. However, they rarely spent any time in Orthodox worship services or their local parish, developed no relationship with a priest, and did not engage their spouse or family in their studies and interest in the Church. There is a distinct set of conservative converts to Eastern Orthodoxy, which depending on your perspective either left, or was left by, Roman Catholicism in the Great Schism of 1054. Photius then branded the entire Western church as heretical for inserting the phrase "and the Son" (filioque) into the Nicene Creed. Sara Villate, 10, by a menorah during Hanukkah. It was electrifying. No doubt, I felt at home when first attending the Divine Liturgy, but this was after months of study and discussion with other Orthodox people. Its just that Orthodoxy still passes on the early churchs knowledge of how to tune in to the presence of Christ. Tom Hanks Legion Media The famous Hollywood actor converted to Orthodox Christianity as an adult. its the same every year, year after year), it soon becomes familiar, and perhaps even boring for some. 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. Icons. Two theological controversies drove the final wedge between Catholic and Orthodox Christians: papal supremacy and the so-called filioque controversy. We have challenges here in Africa to find such information for, So glorious+++ Most Holy Theotokos save us, Pectoral Cross 0. Rome accused the "Greek heretics" of trying to "humiliate and crush the holy catholic and apostolic church." Orthodox Christianity may be the o. I cant be the only one to have done this. 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. Vladimir fled to his kinsman Haakon Sigurdsson, who ruled Norway at the time. I have read many things on the internet, as well as a number of books about the Churchs faith, worship and history. This book cover is mad, Worship Gospel Further, they identify themselves by reference to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), the "new Rome" of Emperor Constantine, and to the first seven ecumenical councils of the church. Each of them had his idiosyncrasies, and they regularly disagreed. "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. Orthodoxy, in contrast, is a thoroughly aesthetic tradition, as attested by the central role played by icons. In 858 Photius was appointed as Orthodoxy's new patriarch at Constantinople, replacing Ignatius, who had been exiled and later resigned his duties. Handcarved Such a question cannot be answered through the use of dogmatic assertions or theoretical musings. Here are a few reasons from this man's personal reflection. But perhaps our theology of the church is too "low," much lower than our Protestant forebears would have it. Second, in biblical interpretation the Reformers placed the Scriptures above the church. 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. As historians mostly suppose, Vladimir's turn to Orthodox Christianity was more about the improvement of Russians' connections with Christian states than about sentiments: for Rus, Byzantium. Writing a book on Eastern Orthodoxy and working through the manuscript with my Russian students helped me to compare Orthodoxy and Protestant evangelicalism. Legislation pending in Russia, for example, could, if implemented, curtail Western missionary enterprises. 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. In 978, Vladimir returned to . Whether you decided to do so because you are marrying someone who is a member of the church, or you simply decide to convert on your own, you might be overwhelmed as to where to start. Catholicism and Orthodoxy are not alike in their views on the nature of theological authority; it is nevertheless correct to say that Orthodoxy, like Catholicism, views Protestantism in a similar negative manner. In an encyclical letter of 1848, the Eastern patriarchs stated this most emphatically: "Infallibility resides solely in the ecumenicity of the church bound together by mutual love. It makes no appeal to a doctrine of transubstantiation and instead simply affirms the mystery. The numbers are staggering! Rather, for Orthodoxy the whole people of God is the protector of apostolic tradition. It took awhile because I grasped it through hearing the hymns of the church year, week in and week out. (Some within Orthodoxy say there are 15, but this is a minor, internal debate.) All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. As we said, conversion is a love affair. Sizable groups of the Russian population are disenchanted with Orthodoxy for a number of reasons. Geoff Harvey on Thu, 20/11/2008 - 11:15am. He has no good option for dealing with that affection, so he's either sullen or angry. Conversion involves a change or transformation in vision, direction and heart, one rooted in repentance and the acknowledgement of Our Lord as the One Who is truly the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Who came into the world to save sinners. Now let's hear from Frederica. Then B. But they all came together in worship, and were shaped by the same hymns and prayers, the appointed Scripture readings, preaching, and the picture Bible of iconography. Nicholas Kim. She rightly claims the wholeness of the truth. During my project I gained. I had been to the east and discovered something wondrous that I assumed all Christians crave. (Of course, for every person insisting that there were no differences, there was another person asking me to explain the differences. Why Are Protestants Converting To Orthodox Christianity? The sacraments of the Church have helped fill countless young people's lives with meaning in ways that are difficult to find elsewhere. After five years or so in the Orthodox Church, Ive seen a lot of friends and acquaintances come home to the apostolic faith. These groups mostly came over willingly. My husband and I were just Chrismated into the church on Christmas day. Conversion means belief and acceptance in Jesus Christ, the God-man, as the Savior of the world. "It was a calling of the soul," Devorah Guilah Koren, who converted from Catholicism with her husband and two children, told me. One need not travel overseas to encounter Eastern Orthodoxy. But I slowly came to see that I cant communicate it. Pretty good. And while it's true that my involvement with Judaism began with a Jewish boyfriend now my husband of 28 years and the father of our two children as Reform Jews, I would not have had to convert to participate in Jewish life and raise Jewish children. many mercenaries would convert to Christianity. Also, people should not join the Church in the hopes of solidifying an identity they have in the first place. 