Forgetting early on that Orthodox worship is liturgical and cyclical (i.e. 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. Yes, because clearly a Christian is the most honest person to talk about the inner thoughts of atheists . Handcarved Greenland. 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. July 26, 2019 By Fr. Twitter | Receive updates and announcements from Orthodox Witness. Orthodox Christianity has a rich tradition of meditation, of fasting, of praying, of giving alms. 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. Then C" The strengths of a group draws them but after a while the weaknesses bubble up. 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. 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. But the Church is not dependent upon any one convert or their family, nor will the Church reward people (beyond the mysteries and salvation) for converting. 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. What do they find so attractive? The Biblical Basis for Holy Tradition., 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. She is committed to the same, unchanging, absolute truth. 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. In addition, a new convert must undergo a formal process of initiation. In the end, they concocted a list of reasons for not converting. 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. 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. Home / Christianity had, in fact, penetrated "Russia" by the early 900s, when at least one church had been built in the ancient city of Kiev. Alexandria, 350,000 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. My husband and I were just Chrismated into the church on Christmas day. 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 . Early on in the life of the Christian church, the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West began to diverge. For me, the one and only valid, core reason is because a person desires to be part of the one, true Body of Christ. It was like seeing a face emerge from a random pattern of dots, and then wink at you. I felt like Marco Polo. 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. Spiritual enlightenment changes everything. YouTube | many mercenaries would convert to Christianity. Differences over clerical beards, the tonsure, and fasting also exacerbated the growing deterioration of East-West unity. 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 church. It was like seeing a face emerge from a random pattern of dots, and then wink at you. Why Are Protestants Converting To Orthodox Christianity? Put more starkly, Orthodoxy explicitly rejects the historic Protestant idea of sola scriptura. In 999, Leif, the son of Erik, was converted to Christianity by Olaf Tryggvason. The numbers are staggering! Has Orthodoxy in these lands obscured the gospel, becoming merely a "cultural" religion thoroughly assimilated to ethnic identity? In the first place, Christians believed Jesus to be the true God rather than a semi-god. Such a question cannot be answered through the use of dogmatic assertions or theoretical musings. 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 . Buddhists fast, pray, and give alms. Handcarved Let us know if corrections need to be made. Baptism is the primary and fundamental basis of the entire Orthodox Christian life. Others charge complicity with the state, both past and present. It makes no appeal to a doctrine of transubstantiation and instead simply affirms the mystery. In the year 311, Emperor Constantine moved the political capital of his empire from Rome to Constantinople. Orthodoxy, advocates suggest, reveals and corrects evangelical reductionism and superficiality. If only you could get them to form two lines.). Orthodoxy, in contrast, is a thoroughly aesthetic tradition, as attested by the central role played by icons. During my four years as a visiting professor at Moscow State University (1991-95) I often felt schizophrenic. Who can explain why one has fallen in love with a given person? If our only reason for converting is more somber, reverent, and beautiful worship, the newness of this experience soon wanes. Perhaps this unanticipated experience of encountering something unknown and marvellously organic accounts for the distinctive lapel-grabbing impulse among converts to Orthodoxy. 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. 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. 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." Linguistic factors posed other, very practical problems. The first is by Lactantius, a tutor to Constantine's son and a good authority. The thesis that Eastern Orthodoxy is the true religion was turning out to bear the practical corollary that, to share fully and fruitfully in the life of the Body of Christ, one would almost have. 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. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. Intellectuals, like one of my students at Moscow University, often disdain Orthodoxy as a "medieval mentality." Do we mean essential for salvation? Orthodox Christianity has a rich tradition of being mindful. Believe in the Church as the true Body of Christ, and the Churchflawed people and allwill help lead you down the right path. Its not something you can figure out by studying the Church Fathers. The sacraments of the Church have helped fill countless young people's lives with meaning in ways that are difficult to find elsewhere. And such a journey can only be spoken of from experience. Why would a Protestant Christian convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? I will always remember my first visit to an Orthodox church in Russia. Take Russia as an example: First, the majority of Russians are non-Christian and unevangelized. 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. Most people like to be polite and get along, so they highlight what we hold in common. But whether a non-Orthodox person can even be saved is an open question in Orthodox ecclesiology. They conceded a special honor to the Western papacy but insisted that the bishop of Rome was only the first among equals. This statement cannot be challenged. Disclaimers, Amon Sl Tolkien & Orthodox Christianity, 5 Differences: Orthodoxy & Roman Catholicism, 5 Differences: Orthodoxy & Evangelicalism, The Equal of Martyrdom: Fr. Growing up in the Bible Belt, I was only ever exposed to Christian theology. Why do Orthodox Christians keep a vigil at the Tomb of Christ? The basic theological impetus for the ever-virginity of Mary (besides the fact that it is presumably historically true and would have been passed down from the early days of the church) is the fact that Mary was profoundly sanctified by her role as the living sanctuary in which God dwelled (quite literally) for nine months and from whom he Well, was it so? Orthodoxy looked like taking that escalator up one more floor. It took me a few years to sense that there was a whole other something going on. Yet, at times there are questions of conscience and matters of principle. We think the fundamental Christian schism occurred when Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg church, October 31, 1517. Such a question cannot be answered through the use of dogmatic assertions or theoretical musings. Heres a clue to a third possibility. There is an organic quality here, and the thing itself is inexpressibly alive. And during those years of discovery, my mind was constantly cranking away as I laboured to absorb new ideas and excise stubborn old ones. 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. Why should we welcome that? Most people like to be polite and get along, so they highlight our commonalities. 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. The essence of it was to evangelize younger aristocrats, future leaders of the land. 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. Liberalism is not a word in the Orthodox vocabulary. As the Body of Christ, the Church is a Divine-human organism, just as with the Person of Jesus Christ, the God-Man. 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. 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. 0. We must be willing to embrace mystery, to submit to other authorities, and to ultimately submit to the Church Herself. 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. . 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. At a minimum, Protestants need to move beyond ignorance of these neighbors. Overall, is the Orthodox church growing in America or is it slowly dying, as the older cradle Orthodox are dying and fewer cradle Orthodox either convert to other churches [primarily Protestant churches] or morph into Deists or worse?. In contrast, Orthodoxy offers a view of theological authority that is internal and pneumatic rather than external and dogmatic.