why convert to orthodox christianity

The Orthodox Church is indelibly marked by the One who is its origin and source. 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." ), since the Reformation, justification by faith and substitutionary atonement have enjoyed pride of place in our understanding of the doctrines of sin and salvation. 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. Subscribe for our weekly newsletter not to miss the most interesting articles on our blog. Many people believe the Church is a social group gathering or a place to network with other like minded people. Fr. Rather, Orthodoxy affirms a single source of revelation, holy tradition, of which Scripture is the preeminent among several forms. For them the fundamental schism occurred 500 years earlierin the year 1054 (more about that below). Applies to RCC too. This conception lessens the validity and value of the Holy Scriptures as the primary source of Christian dogma." In many of these lands, Orthodoxy exhibits an unveiled distrust and even xenophobia toward the massive influx of Western missionaries into their backyards. This doesnt mean we shun catechesis, but just that its not always done in the same way everywhereand where it exists, its likely different from what a catechumen might expect or even hope. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. Early on in the life of the Christian church, the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West began to diverge. As Philip said to Nathaniel, Come and see [John 1:46]. 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. What was the impact of Vladimir I converting to Greek Orthodox Christianity in the region of Byzantium? I have read many things on the internet, as well as a number of books about the Churchs faith, worship and history. 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. It is a good question, one I will answer in due course. 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. 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. that freedom of practice for faith groups should be "defended" in Holyrood's proposed ban on conversion practices and that she believes a trans woman is a "biological male who identifies as a . 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?. Why Convert to Orthodox Christianity? Second, Christian theology perfectly explained why Jesus, who was also called a prophet, was worthy of worship. Conversion is not only a matter of the intellect, but also of the heart. 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. Shortly after the beginning of our own catechumenate as a family, we saw friendsand their familiesbegin journeys towards the East. 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. 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. She rightly claims the wholeness of the truth. 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. 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. Their new group who were so "excited" to have them isn't interested/has no role for them as clergy. Thank you for this post! 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 . Yet, at times there are questions of conscience and matters of principle. 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." 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). Why had a group of conservative American Christians converted to Russian Orthodoxy? For such a question presupposes a particular person's journey of faith. 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. And I would try hard, no doubt to the point of rudeness, to convince them this was not so. July 26, 2019 By Fr. 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. When celebrating the Eucharist, Catholics mixed the wine with water, while the Orthodox did not. While the Church is certainly Divine in one respect, She is also comprised of human beingshuman beings that can, and do, err. 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. According to The Saga of Erik the Red, there were Christians among the people whom Erik the Red brought to Greenland to settle it in the late tenth century. John Meyendorff writes that "the Christian faith can in no way be compatible with the notion of sola scriptura." Receive updates and announcements from Orthodox Witness. It was like seeing a face emerge from a random pattern of dots, and then wink at you. 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. Cyprus, 450,000 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?" 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. We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth, for surely there is no such splendor or beauty anywhere upon earth. Many non-Jews become "Jews by choice" because they're spiritual seekers. If our only reason for converting is more somber, reverent, and beautiful worship, the newness of this experience soon wanes. People often assume that most Jews by choice convert because they have a partner or spouse who is Jewish. But it's just fantasies, and they going to get themselves hopeless frustrated when it become clear that the fantasies can't become reality. Yes, because clearly a Christian is the most honest person to talk about the inner thoughts of atheists . Women and men who marry into the Orthodox Jewish faith are required to convertand both genders follow an identical process. Much like a divorce where numerous and complex problems fester for years and then coalesce around a single event, the defining moment for a distinctly Orthodox identity came with the Great Schism of 1054. I sincerely wish to know everyone's reasons for converting to Orthodoxy. There was plenty of ceremony and beauty, but without the mainline churches affection for keeping up-to-date. The Search for Authority and the Fear of Difference, Nostalgia Without Memory: A Case Study of American Converts to Eastern Orthodoxy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, The Eastern Church in the Spiritual Marketplace: American Conversions to Orthodox Christianity, New York Times Article on Calvinist Revival., If Not Sola Scriptura, Then What? 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." Further, Protestants have long enjoyed rich liturgical traditions of their own (see, for example, Bard Thompson's classic Liturgies of the Western Church). Thatwould be interesting. For any convert, it's a spiritual, intense, and private process,. On June 16, 1054, Pope Leo IX's legate, Cardinal Humbert, delivered a Bull of Excommunication to the Orthodox Patriarch Michael Cerularius on the altar of the Church of the Holy Wisdom at Constantinople while the patriarch prepared to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, condemning him and his court. The West used unleavened bread, the East did not. Teachings of Orthodoxy. 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. Theological disputes combined with these geopolitical and cultural factors to divide the Christian East and West. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. 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. Heres a clue to a third possibility. But the human warts of where they are at and continuing searching within causes them to look elsewhere. Affectionate attempts to obscure this quest feel suffocating. Geoff. You can make an appointment to talk to our parish priest Fr Athanasios by contacting him at (03) 9387 7693. I felt like Marco Polo. Sign up to receive a regular email newsletter from Fr. 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. Further, they identify themselves by reference to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), the "new Rome" of Emperor Constantine, and to the first seven ecumenical councils of the church. Not that every churchgoer is following that path, not that the church administration is perfect, but that the path still existedthats what amazed me. Who can explain why one has fallen in love with a given person? The rise of Islam after Muhammad (died 632) was likewise crucial. 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. 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. Essential for clergy to pray together, to talk, and to encourage one another in Christ? 2. Perhaps this unanticipated experience of encountering something unknown and marvelously organic accounts for the distinctive lapel-grabbing impulse among converts to Orthodoxy. The first, most obvious explanation is that some people simply are obnoxious to start with. 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. Unfortunately the Eastern organization is founded on control and power. The first, most obvious explanation is that some people simply are obnoxious to start with. "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. Modern speculation is simply just that, speculation, and . Further, the Orthodox reject the idea of inherited guilt; we are guilty only for our own sins rather than for the inborn consequences of Adam's fall. This could take some timeperhaps a year or more, depending on a variety of circumstancesand should not be rushed. Just as we pray that Gods will, not our own, be done, so too we pray that we might embrace the faith in Gods time, not our own. Orthodoxy looked like taking that escalator up one more floor. 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. 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 sacraments. Its just that Orthodoxy still passes on the early churchs knowledge of how to tune in to the presence of Christ. Orthodox Christians believe you must be converted every day- every day - and everyone must start with this step if they desire to make spiritual progress and be saved. I will always remember my first visit to an Orthodox church in Russia. One is attracted to Orthodoxy in the same way one falls in love. It merits our attention for several reasons. Missiological concerns surface here, too. Worshipers prostrate themselves before them and kiss them. Orthodox Christianity has a rich tradition of meditation, of fasting, of praying, of giving alms. This book cover is mad, Worship Gospel That is, Orthodoxy's commitment to "right belief" provides a natural link to evangelical concerns. Why do Orthodox Christians keep a vigil at the Tomb of Christ? First, Christianity had no doctrine to support the Islamic hypothesis about Jesus' modification into a semi-god. John A. Peck, The Apostolic Mission of Journey To Orthodoxy. Rather, "theosis" (literally, "deification"), or the progressive transformation of people into full likeness to God, in soul and body, takes center stage. There is world of difference between going Orthodoxy vs staying pagan. Orthodox Christians believe you must be converted every day- every day - and everyone must start with this step if they desire to make spiritual progress and be saved. Pretty good. Rich worship taught the faith to literate and illiterate, peasant and emperor, and its essentially the same as our worship today. 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.

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