Why Converts to Christian Orthodoxy Are So Obnoxious by Frederica 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. Pray for the Lords mercy, and you can find the strength to endure to the end. Orthodoxy looked like taking that escalator up one more floor. She rightly claims the wholeness of the truth. Orthodoxy, advocates suggest, reveals and corrects evangelical reductionism and superficiality. These Protestant movements, important in their own right, are liturgical light years from Orthodoxy. Instead, Orthodoxy believes that the church stands above the Scriptures, which is why, as noted, Orthodox believers agree to "accept and understand Holy Scripture in accordance with the interpretation that was and is held by the Holy Orthodox Catholic Church of the East, our Mother." 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. Thatwould be interesting. Our digital archives are a work in progress. Fr. If only you could get them to form two lines.). Poland, 1 million There is a certain chemistry involved, which one cannot so easily verbalize. So Christianity would not have been completely alien to the Rus, and even Vladimir's grandmother, Olga, would become enamored with Christianity. 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." 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. Converting to Orthodoxy. Can we attempt to put into words why a host of people have converted and continue to convert to the Orthodox faith? 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]. But the human warts of where they are at and continuing searching within causes them to look elsewhere. 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. The numbers are staggering! 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. 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. Why would a Protestant Christian convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? Kate Forbes is young, smart, a woman (in the actual sense of the word), but fatally, an orthodox Christian seeking the top office in the land. Thus, when an Orthodox believer once asked why his church did not do more doctrinal teaching, his priest responded, "Icons teach us all that we need to know." Constantine had once controlled the entire Mediterranean perimeter, and as a result, Christianity flourished. An evangelical explores the ancient and alien world of the Eastern church. This perspective presupposes a defective Christologyone that fails to account for the anthropos of the theanthropic (Divine-human) Church. Similar differences and disputes existed within early Christianity, but disputes within Christianity extended also to the place of Mosaic Law or Old Covenant in general in Christianity. Are Orthodox Christians "Bible believing?". 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. 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. Handcarved Converting to Orthodox Christianity : r/OrthodoxChristianity - reddit Underneath were written the Greek words en toutoi nika, "In this sign, conquer." Luther urged that Christianity would stand or fall with this doctrine; Calvin called it "the hinge upon which all true religion turns.". The first, most obvious explanation is that some people simply are obnoxious to start with. 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). In this wonderful, 4-minute video, Fr. Why would a Protestant Christian convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? I responded by writing back: "Because I am committed to key distinctives of the Protestant evangelical tradition.". "It's typically an immigrant faith, so I was really interested in that experience and why it spoke to. This has some truth to it, but is mostly false. 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. But whether a non-Orthodox person can even be saved is an open question in Orthodox ecclesiology. For them the fundamental schism occurred 500 years earlierin the year 1054 (more about that below). Is it wrong for Western missionaries to seek to convert the Orthodox in lands like Russia, Romania, or Greece? Conversion is not only a matter of the intellect, but also of the heart. PDF The Conversion of Vladimir the Great to Orthodox Christianity 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. Failing to remember (or be taught) this, we are scandalized and even lose our faith in the Church, not distinguishing between the divine and human natures, or confusing them. But the impulse is to exaggerate the differences when you fear being hugged to death. 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. As with liturgy, conversion to Orthodoxy is hardly a prerequisite for a renewed engagement with apostolic tradition. Why Convert to Orthodox Christianity? A person (who is searching within) goes through clerical education to explore questions. 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. How Christianity Came to Ukraine and Russia | Christian History However, because I've never been really exposed to . In fact, it promises a Cross and joining with Christ in both suffering and humiliation. 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 . already I have lost many people I thought were friends but so be it! First, Christianity had no doctrine to support the Islamic hypothesis about Jesus' modification into a semi-god. Debate is more plentiful than research, but also indefinite. Those friends benefit, no doubt, from this opportunity to practice patience and long-suffering. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. Growing up in the Bible Belt, I was only ever exposed to Christian theology. And I would try hard, no doubt to the point of rudeness, to convince them this was not so. 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. In contrast, Orthodoxy offers a view of theological authority that is internal and pneumatic rather than external and dogmatic. 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. