why convert to orthodox christianity

Step Two: Repentance There is no salvation without repentance. This may be to some extent true but it is much more than that. Let us know if corrections need to be made. Who can explain why one has fallen in love with a given person? Orthodoxy has always affirmed that Peter was the "first among equals" (primus inter pares) ; but unlike Roman Catholics, the Orthodox have always denied that he held any "primacy of power" (primatus potestatis). Since the World Council of Churches' Canberra Assembly in 1991, evangelical and Orthodox believers have joined in a series of wcc-sponsored dialogues on matters challenging historic Christian faith. Modern speculation is simply just that, speculation, and . I appreciate this articles use of blunt honesty! There is not going to be a restored "Celtic" Orthodoxy or "Anglo-Saxon" Orthodoxy. The Orthodox Church in America, with roots in Moscow and about 85,000 adherents . The Catalog of Good Deeds is the official blog of the Catalogue of St. Elisabeth Convent. Rich worship taught the faith to literate and illiterate, peasant and emperor, and its essentially the same as our worship today. Poland, 1 million Luther urged that Christianity would stand or fall with this doctrine; Calvin called it "the hinge upon which all true religion turns.". And I would try hard, no doubt to the point of rudeness, to convince them this was not so. One of the problems the Orthodox Church currently suffers in this country is a lack of converts. 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? But the "little guy" is not going through a phase. In this wonderful, 4-minute video, Fr. The essence of it was to evangelize younger aristocrats, future leaders of the land. Those who will guide you through your period of instruction and formation surely will help you in this regard. I think people just dont believe me, and I hardly provide a good personal example. For them the fundamental schism occurred 500 years earlierin the year 1054 (more about that below). The Orthodox Church is indelibly marked by the One who is its origin and source. Heres a clue to a third possibility. 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. For good and ill, it is a classic "cultural religion," and comprehending Orthodoxy is an indispensable key to understanding those countries, cultures, and people. Rich worship taught the faith to literate and illiterate, peasant and emperor, and its essentially the same as our worship today. The Orthodox Church does not fit into the paradigms of modernity; it is not a wholly rational faith. 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. Early on in the life of the Christian church, the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West began to diverge. But this really begs another question: "Essential" for what? Affectionate attempts to obscure this quest feel suffocating. 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. That there are too many people joining the Church with a silly belief that they rebelling against the modern world, and hoping to instate absolute monarchy. 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. I can remember, after Id been Orthodox a few years, developing an increasing sense of tension or frustration. 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. 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. 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. But that cant be the case with me, so lets press on. It also must be noted that embracing the faith involves a running to Christ and His Church as the Ark of Salvation, rather than a running away from somethingother than sin. Shortly after the beginning of our own catechumenate as a family, we saw friendsand their familiesbegin journeys towards the East. 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. 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?" Others are already involved in a Jewish community. In addition, a new convert must undergo a formal process of initiation. We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth, for surely there is no such splendor or beauty anywhere upon earth. My ideas havent changed, and Im always glad for a good discussion, but maybe Im past the need to belabour them. If only you could get them to form two lines.). She is conscious of being the true Church founded by Christ. Orthodox Christianity has a rich tradition of meditation, of fasting, of praying, of giving alms. Why did Vladimir convert to Orthodox Christianity? Why did Kievan Rus convert to Orthodox Christianity? And while it's true that my involvement with Judaism began with a Jewish boyfriend now my husband of 28 years and the father of our two children as Reform Jews, I would not have had to convert to participate in Jewish life and raise Jewish children. Converting to Orthodoxy. Are you sure you heard the Meaning of Christmas? Not to be outdone, the Orthodox could respond in kind. There is an organic quality here, and the thing itself is inexpressibly alive. Your email address will not be published. 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. Orthodox Christianity may be the o. Why would a Protestant Christian convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? 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. 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 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. 