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. Cerularius condemned Humbert and entreated Orthodox believers to "flee the fellowship of those who have accepted the heretical Latins." I've chosen Oriental Orthodoxy over the Byzantine Church because I believe that ours is closer in doctrine and liturgy to the earliest Christians. Why didn't Henry VIII go Orthodox, and what would happen if he did? Cyprus, 450,000 A second theory is that converts of any sort have a tendency to exuberance that is wearying to outsiders. Kind of like large scale serial monogamous people. 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. Along with Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, Orthodox Christianity is one of the world's three major Christian traditions. 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. Click for reprint information. 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. There is an organic quality here, and the thing itself is inexpressibly alive. These arguments wont convert anyone. Thats surely a factor, but I think theres something else going on, more specific to Orthodox converts. Doing so will make much of what you have read come alive, in the sense of seeing how that about which you have read is actually lived. Think of it in the following way. While the Church is certainly Divine in one respect, She is also comprised of human beingshuman beings that can, and do, err. A Aristocles Merarches Joined Apr 23, 2003 Messages 10,031 Reaction score 1 Points 0 Location Pittsburgh Aug 5, 2006 #4 Matthew777 said: Similarly, Protestants like Thomas Oden, Donald Bloesch, and others have shown that one need not join Orthodoxy to immerse oneself in the patristic past with joy, gratitude, and a sense of accountability to that "great cloud of witnesses" of the last two millennia. This is particularly notable in the mid-1st century, when the circumcision controversy came to the fore. My ideas havent changed, and Im always glad for a good discussion, but maybe Im past the need to belabour them. 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. I hope so. 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. For me, the one and only valid, core reason is because a person desires to be part of the one, true Body of Christ. The late Orthodox theologian John Meyendorff once remarked that the ultimate conflict between the Orthodox East and the Latin West, both Catholic and Protestant, resided in two different ideas about tradition. There is an organic quality here, and the thing itself is inexpressibly alive. This icon, Wedding Icon of The Mother Of God Why did Vladimir convert to Orthodox Christianity? Copyright 19962023. 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." 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. 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. It is not always easy to advance strong arguments for these conversions. already I have lost many people I thought were friends but so be it! 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. I sincerely wish to know everyone's reasons for converting to Orthodoxy. 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. In 1993, I was chrismated and joined the Eastern Orthodox Church. In the year 311, Emperor Constantine moved the political capital of his empire from Rome to Constantinople. Is Orthodox different from Catholic? We must be willing to embrace mystery, to submit to other authorities, and to ultimately submit to the Church Herself. The Eucharist is a true, propitiatory sacrifice. 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. "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. Why Converts to Christian Orthodoxy can be Obnoxious, People who've found their way back to Orthodoxy, Theophan the Recluse on Spiritual Practice. Second, in biblical interpretation the Reformers placed the Scriptures above the church. Such a question cannot be answered through the use of dogmatic assertions or theoretical musings. The West used unleavened bread, the East did not. Worshipers prostrate themselves before them and kiss them. John A. Peck, The Apostolic Mission of Journey To Orthodoxy. Required fields are marked *. For any convert, it's a spiritual, intense, and private process,. Orthodoxy, in contrast, is a thoroughly aesthetic tradition, as attested by the central role played by icons. 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. Holy Orders are a mystery (sacrament) of the Church, and the Spirit blows where it will. First, Christianity had no doctrine to support the Islamic hypothesis about Jesus' modification into a semi-god. 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. There is another reason someone should not join Our Church. Legislation pending in Russia, for example, could, if implemented, curtail Western missionary enterprises. Sad, very sad. Its that Orthodoxy still passes on the early churchs knowledge of how to tune in to the presence of Christ. But the human warts of where they are at and continuing searching within causes them to look elsewhere. 2. 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. Orthodoxy looked like taking that escalator up one more floor; plenty of ceremony and beauty, but without the mainline churches affection for keeping up-to-date. This may be to some extent true but it is much more than that. Before you start the process of converting, you will want to speak with a priest in the Greek Orthodox Church. Becoming Orthodox means being willing to submit to the Church and Her bishops, who might not be interested in ordaining you. 