After that, Orthodoxy is by far the best possible choice of religion for Russia because of Byzantium. Join our newsletter to get the most interesting articles on spiritual issues and learn about the recent news from St. Elisabeth Convent. Forgetting early on that Orthodox worship is liturgical and cyclical (i.e. They become clergy in their group. Those who will guide you through your period of instruction and formation surely will help you in this regard. Beyond the recovery of history and liturgy, there are deeper and more important questions. Chrysostom's liturgy says of the Eucharistic sacrifice: "Your own, from your own, we offer you, in all and for all." Ignatius's followers, however, refused to acknowledge the transition, and eventually both Ignatius and Photius appealed to Pope Nicholas (858-67) in Rome. All rights reserved. In the first place, Christians believed Jesus to be the true God rather than a semi-god. It is not surprising they become disaffected and leave. 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. Orthodox Christianity may be the o. It is often wrongly assumed that Orthodoxy . Bauxite mining would threaten birds, plants, and clean water. Rather, they are a source of revelation. Then B. 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). Her admirable heritage of perseverance amid terrible fires of persecution has been noted even by non-Orthodox admirers, as one of her strongest attractions and sources of strength. I hope so. Through the centuries, theological, geopolitical, cultural, and linguistic factors have combined to differentiate the Orthodox ethos from Western patterns of Christianity. Have something to add about this? 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. The other forms of tradition include the first seven ecumenical councils, which are acknowledged as normative and, by some, even infallible; patristic writings, especially those of the first four centuries; later councils; the Liturgy; canon law; and icons. many mercenaries would convert to Christianity. 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?" Interesting comments. A wedding set o, Wedding Icon of Christ the Pantocrator (in Oklad /, A Handmade Bookcover For The Gospel. 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. While the Church is certainly Divine in one respect, She is also comprised of human beingshuman beings that can, and do, err. Orthodoxy insists tenaciously on the role of tradition which is her very life and builds upon its past, without revisions. It is why I think a number of people have a list of groups they have been in here. One finds that the Orthodox Church is indeed "the pillar and foundation of the truth" ( 1 Tim. 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. Around 2-3 months ago I decided that I wanted to convert to Christianity. 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. The numbers are staggering! Small bodies of Orthodox believers exist in other places as "autonomous" but not "autocephalous" churches (Finland, Japan, former Czechoslovakia, etc.). Russia, 50-85 million 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. Here is an overview of the steps you can take to convert to Orthodox Christianity: Talk With an Orthodox Priest. For good and ill, it is a classic "cultural religion," and comprehending Orthodoxy is an indispensable key to understanding those countries, cultures, and people. Andrey brings us the news about Orthodox Christianity (the form of Christianity . You can also subscribe without commenting. I can remember, after Id been Orthodox a few years, developing an increasing sense of tension or frustration. They saw this as a perception skill, something anyone could (with diligent practice) hone; it has nothing to do with emotion. Fr. Heres a clue to a third possibility. And yet, not all of these journeys have worked out. Maybe you have to soak in it for years, till the evidence becomes overwhelming. 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. This perspective presupposes a defective Christologyone that fails to account for the anthropos of the theanthropic (Divine-human) 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. At a minimum, Protestants need to move beyond ignorance of these neighbors. 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. (Of course, for every person insisting that there were no differences, there was another person asking me to explain the differences. I had been to the east and discovered something wondrous that I assumed all Christians crave. Orthodox spiritual life gives central prominence to the sacraments. 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. Nicholas Kim. The first four enjoy special honor due to their antiquity. Rather, "theosis" (literally, "deification"), or the progressive transformation of people into full likeness to God, in soul and body, takes center stage. 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. Most Protestants would experience an Orthodox liturgy as something strange, even exotic. For Eastern Christians, this was yet another Roman encroachment upon their autonomy. Orthodox Christianity offers a third solution, that is faith with an emphasis on symbolism, inner experience, and Church communion. Greece, 9 million 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. 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. Orthodoxy allows divorce in some conditions if I'm not mistaken, and it would have been an easier transition to switch to another powerful church (and become friendly with Russia, etc.). Her name is "right belief". As if this were not quite enough, during the Fourth Crusade, Western forces stormed Constantinople in 1204 and ransacked the Church of the Holy Wisdom, an unimaginable act of desecration from the viewpoint of Orthodoxy. 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 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. For example, their local parish was too ethnic; the priest wasnt nice or outgoing; their spouse wasnt interested; they found logical inconsistencies in the writings of the fathers; and so on. Linguistic factors posed other, very practical problems. Icons. 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. we'll be happy to answer it! It was like seeing a face emerge from a random pattern of dots, and then wink at you. I think people just dont believe me, and I hardly provide a good personal example. Although my parents intentionally raised my brother and me without a focus on . 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. Albania, 160,000. 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. There is an organic quality here, and the thing itself is inexpressibly alive. 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." He has no good option for dealing with that affection, so hes either sullen or angry. Questions & Answers / My husband and I were just Chrismated into the church on Christmas day. It is not a religion but rather a way of life. It took awhile because I grasped it through hearing the hymns of the church year, week in and week out. 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. The sacraments of the Church have helped fill countless young people's lives with meaning in ways that are difficult to find elsewhere. In the Orthodox calendar, the first Sunday of Lent celebrates the Triumph of Orthodoxy, a commemoration of the final triumph of icons in the long and bitter battle with the iconoclasts (literally, "image-smashers") on March 11, 843. Teachings of Orthodoxy. And while they are just beginning to recover, he says, Protestants invade, with all their Western resources, and attempt to draw away the very people the Russian Orthodox Church is attempting to nurture in the faith. 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. The first, most obvious explanation is that some people simply are obnoxious to start with. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. For the past year or so I have been considering conversion to Orthodox Christianity. In the East the local parish priest could administer the sacrament of confirmation; in the West only the bishop could. Other times it is a youth group or Bible study group inspiring and educating. Disclaimers, Amon Sl Tolkien & Orthodox Christianity, 5 Differences: Orthodoxy & Roman Catholicism, 5 Differences: Orthodoxy & Evangelicalism, The Equal of Martyrdom: Fr. Why would a Protestant Christian convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? At the 1996 meeting of sseoe, Orthodox representative Stanley Harakas said that the Orthodox, who have lived for 70 years in Russia under Communist oppression, are in a state of weakness, unable to rebuild churches and barely able to educate their parishioners. Perhaps this unanticipated experience of encountering something unknown and marvellously organic accounts for the distinctive lapel-grabbing impulse among converts to Orthodoxy. Each of them had his idiosyncrasies, and they regularly disagreed. 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? He made the decision to convert following his second marriage to actress Rita Wilson in. Your email address will not be published. The essence of it was to evangelize younger aristocrats, future leaders of the land. Photius then branded the entire Western church as heretical for inserting the phrase "and the Son" (filioque) into the Nicene Creed. So, you have decided to convert to the Greek Orthodox Christian religion. And to share why I am not Orthodox. 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. 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. 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. Most people like to be polite and get along, so they highlight our commonalities. Later ecumenical councils at Constantinople (381) and Chalcedon (451) acknowledged Constantinople as the "New Rome" and accorded it "equal privileges" and "equal rank in ecclesiastical matters" with Latin Rome. 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 Further, Protestants have long enjoyed rich liturgical traditions of their own (see, for example, Bard Thompson's classic Liturgies of the Western Church). Instead, an adolescent has to figure out and establish his adult persona in the face of affection. In any event, feel free to introduce yourself to and speak with the priest and his parishioners. 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.
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