1:4). During my four years as a visiting professor at Moscow State University (1991-95) I often felt schizophrenic. Such a question cannot be answered through the use of dogmatic assertions or theoretical musings. One finds that the Orthodox Church is indeed "the pillar and foundation of the truth" ( 1 Tim. Two points that have been hallmarks of evangelical identity deserve special scrutiny: the relationship between Scripture and tradition, and the relationship between Scripture and the church. Also, people should not join the Church in the hopes of solidifying an identity they have in the first place. Rather, Orthodoxy affirms a single source of revelation, holy tradition, of which Scripture is the preeminent among several forms. Jerusalem, 260,000 He sailed to Greenland with a priest to convert the people. When the media seized on John Paul II's statement, they not only missed his main point, they missed a wider story. Well, was it so? These arguments wont convert anyone. But whether a non-Orthodox person can even be saved is an open question in Orthodox ecclesiology. 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. It doesnt matter how long they have served, or how extensive their education. There most certainly will never be a "Southern" or "Confederate" Orthodoxy".And yet another reason not to join is the hopes of having a base of operations for a goofy political ideology. 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. Orthodox Christians were more inclined to appeal to the ecumenical councils than to a single bishop to settle theological matters. Another issue is becoming Orthodox because one thinks the Church will reward them in some way for doing so. 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. One who would claim that he or she wishes to embrace the faith but doesnt want to get involved with other people and their lives falls short in his or her understanding of the Church as the People of God and, as such, has yet to make that internal conversion that must take place before one is received into the Church. They become clergy in their group. I have read many things on the internet, as well as a number of books about the Churchs faith, worship and history. My husband and I were just Chrismated into the church on Christmas day. 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. Why Are There So Many Curses and Cruelties In The Psalms? In 1993, I was chrismated and joined the Eastern Orthodox Church. The last reason Orthodox converts are obnoxious resembles the reason adolescents are obnoxious. 3:15). Andrey brings us the news about Orthodox Christianity (the form of Christianity . Rather, they are a source of revelation. (2 Pet. Orthodox believers see things very differently. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. Becoming Orthodox means being willing to submit to the Church and Her bishops, who might not be interested in ordaining you. Site Map | I can remember that, after Id been Orthodox a few years, developing an increasing sense of tension or frustration. 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. This statement cannot be challenged. Several factors must be considered when converting to Greek Orthodox Christianity. Vladimir I formed an alliance with Basil II of the Byzantine Empire and married his sister Anna in 988. Most Protestants would experience an Orthodox liturgy as something strange, even exotic. In the East the local parish priest could administer the sacrament of confirmation; in the West only the bishop could. Thank you for this! The so-called Photian Schism brought this matter to a head. 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. The Reformers did not reject tradition as a help to wisdom, as a reading of Calvin, Luther, or Wesley easily shows. Debate is more plentiful than research, but also indefinite. Orthodox churches are full of them. I responded by writing back: "Because I am committed to key distinctives of the Protestant evangelical tradition.". Your email address will not be published. Four important areas deserve ongoing dialogue. More than 70 percent of the roughly 75,000 Antiochian Orthodox Christians in the United States are converts. Clearly this stability is found in no other church. Those friends benefit, no doubt, from this opportunity to practice patience and long-suffering. Why do people convert to Orthodoxy? 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. So they begin the process of "converting.". They saw this as a perception skill, something anyone could (with diligent practice) hone; it has nothing to do with emotion. Rome accused the "Greek heretics" of trying to "humiliate and crush the holy catholic and apostolic church." Orthodox spiritual life gives central prominence to the sacraments. Even more obnoxious, though, must be the tendency to reject hospitality. After five years or so in the Orthodox Church, Ive seen a lot of friends and acquaintances come home to the apostolic faith. So Christianity would not have been completely alien to the Rus, and even Vladimir's grandmother, Olga, would become enamored with Christianity. Yet, at times there are questions of conscience and matters of principle. Constantine had once controlled the entire Mediterranean perimeter, and as a result, Christianity flourished. Romania, 19.8 million The Mission of The Orthodox Church in America, the local autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 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. A wedding set o, Wedding Icon of Christ the Pantocrator (in Oklad /, A Handmade Bookcover For The Gospel. During those years of discovery I labored to absorb new ideas and excise stubborn old ones.

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