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. Your email address will not be published. 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?" People often assume that most Jews by choice convert because they have a partner or spouse who is Jewish. 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. In Catholicism this external dogmatic authority resides in the teaching magisterium of the church as expressed in the primacy and infallibility of the papacy. Sdn Tim Grace unveils the surprising message of Christmas. For instance, John of Damascus (675-749), Orthodoxy's most famous systematic theologian, epitomized the Orthodox ethos when he wrote in his The Orthodox Faith, "we do not change the everlasting boundaries which our fathers have set, but we keep the traditions just as we have received them." John A. Peck, The Apostolic Mission of Journey To Orthodoxy, Orthodox Church in Harbin, China Reopens as an Orthodox Church, "When We Speak of Christ, We Must Start With Christ" - An Interview With Fr. Subscribe for our weekly newsletter not to miss the most interesting articles on our blog. These Protestant movements, important in their own right, are liturgical light years from Orthodoxy. They are the efficacious means by which God transmits his salvific and sanctifying grace to us. 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. In other words, one cannot embrace Orthodox Christianity without embracing Orthodox Christians. The rise of Islam after Muhammad (died 632) was likewise crucial. While evangelicals might be eager to argue there is no biblical warrant for icons, for the Orthodox it is enough that icons have always been a part of church tradition. 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. Administered to infants who are fully immersed three times, baptism effects the "bath of regeneration" by which a person is born again, wholly cleansed from both original and actual sins, and, consequently, saved from guilt and punishment. Has Orthodoxy in these lands obscured the gospel, becoming merely a "cultural" religion thoroughly assimilated to ethnic identity? Protestant Christianity," Andrei went on, "is a cheap, terrible substitute, and an Orthodox believer who knows his own faith will never go there.". Heres a clue to a third possibility. Moreover, evangelicals have some important lessons to learn from Orthodoxy. Applies to RCC too. Intellectuals, like one of my students at Moscow University, often disdain Orthodoxy as a "medieval mentality." So Christianity would not have been completely alien to the Rus, and even Vladimir's grandmother, Olga, would become enamored with Christianity. 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. But perhaps our theology of the church is too "low," much lower than our Protestant forebears would have it. Orthodoxy appeals to the soulnot just to the intellect or the senses. Those who will guide you through your period of instruction and formation surely will help you in this regard. 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. 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." The first four enjoy special honor due to their antiquity. 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. Russian Baptists, Adventists, and Pentecostals feel persecuted. The Actual Conversion to Judaism: Conversion to Judaism has a few components, which are undertaken under the supervision of an established beit din: Accepting the yoke of the commandments. For example, it is understandable that evangelicals feel that the Orthodox doctrine of the church is too "high." Orthodox believers see things very differently. 0. Perhaps this unanticipated experience of encountering something unknown and marvellously organic accounts for the distinctive lapel-grabbing impulse among converts to Orthodoxy. Different from forms of western Christianity, there is no rationalization or theorization of dogma because its focus is on symbology rather than the literal. So it would be wise to visit a parish near you, perhaps for the celebration of Vespers on a Saturday evening or the Sunday morning Divine Liturgy. 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. 1:4). I can remember, after Id been Orthodox a few years, developing an increasing sense of tension or frustration. Now let's hear from Frederica. One finds that the Orthodox Church is indeed the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. It must sound like vague, fluffy religious talk (though in my experience it is anything but). What do they find so attractive? Telegram | That is, Orthodoxy's commitment to "right belief" provides a natural link to evangelical concerns. 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. A person can read a dozen books on swimming, but that which he or she has read will not come alive until he or she actually gets into a pool. He states that in Gaul, before setting out towards Rome, Constantine and his army saw a great cross in the sky. This has some truth to it, but is mostly false. He made the decision to convert following his second marriage to actress Rita Wilson in. Its just that Orthodoxy still passes on the early churchs knowledge of how to tune in to the presence of Christ. Recently I worshiped at an Orthodox church in Palo Alto on this celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. Unfortunately the Eastern organization is founded on control and power. It took awhile because I grasped it through hearing the hymns of the church year, week in and week out. 