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Becoming Orthodox means being willing to submit to the Church and Her bishops, who might not be interested in ordaining you. Orthodoxy in America Has a Convert Problem Her allegiance to the perennial truths of Christianity is appreciated by sincere seekers. When the media seized on John Paul II's statement, they not only missed his main point, they missed a wider story. In the words of contemporary Orthodox theologian Thomas Hopko, "everything in the church flows out of the waters of baptism: the remission of sins and life eternal." Alexandria, 350,000 A wooden pectoral cros, Pectoral Cross for Clergy For the past year or so I have been considering conversion to Orthodox Christianity. 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. While the Church is certainly Divine in one respect, She is also comprised of human beingshuman beings that can, and do, err. Then the reality sets in. Why Converts to Christian Orthodoxy can be Obnoxious, People who've found their way back to Orthodoxy, Theophan the Recluse on Spiritual Practice. Other religions and faiths occupy themselves with this life, with this world. Further, Protestants have long enjoyed rich liturgical traditions of their own (see, for example, Bard Thompson's classic Liturgies of the Western Church). 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. Interesting comments. Another issue is becoming Orthodox because one thinks the Church will reward them in some way for doing so. 1. Has Orthodoxy in these lands obscured the gospel, becoming merely a "cultural" religion thoroughly assimilated to ethnic identity? Icons are, quite literally, a "theology in color.". Your email address will not be published. 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. How To Become An Orthodox Christian - Journey To Orthodoxy These sacraments are not mere signs, symbols, or reminders. This statement cannot be challenged. I have read many things on the internet, as well as a number of books about the Churchs faith, worship and history. But I slowly came to see that I cant communicate it. Becoming an Orthodox Christian is not easy, nor does it promise great happiness or success in this life. The theological objections evangelicals have traditionally had with Rome on these two points rightly apply to Orthodoxy. Why did Vladimir convert to Orthodox Christianity? Eastern Christians would hear nothing of it. If you have a specific question about Orthodox Christianity or the Orthodox Church in America, So You Want to Convert to Judaism? It's Not That Easy If a richer liturgical life is what a believer wants, converting to Orthodoxy is hardly necessary. How to Convert to Judaism - What to Expect at a Conversion Telegram | 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. On the other hand, there are cases where a person rejects the Church for what I would consider to be erroneous reasons. Serbia, 8 million 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. At each point in their conversions, from initial religious seeking to settling into life as Orthodox Christians, Orthodox converts in Pittsburgh consistently relate a kind of on-going negotiation between self and other, as they research religious differences and experiment with practices and dogmas. * A second theory is that converts of any sort have a tendency to exuberance that is wearying to outsiders. The sum of all parts wont add to the total. Orthodox Christianity has a rich tradition of meditation, of fasting, of praying, of giving alms. But unlike the other two large branches of Christianity, which have spread throughout the developing world, Orthodoxy remains largely confined to Europe. 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. But why is our kind so characteristically obnoxious? From Islam to Indonesian Orthodox Priest In "Clergy" 97% of Moldovans Identify as Orthodox Christians In "Latest Stories" They insisted that the Bible interprets itself, and through the Holy Spirit, God instructs its readers in a direct and individual manner rather than binding their consciences to the supposedly reliable teaching of the church. In Protestantism there arose the doctrine of sola scriptura. 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. Many times, inquirers approach the Orthodox Church as a safe haven from controversy and scandal, believing that the Orthodox Churchas the one, true Churchis immune to such things. Even before entering the church one is taken aback by the unusual architecture-the glittering gold onion domes that sparkle like diamonds on a sunny day. Schisms had already occurred in the Christian church, and others would occur later, but the Great Schism was the first of such major consequence. There is world of difference between going Orthodoxy vs staying pagan. Perhaps this unanticipated experience of encountering something unknown and marvellously organic accounts for the distinctive lapel-grabbing impulse among converts to Orthodoxy. Playing as Rurik in 862: Convert to local religion or keep Norse St. Theophan The Recluse On Spiritual Practice. 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. It took me a few years to sense that there was a whole other something going on. The Conversion of Russia - Catholicism.org Protestant Christianity," Andrei went on, "is a cheap, terrible substitute, and an Orthodox believer who knows his own faith will never go there.". There is another reason someone should not join Our Church. Most notable are its beliefs about baptism and the Eucharist. What steps would I take to become an Orthodox Christian? At the beginning, I thought I knew what I was getting into. But why is our kind so characteristically obnoxious? Before trying to discern how evangelicals should respond to these many issues involving Eastern Orthodoxy, a brief history is in order. Orthodoxy attracts seekers with her other-worldliness, with her holiness, with her worship, with her services and sacraments, with the form and content of her religious expression, with her iconography, with her chanting, with her mysticism, with her monasticism, with her life between heaven and earth. One feels that the Church is not just a worldly organization, but a divine-human organism. John A. Peck, The Apostolic Mission of Journey To Orthodoxy. Let us know if corrections need to be made. Icons are absolutely central to Orthodoxy, distinguishing it from both Catholicism and Protestantism. 