There is an organic quality here, and the thing itself is inexpressibly alive. In 858 Photius was appointed as Orthodoxy's new patriarch at Constantinople, replacing Ignatius, who had been exiled and later resigned his duties. What steps would I take to become an Orthodox Christian? 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. 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. What they objected to was the elevation of tradition to the status of Scripture. Andrey brings us the news about Orthodox Christianity (the form of Christianity . But every church must have its distinctives, or wed all be in the same church. Maybe you have to soak in it for years, till the evidence becomes overwhelming. Linguistic factors posed other, very practical problems. At one level, I was close in heart and mind to my Orthodox sisters and brothers in Christ; but on another level, I agreed with many of my atheist friends' criticisms of Russian Orthodoxy. While Protestant evangelicals have never agreed on the precise meaning or mode of the sacraments, they have historically emphasized two related truths that diverge from the Orthodox understanding of the sacraments. This conception lessens the validity and value of the Holy Scriptures as the primary source of Christian dogma." Sdn Tim Grace unveils the surprising message of Christmas. July 2012 edited December 1969 in Coptic Orthodox Church As an Eastern Orthodox Christian, I am interested in finding out why all of you converts out there converted to the Coptic Orthodox Church, and not any one of the Eastern Orthodox Churches readily available in so many parts of the world. The reason Orthodoxy is stable is because she is grounded in the truth. She rightly claims the wholeness of the truth. To be Eastern Orthodox is, above all, to stake a bold and unapologetic theological claim as the one true church of Christ on earth, which alone has guarded right belief and true worship in absolute identity and unbroken succession with the apostolic church. Despite efforts at reunification, to this day the Catholic and Orthodox churches remain estranged. Another issue is becoming Orthodox because one thinks the Church will reward them in some way for doing so. Christimates 1 day ago. Other times it is a youth group or Bible study group inspiring and educating. Thank you for this! There are two accounts of Constantine's conversion to Christianity. A wedding set o, Wedding Icon of Christ the Pantocrator (in Oklad /, A Handmade Bookcover For The Gospel. Her allegiance to the perennial truths of Christianity is appreciated by sincere seekers. The last reason Orthodox converts are obnoxious resembles the reason adolescents are obnoxious. 1. 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. Calvin objected to the "tyranny of human tradition which is haughtily thrust upon us under the title of the Church." Most people like to be polite and get along, so they highlight what we hold in common. Although my parents intentionally raised my brother and me without a focus on . Beliefnet is a lifestyle website providing feature editorial content around the topics of inspiration, spirituality, health, wellness, love and family, news and entertainment. Her name is "right belief". Rather, "theosis" (literally, "deification"), or the progressive transformation of people into full likeness to God, in soul and body, takes center stage. Protestant Christianity," Andrei went on, "is a cheap, terrible substitute, and an Orthodox believer who knows his own faith will never go there.". One need not travel overseas to encounter Eastern Orthodoxy. 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. No new dogmas of faith spring out of the blue in her life. The Orthodox Faith / In addition, a new convert must undergo a formal process of initiation. 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. Early on in the life of the Christian church, the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West began to diverge. 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. She has offered more martyrs in the twentieth century under communism than most churches have members. Needless to say, Rome was indignant; not until the Lateran Council of 1215 did it acknowledge the status of Constantinople. 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. But the little guy is not going through a phase. A radical conversion to Christianity. People often assume that most Jews by choice convert because they have a partner or spouse who is Jewish. John A. Peck, The Apostolic Mission of Journey To Orthodoxy, 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. This book cover is mad, Worship Gospel 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. Thus Georges Florovsky once referred to tradition as "the witness of the Spirit.". Pray for the Lords mercy, and you can find the strength to endure to the end. 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. The Reformers did not reject tradition as a help to wisdom, as a reading of Calvin, Luther, or Wesley easily shows. Here is an overview of the steps you can take to convert to Orthodox Christianity: Rich worship taught the faith to literate and illiterate, peasant and emperor, and its essentially the same as our worship today. Others charge complicity with the state, both past and present. Essential for clergy to pray together, to talk, and to encourage one another in Christ? I cant be the only one to have done this. already I have lost many people I thought were friends but so be it! These arguments wont convert anyone. There is an organic quality here, and the thing itself is inexpressibly alive. Copyright 1997 Christianity Today. But Islam's conquest of this same area eventually isolated the Eastern Christians centered in Constantinople from their counterparts in the West centered in Rome. Yeah, I think Ive gotten it out of my system. From Islam to Indonesian Orthodox Priest In "Clergy" 97% of Moldovans Identify as Orthodox Christians In "Latest Stories" 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. 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. Orthodox Christianity may be the o. Frederica Matthewes-Green reflects on how new converts to Orthodoxy can sometimes be overzealous. Persons wishing to become Orthodox of their own free volition, without any direct or indirect pressure from anyone, should firstly meet with a Priest of the Church. The first, most obvious explanation is that some people simply are obnoxious to start with. John 17:14.16). Rather, for Orthodoxy the whole people of God is the protector of apostolic tradition. To my friend who asked why I had not converted to Orthodoxy, the answer was surprisingly easy. Albania, 160,000. Differences over clerical beards, the tonsure, and fasting also exacerbated the growing deterioration of East-West unity. Geoff. Other religions and faiths occupy themselves with this life, with this world. The Puritan John Foxe, for example, insisted that "God conducted the Reformation by printing, writing, and reading." Russian Baptists, Adventists, and Pentecostals feel persecuted. Share your feedback here. The ex clergy thing I think is very real. 