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. 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. Now, the question stands: If one is convinced that Orthodox Christianity possess the fullness of truth and is God . 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. He mentions one Church, not many. At the beginning, I thought I knew what I was getting into. "It's typically an immigrant faith, so I was really interested in that experience and why it spoke to. 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. True, Luther and some other Protestants have not viewed baptismal regeneration and justification by faith as mutually exclusive. Greece, 9 million Are Orthodox Christians "Bible believing?". I responded by writing back: "Because I am committed to key distinctives of the Protestant evangelical tradition.". She rightly claims the wholeness of the truth. My husband had been an Episcopal priest for 16 years, and we had gradually moved from evangelical-style "low church" to the more liturgically-fancy "high 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. Shortly after the beginning of our own catechumenate as a family, we saw friendsand their familiesbegin journeys towards the East. You can also subscribe without commenting. Vladimir I formed an alliance with Basil II of the Byzantine Empire and married his sister Anna in 988. You can make an appointment to talk to our parish priest Fr Athanasios by contacting him at (03) 9387 7693. Our digital archives are a work in progress. 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 Thou wast begotten from the womb without mother before all ages, even though Arius did believe Thee to be created, not God, classing Thee in ignorance and impudence with creatures. 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. A Christian representation of Vladimir I, who was the first Rus' leader to officially bring Christianity to the region. The last reason Orthodox converts are obnoxious resembles the reason adolescents are obnoxious. It had ramifications for the ecclesiastical status of both cities and further exacerbated the strained relations between the two regions. 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. Anxious to avoid the siege of his capital, Basil II turned to the Rus' for assistance, even though they were considered enemies at that time. Geoff Harvey on Thu, 20/11/2008 - 11:15am. Greenland. 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." Heres a clue to a third possibility. He shares his witness of it. Why would a Protestant Christian convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? Photius then branded the entire Western church as heretical for inserting the phrase "and the Son" (filioque) into the Nicene Creed. To support our efforts, join us as a member . Further, Protestants have long enjoyed rich liturgical traditions of their own (see, for example, Bard Thompson's classic Liturgies of the Western Church). Icons. I kept finding myself in conversations with nice people who wanted to assure me that this very thing I was so excited about in Orthodoxy is something they have in their church as well. Not that every churchgoer is following that path, not that the church administration is perfect, but that the path still existedthats what amazed me. It was electrifying. Whereas Western Protestants want to hear the written Word spoken in the sermon, Orthodox believers want to see it in the visual images of iconsas well as hear it in the spoken word. 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." It took me a few years to sense that there was a whole other something going on. As with liturgy, conversion to Orthodoxy is hardly a prerequisite for a renewed engagement with apostolic tradition. Take Russia as an example: First, the majority of Russians are non-Christian and unevangelized. But that was too little, too late. Wow, like it very much. What they objected to was the elevation of tradition to the status of Scripture. Orthodoxy insists tenaciously on the role of tradition which is her very life and builds upon its past, without revisions. 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. One is attracted to Orthodoxy in the same way one falls in love. Step Two: Repentance There is no salvation without repentance. Before long, in Reformation churches the sermon had replaced the Eucharist as the defining moment of the liturgy. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. Q&A: A closer look at Orthodox Christians. 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. It is not surprising they become disaffected and leave. 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.". She has offered more martyrs in the twentieth century under communism than most churches have members. Orthodoxy knows where she stands, and she is in no need to re-define herself. 