Everyone associates Orthodox worship with sensory richness, but its also rich in theological content. Conversion means belief and acceptance in Jesus Christ, the God-man, as the Savior of the world. She rightly claims the wholeness of the truth. This conception lessens the validity and value of the Holy Scriptures as the primary source of Christian dogma." Well, was it so? He mentions one Church, not many. 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). 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. If our only reason for converting is more somber, reverent, and beautiful worship, the newness of this experience soon wanes. When we realize that every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle or a matter of conscience, then we are freed to engage fully people with whom we actually have profound differences without compromising our own theological commitments. Worse, they considered the interpolation to be theologically untrue and a threat to the doctrine of the Trinity. 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. The sum of all parts wont add to the total. If only you could get them to form two lines.). In 1993, I was chrismated and joined the Eastern Orthodox Church. Needless to say, Rome was indignant; not until the Lateran Council of 1215 did it acknowledge the status of Constantinople. More than 70 percent of the roughly 75,000 Antiochian Orthodox Christians in the United States are converts. 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 . 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. Are Orthodox Christians "Bible believing?". 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. She is not the endshe is the way. Although she is in this world, she is not of this world (cf. 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. 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. The true details behind her Why would a protestant convert to Eastern Orthodoxy? 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. Twitter | Most notable are its beliefs about baptism and the Eucharist. Rather, Orthodoxy affirms a single source of revelation, holy tradition, of which Scripture is the preeminent among several forms. 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. In chrismation, performed immediately after rising from the baptismal waters, the priest anoints the infant with a special ointment, making the sign of the cross on various parts of the body, thus acknowledging the gift and seal of the Holy Spirit. I can remember that, after Id been Orthodox a few years, developing an increasing sense of tension or frustration. There are two sides to this coin, as well: Some people become Orthodox for all the wrong reasons, while some dont become Orthodox for all the wrong reasons. In fact, much of what is basic to Christianity: the nature, sources, and interpretation of God's revelation to us, the meaning of the church and its sacraments, the doctrines of sin and salvation, and even how one enters the kingdom of God. 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. Bauxite mining would threaten birds, plants, and clean water. (2 Pet. It doesnt matter how long they have served, or how extensive their education. (To be fair, we should note that a large number of Orthodox have become evangelical Protestants as well.). Andrey brings us the news about Orthodox Christianity (the form of Christianity . Site Map | 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. This is no archaic, dusty doctrine, either. 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. I think people just dont believe me, and I hardly provide a good personal example. 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. For the past year or so I have been considering conversion to Orthodox Christianity. 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. Despite its historical estrangement from Rome, from a Protestant theological perspective Orthodoxy is similar to Catholicism at several points. Yes, because clearly a Christian is the most honest person to talk about the inner thoughts of atheists . 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. So, you have decided to convert to the Greek Orthodox Christian religion. 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 There is an organic quality here, and the thing itself is inexpressibly alive. Then the reality sets in. Two points that have been hallmarks of evangelical identity deserve special scrutiny: the relationship between Scripture and tradition, and the relationship between Scripture and the church. 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. On these points evangelical and Orthodox thinking diverge in significant ways. Buddhists are called to meditate. Interesting comments. In Catholicism this external dogmatic authority resides in the teaching magisterium of the church as expressed in the primacy and infallibility of the papacy. Orthodox Christians and some Eastern Catholics baptize by triple immersion upon invocation of the Trinity; the only time the Orthodox Church permits other forms of baptism is in the case of an emergency. Nicholas reversed the decision, reinstating Ignatius and deposing Photius. It was like seeing a face emerge from a random pattern of dots, and then wink at you. If someone is approaching the Orthodox Church from a purely rationalistic standpoint, they will almost surely find it wanting. But one insightful reader asked a penetrating question: "Your book does a fine job comparing the two traditions; why have you not converted to Orthodoxy?" 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. There is not going to be a restored "Celtic" Orthodoxy or "Anglo-Saxon" Orthodoxy. But every church must have its distinctiveness, or wed all be in the same church. Those who will guide you through your period of instruction and formation surely will help you in this regard. Can we attempt to put into words why a host of people have converted and continue to convert to the Orthodox faith? But I slowly came to see that I cant communicate it. Different from forms of western Christianity, there is no rationalization or theorization of dogma because its focus is on symbology rather than the literal. Many would find themselves back in Rus with their new faith and establishing Churches (Spinka, 42-44). Facebook | 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]. 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. 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. This is the ultimate reason an ultra-Orthodox Jew would turn to Jesus. Before trying to discern how evangelicals should respond to these many issues involving Eastern Orthodoxy, a brief history is in order. Fr. For example, it is understandable that evangelicals feel that the Orthodox doctrine of the church is too "high." Heres a clue to a third possibility. 20). YouTube | The Orthodox Faith / We cannot describe it to you: only this we know, that God dwells there among men, and that their service surpasses the worship of all other places. Conversion may be unnecessary if you're open to a Reform wedding: Reform Judaism permits interfaith marriages, though roughly half of all Reform rabbis still abjure officiating at them. Despite efforts at reunification, to this day the Catholic and Orthodox churches remain estranged. Wow, like it very much. After being dunked in this sea of hymnography for a few years I began to recognize an underlying unity among all the elements of Orthodoxythe worship, the fasting, the exhortations to humility, the companionship of the saints, all of it. 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. Scripture and tradition. This absorbed my attention so much that I was apt to expound my current level of comprehension to anyone who stood still in my vicinity. 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. 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. Its not something you can figure out by studying the Church Fathers. Put more starkly, Orthodoxy explicitly rejects the historic Protestant idea of sola scriptura. It is why I think a number of people have a list of groups they have been in here. 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. These sacraments are not mere signs, symbols, or reminders. As with liturgy, conversion to Orthodoxy is hardly a prerequisite for a renewed engagement with apostolic tradition. This is not just an explanation but an apology, and even an appreciation for the perseverance of friendship in the face of truly annoying behavior. And such a journey can only be spoken of from experience. Geoff. 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. . In the security of the Orthodox Church one finds peace, reassurance. Believe in the Church as the true Body of Christ, and the Churchflawed people and allwill help lead you down the right path. For employment at a seminary? Conversion is not only a matter of the intellect, but also of the heart. People often assume that most Jews by choice convert because they have a partner or spouse who is Jewish. Icons are, quite literally, a "theology in color.". But why is our kind so characteristically obnoxious? 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. 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 that cant be the case with me, so lets press on. 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'. 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. 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. Sad, very sad. See something we missed? It is not a religion but rather a way of life. Thats surely a factor, but I think theres something else going on, more specific to Orthodox converts. "It's typically an immigrant faith, so I was really interested in that experience and why it spoke to. These thirteen churches are united in their understanding of the sacraments, discipline, doctrine, faith, government, and worship, but they administer their internal affairs separately.
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