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. This period of instruction, discernment and spiritual formation also affords you with the opportunity to develop and strengthen your relationship with the parishs clergy and faithfulthose with whom you will worship in Spirit and truth and with whom you will share in fellowship as a member of the Body of Christ, the Church. Despite its historical estrangement from Rome, from a Protestant theological perspective Orthodoxy is similar to Catholicism at several points. There is a certain chemistry involved, which one cannot so easily verbalize. Affectionate attempts to obscure this quest feel suffocating. Schisms had already occurred in the Christian church, and others would occur later, but the Great Schism was the first of such major consequence. Eastern Christians would hear nothing of it. Home / On June 16, 1054, Pope Leo IX's legate, Cardinal Humbert, delivered a Bull of Excommunication to the Orthodox Patriarch Michael Cerularius on the altar of the Church of the Holy Wisdom at Constantinople while the patriarch prepared to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, condemning him and his court. Rather, they are a source of revelation. I can remember, after Id been Orthodox a few years, developing an increasing sense of tension or frustration. For Eastern Christians, this was yet another Roman encroachment upon their autonomy. Once inside, a Western Christian experiences sensory overload: the near absence of chairs or pews, dim lighting, head coverings for most women, icons and frescoes covering almost every inch of space on the walls and ceiling, a massive and ornate iconostasis separating the priest and the worshipers, the smoky smell of incense and hundreds of candles burning in memory of the dead, the priest resplendent in his ornate vestments and enormous beard, and worshipers repeatedly prostrating themselves, kissing the icons, and making the sign of the cross. I felt like Marco Polo. If only they would realise that they are rotting corpses trapped in worshipping themselves. 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. 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. Further, rote liturgy can stultify as well as edify, which is one reason why many people prefer more informal or personal worship settings. Protestant Christianity," Andrei went on, "is a cheap, terrible substitute, and an Orthodox believer who knows his own faith will never go there.". Are you sure you heard the Meaning of Christmas? Are Orthodox Christians "Bible believing?". Has Orthodoxy in these lands obscured the gospel, becoming merely a "cultural" religion thoroughly assimilated to ethnic identity? She has offered more martyrs in the twentieth century under communism than most churches have members. Shortly after the beginning of our own catechumenate as a family, we saw friendsand their familiesbegin journeys towards the East. Nicola Yanney, Holy Man of Nebraska, Out of Appalachia: Orthodox Christianity and the Old Regular Baptists, What Do You Believe In? Many non-Jews become "Jews by choice" because they're spiritual seekers. He mentions one Church, not many. Romania, 19.8 million The church. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. Teachings of Orthodoxy. This is the ultimate reason an ultra-Orthodox Jew would turn to Jesus. In 999, Leif, the son of Erik, was converted to Christianity by Olaf Tryggvason. 1:4). Orthodox Christians were more inclined to appeal to the ecumenical councils than to a single bishop to settle theological matters. Poland, 1 million We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth, for surely there is no such splendor or beauty anywhere upon earth. We are not seeking to reform or to teach the Church how it should do things, but are rather seeking to be formed by the Church and to learn how we should be doing things as faithful Christians. Theologically, just what is at stake in the differences between Protestant and Orthodox theology? They saw this as a perception skill, something anyone could (with diligent practice) hone; it has nothing to do with emotion. In the history and theology of Orthodoxy it is startling to observe the nearly complete absence of any mention of the doctrine of justification by faith. 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. Receive updates and announcements from Orthodox Witness. Yes, because clearly a Christian is the most honest person to talk about the inner thoughts of atheists . Your firstand subsequent visitswill help you to discern that to which the Lord is calling you. Ignatius's followers, however, refused to acknowledge the transition, and eventually both Ignatius and Photius appealed to Pope Nicholas (858-67) in Rome. . Why do Orthodox Christians keep a vigil at the Tomb of Christ? This is a sufficiently serious reason for reproach: We are right to expect that the Church will point out a path toward God, independently of the jolts and shocks of the epoch; that it will remain,. People are attracted by the permanence of Orthodoxy. When celebrating the Eucharist, Catholics mixed the wine with water, while the Orthodox did not. Others charge complicity with the state, both past and present. For any convert, it's a spiritual, intense, and private process,. In 1523-24 the Reformers Ulrich Zwingli and Martin Luther donned the gown of the university scholar.