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. In the opening pages of Book IV of Calvin's Institutes, for example, Calvin refers twice to the famous words of Cyprian (d. 258)so Catholic-sounding to our earsthat "you cannot have God as your Father without the Church as your Mother" (IV.1.1, 4). Some have even ended in apostasy. Because we confess and believe in the one holy, catholic and apostolic Church, this means we are not looking for a Church that fits our own preferences and ideals, but rather one that teaches us what our preferences should be. She is conscious of being the true Church founded by Christ. The so-called Eastern Orthodox Church is actually not one but thirteen "autocephalous" or independent, self-governing churches. Yeah, I think Ive gotten it out of my system. Rather, "theosis" (literally, "deification"), or the progressive transformation of people into full likeness to God, in soul and body, takes center stage. Believe in the Church as the true Body of Christ, and the Churchflawed people and allwill help lead you down the right path. Lol. Orthodoxy affirms the real, physical presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist (as do Catholics, Lutherans, and many Anglicans), yet unlike Catholicism it is content not to explain how this happens. Let us know if corrections need to be made. 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?" The so-called Photian Schism brought this matter to a head. One finds that the Orthodox Church is indeed "the pillar and foundation of the truth" ( 1 Tim. Whatever honor Protestants bestow upon tradition, they deny that its authority is coequal with Scripture. Join our newsletter to get the most interesting articles on spiritual issues and learn about the recent news from St. Elisabeth Convent. Andrey brings us the news about Orthodox Christianity (the form of Christianity practiced by Russians). She is committed to the same, unchanging, absolute truth. There is world of difference between going Orthodoxy vs staying pagan. Early on in the life of the Christian church, the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West began to diverge. 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. Speaking out against a government that is massively exterminating believers, would only lead to greater persecution. Then bear your cross,, Please, include documents that can be downloaded or printed. 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? 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. 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. 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. The sacraments of the Church have helped fill countless young people's lives with meaning in ways that are difficult to find elsewhere. 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. She stands firm on her dogmatic and moral teachings. Linguistic factors posed other, very practical problems. In any event, feel free to introduce yourself to and speak with the priest and his parishioners. Sizable groups of the Russian population are disenchanted with Orthodoxy for a number of reasons. When you are the only Norse guy and most of your lands are Slovianskian, it makes more sense to convert yourself than to convert them. 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. It merits our attention for several reasons. In this video, Fr. From the Orthodox perspective, both Catholics and Protestants seek to ground theological authority in an external norm. 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." She is the Church of martyrs. What Scripture proclaims by word, the icon proclaims by color. So why should someone desire to join the Orthodox Church? Through the centuries, theological, geopolitical, cultural, and linguistic factors have combined to differentiate the Orthodox ethos from Western patterns of Christianity. In this wonderful, 4-minute video, Fr. Writing a book on Eastern Orthodoxy and working through the manuscript with my Russian students helped me to compare Orthodoxy and Protestant evangelicalism. I will always remember my first visit to an Orthodox church in Russia. After that, Orthodoxy is by far the best possible choice of religion for Russia because of Byzantium. 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 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. Underneath were written the Greek words en toutoi nika, "In this sign, conquer." In the security of the Orthodox Church one finds peace, reassurance. Another danger is converting to Orthodoxy simply because it is beautiful. I felt like Marco Polo. The true details behind her One of the problems the Orthodox Church currently suffers in this country is a lack of converts. For Eastern Christians, this was yet another Roman encroachment upon their autonomy. Thus, while the Protestant principle of sola scriptura places Scripture above tradition, for Orthodoxy the two are complementary means of one organic whole through which the Spirit of God speaks. The basic framework of services like the Divine Liturgy or Vespers doesnt change much, but every day of the liturgical year provides prayers for saints and feasts that can be added to that framework. 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. It is no small thing for us to hold in common all the early, Christian creeds. Here is an overview of the steps you can take to convert to Orthodox Christianity: Orthodox spiritual life gives central prominence to the sacraments. 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. Liberalism is not a word in the Orthodox vocabulary. 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 . Orthodox Christianity has a rich tradition of being mindful.
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