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. However, this is a mistaken viewpoint and can lead to the destruction of a persons faith. Or again, it is one thing to guard the doctrine of sola scriptura, but quite another to ignore or disdain two thousand years of tradition; surely there is a dangerous arrogance in imagining that we do not need to listen to the wealth of biblical wisdom from the patristic writers. Icons are absolutely central to Orthodoxy, distinguishing it from both Catholicism and Protestantism. Most people like to be polite and get along, so they highlight our commonalities. Another danger is converting to Orthodoxy simply because it is beautiful. By joining Orthodoxy one inherits a theological package that includes central elements that have traditionally troubled many Protestant evangelicals and omits doctrines many evangelicals consider nonnegotiable essentials of vital Christianity. The reality of the difficulty of living the Orthodox life then bubbles up, and apostasy from exhaustion is a real risk. Orthodoxy looked like taking that escalator up one more floor. When the media seized on John Paul II's statement, they not only missed his main point, they missed a wider story. 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. Sign up to receive a regular email newsletter from Fr. Even more obnoxious, though, must be the tendency to reject hospitality. Thatwould be interesting. Reaching for the Transcendent on the Streets of New York, http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2007/12/icons-will-save-the-world, cool blog entry by Fr Andrew Damick - Christian Forums, http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/liturgics/athenagoras_remarriage.htm, http://www.oodegr.co/english/ekklisia/marriage_divorce.htm, http://www.oodegr.com/english/ekklisia/marriage_divorce.htm, http://www.patheos.com/blogs/justandsinner/the-church-fathers-interpretation-of-the-rock-of-matthew-1618-an-historical-refutation-of-the-claims-of-roman-catholicism-by-william-webster/. Becoming Orthodox means being willing to submit to the Church and Her bishops, who might not be interested in ordaining you. Believe in the Church as the true Body of Christ, and the Churchflawed people and allwill help lead you down the right path. In the end, they concocted a list of reasons for not converting. Geoff Harvey on Thu, 20/11/2008 - 11:15am. What are we to make, for example, of the Orthodox liturgy in Russia today, which is recited in ninth-century Slavonic, a language very few Russians even understand? Conversion is not only a matter of the intellect, but also of the heart. Hello all, forgive me if I am posting to the wrong forum. The collapse of the Roman Empire created a power vacuum that was increasingly filled by the growing power of the Roman papacy. Evangelicals urge the necessity of personal conversion through the faith and repentance of the individual believer, as opposed to the Orthodox idea of regeneration by the sacraments. For such a question presupposes a particular person's journey of faith. 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). Orthodox believers see things very differently. Bauxite mining would threaten birds, plants, and clean water. The first four enjoy special honor due to their antiquity. Missiological concerns surface here, too. For good and ill, it is a classic "cultural religion," and comprehending Orthodoxy is an indispensable key to understanding those countries, cultures, and people. we'll be happy to answer it! John Meyendorff writes that "the Christian faith can in no way be compatible with the notion of sola scriptura." The more familiar I became with Orthodoxy by serving in a local parish, on a parish council, and as an altar assistant, the more I saw others approach the Church, test the waters, and walk back out the narthex door. Any objective historian can discover that the permanence of Orthodoxy is due to the preservation and the passing on of the apostolic faith unadulterated, pure. 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. If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you If they persecuted me, they will persecute you (John 15:18. The true details behind her 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. 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. 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? And for Orthodoxy, this argument from holy tradition is of great significance. Disclaimers, Amon Sl Tolkien & Orthodox Christianity, 5 Differences: Orthodoxy & Roman Catholicism, 5 Differences: Orthodoxy & Evangelicalism, The Equal of Martyrdom: Fr. The stability that the Orthodox Church provides for the seeker consists in the assurance of the truth she possesses, her other-worldly and mysterious character, the beauty of her liturgical celebrations and her crucified lifethey all attest to what she is for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear: the unique, beloved Bride of Christ. Different from forms of western Christianity, there is no rationalization or theorization of dogma because its focus is on symbology rather than the literal. 5:12). Underneath were written the Greek words en toutoi nika, "In this sign, conquer." It was like seeing a face emerge from a random pattern of dots, and then wink at you. Several factors must be considered when converting to Greek Orthodox Christianity. Through the centuries, theological, geopolitical, cultural, and linguistic factors have combined to differentiate the Orthodox ethos from Western patterns of Christianity. Emmanuel Hatzidakis | January 19, 2013. 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. But this really begs another question: "Essential" for what? But I slowly came to see that I cant communicate it. In addition, sizable Orthodox "diasporate" groups exist in Europe, North and South America, and Australia, typically under the jurisdiction of one of the thirteen patriarchates mentioned above. 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. Any vestiges of hope for unity after the estrangement of 1054 were dashed with the pillage of 1204. Perhaps this unanticipated experience of encountering something unknown and marvelously organic accounts for the distinctive lapel-grabbing impulse among converts to Orthodoxy. It is not a religion but rather a way of life. 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 takes awhile to get it, because its gotten by a process of immersion, by soaking in a context of worship. This hardly signifies any sort of congregational or ecclesiological democracy, however, for while all believers possess the truth, it is the special duty of church authorities to teach it. 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.
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