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. In the first place, Christians believed Jesus to be the true God rather than a semi-god. 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. They conceded a special honor to the Western papacy but insisted that the bishop of Rome was only the first among equals. 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. Essential for clergy to pray together, to talk, and to encourage one another in Christ? In Orthodoxy one encounters the eternal, unchangeable God. Orthodoxy looks forward, to the age to come. At the beginning, I thought I knew what I was getting into. My husband and I were just Chrismated into the church on Christmas day. Is Orthodox different from Catholic? Copyright 19962023. Why Ultra-Orthodox Jews Are Turning to Jesus | Opinion News Heres a clue to a third possibility. Christians in the West variously trace their roots to Rome (Catholics), Wittenberg (Lutherans), Geneva (Calvinists), Canterbury (Anglicans), or Oxford (Wesleyans). It was electrifying. On another front, under the leadership of founder Bradley Nassif, the Society for the Study of Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism (SSEOE) holds meetings each fall at Wheaton College's Billy Graham Center for the sake of the two traditions learning from one another. Why didn't Henry VIII go Orthodox, and what would happen if he did? Orthodoxy appeals to the soulnot just to the intellect or the senses. It is not always easy to advance strong arguments for these conversions. Russian priest explains why westerners are converting to Orthodox Search, Learn more about the Orthodox Church in America, Orthodoxy and Cults and Non-Christian Groups. YouTube | The blog includes recent news and ministry updates of the Convent, as well as other information about Orthodox Christianity that may be useful to those who are either making their first steps in church or want to learn something new about our faith. Vladimir I, a great prince of Kiev, reigned from 980 till 1015 and succeeded in the mass conversion of the Eastern Slavs.1 Throughout his reign Vladimir's agenda had . Applies to RCC too. The Mission of The Orthodox Church in America, the local autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The essence of it was to evangelize younger aristocrats, future leaders of the land. As we said, conversion is a love affair. Almost everyone around me was a Baptist. I had been to the east and discovered something wondrous that I assumed all Christians crave. 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. She rightly claims the wholeness of the truth. Required fields are marked *. In 999, Leif, the son of Erik, was converted to Christianity by Olaf Tryggvason. Becoming Orthodox is not a conversion but more so a transformation of self. Since then, Western and Eastern Christianity developed separately, under very different social and cultural conditions. 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. Your email address will not be published. My Conversion from Islam to Orthodoxy - ORTHODOX CHEYENNE But it's just fantasies, and they going to get themselves hopeless frustrated when it become clear that the fantasies can't become reality. They push it down the road that they will be able to transition to that in their new group eventually. Such a question cannot be answered through the use of dogmatic assertions or theoretical musings. Clearly this stability is found in no other church. Thus Luther once wrote, "What else do I contend for but to bring everyone to an understanding of the difference between the divine Scripture and human teaching or custom?" Orthodox believers see things very differently. Why do people convert to Orthodoxy? Thats surely a factor, but I think theres something else going on, more specific to Orthodox converts. Hello all, forgive me if I am posting to the wrong forum. Receive updates and announcements from Orthodox Witness. ), since the Reformation, justification by faith and substitutionary atonement have enjoyed pride of place in our understanding of the doctrines of sin and salvation. Why are so many Christians in Colombia converting to Orthodox Judaism The Eucharist, according to the Divine Liturgy of Saint Chrysostom (the normal liturgy for Sundays and weekdays), is "for the purification of the soul, for the remission of sins, for the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, [and] for the Kingdom of Heaven.". It is often wrongly assumed that Orthodoxy . They have not given up the idea of being clergy. its the same every year, year after year), it soon becomes familiar, and perhaps even boring for some. Even more obnoxious, though, must be the tendency to reject hospitality. Many would find themselves back in Rus with their new faith and establishing Churches (Spinka, 42-44). The Puritan John Foxe, for example, insisted that "God conducted the Reformation by printing, writing, and reading." Karmiris writes, "Scripture and Tradition are equally valid, possess equal dogmatic authority, and are equal in value as sources of dogmatic truth . 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. Rich worship taught the faith to literate and illiterate, peasant and emperor, and its essentially the same as our worship today. How do you convert to Greek Orthodox Christianity? - Short-Fact But the claim to be Christ's one, true church remains the clear Orthodox position.
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