John Meyendorff writes that "the Christian faith can in no way be compatible with the notion of sola scriptura." Because their focus for years was on their theological education (which they may still be paying for) often they end up in a low wage job that they don't love. While the Church is certainly Divine in one respect, She is also comprised of human beingshuman beings that can, and do, err. ), since the Reformation, justification by faith and substitutionary atonement have enjoyed pride of place in our understanding of the doctrines of sin and salvation. This is the ultimate reason an ultra-Orthodox Jew would turn to Jesus. For them the fundamental schism occurred 500 years earlierin the year 1054 (more about that below). De Maistre, Billington says, was "convinced that Russia was an instrument chosen by Providence for the salvation of Europe." He was "fascinated by the possibility of converting this vast land to Catholicism." He launched a program towards that end. Each of them had his idiosyncrasies, and they regularly disagree. 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. 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. In the year 311, Emperor Constantine moved the political capital of his empire from Rome to Constantinople. A person (who is searching within) goes through clerical education to explore questions. There is a certain chemistry involved, which one cannot so easily verbalize. These Protestant movements, important in their own right, are liturgical light years from Orthodoxy. Icons. Whatever honor Protestants bestow upon tradition, they deny that its authority is coequal with Scripture. Who Converted Russian Religion To Orthodox Christianity? Steps to "becoming" an Orthodox Christian - Questions & Answers 1. 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. Recently I worshiped at an Orthodox church in Palo Alto on this celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. The sacraments. However, because I've never been really exposed to . Vladimir fled to his kinsman Haakon Sigurdsson, who ruled Norway at the time. But why is our kind so characteristically obnoxious? 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. She is conscious of being the true Church founded by Christ. Interesting comments. Orthodox believers see things very differently. 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 . There is another reason someone should not join Our Church. How do you convert to Greek Orthodox Christianity? - Short-Fact It was electrifying. 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. Theologically, just what is at stake in the differences between Protestant and Orthodox theology? 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. Rather, each of the thirteen Orthodox churches has its own head, variously referred to as the patriarch, archbishop, or metropolitan. So, you have decided to convert to the Greek Orthodox Christian religion. Why Are Orthodox Christians So Grumpy? - Church Militant How to Convert to Greek Orthodox Christianity The Orthodox Church is the ancient Church that Christ and the Apostles established. Different from forms of western Christianity, there is no rationalization or theorization of dogma because its focus is on symbology rather than the literal. Why would a protestant convert to Eastern Orthodoxy? 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. In 1993 I was chrismated and joined the Eastern Orthodox Church, but only lately has it dawned on me that I must have strained friendships over the years, due to my vocal enthusiasm for my adopted church. Perhaps this unanticipated experience of encountering something unknown and marvelously organic accounts for the distinctive lapel-grabbing impulse among converts to Orthodoxy. He mentions one Church, not many. It takes a while to get it, because its received by a process of immersion, by soaking in a context of worship. I cant be the only one to have done this. The Orthodox Church is indelibly marked by the One who is its origin and source. She is the Church of martyrs. True, Luther and some other Protestants have not viewed baptismal regeneration and justification by faith as mutually exclusive. 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. 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). 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. 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 rise of Islam after Muhammad (died 632) was likewise crucial. The reason Orthodoxy is stable is because she is grounded in the truth. Constantine had once controlled the entire Mediterranean perimeter, and as a result, Christianity flourished. However, I do think that there are certain factors that influence and even cause these abandonments and apostasies from the one, true Church. "It was a calling of the soul," Devorah Guilah Koren, who converted from Catholicism with her husband and two children, told me. Reasons Why You Should Not Convert to Orthodox Christianity Antioch, 750,000 By the end of the sixth century, neither group could speak the other's language. It is not surprising they become disaffected and leave. 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. At the beginning, I thought I knew what I was getting into. They saw this as a perception skill, something anyone could (with diligent practice) hone; it has nothing to do with emotion. When you convert, you must verbalize your commitment to live in accordance with all of the Torah 's commandments as they are explained in Torah law. The Catalog of Good Deeds is the official blog of the Catalogue of St. Elisabeth Convent. I hope so. The secret is out. What they objected to was the elevation of tradition to the status of Scripture. YouTube | But that cant be the case with me, so lets press on. The first, most obvious explanation is that some people simply are obnoxious to start with. The basic framework of services like the Divine Liturgy or Vespers doesnt change much, but every day of the liturgical year provides prayers for saints and feasts that can be added to that framework. 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. Many would find themselves back in Rus with their new faith and establishing Churches (Spinka, 42-44). I responded by writing back: "Because I am committed to key distinctives of the Protestant evangelical tradition.". Through the centuries, theological, geopolitical, cultural, and linguistic factors have combined to differentiate the Orthodox ethos from Western patterns of Christianity. This is not just an explanation but an apology, and even an appreciation for the perseverance of friendship in the face of truly annoying behaviour. 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. As I realized what the big difference is, I grew more insistent, Im afraid. Also, while evangelicals wholeheartedly embrace the full-orbed New Testament descriptions of the work of Christ (reconciliation, ransom, redemption, forgiveness, adoption, etc. Thank you for this! Surely there is enough evangelistic work for everyone. Put another way, we must invoke the spirit of irenic disagreement in the formula: "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity." One thinks, for example, of those committed to full ministerial status for women, the centrality of lay ministry and spiritual gifts, charismatically inclined groups, seeker-sensitive churches attempting to reach baby boomers or Generation X'ers with novel worship formats, and so on. When you are the only Norse guy and most of your lands are Slovianskian, it makes more sense to convert yourself than to convert them. A wooden pectoral cros, Pectoral Cross for Clergy It doesnt matter how long they have served, or how extensive their education. This may be to some extent true but it is much more than that. 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. It took me a few years to sense that there was a whole other something going on. Why had a group of conservative American Christians converted to Russian Orthodoxy? But it's just fantasies, and they going to get themselves hopeless frustrated when it become clear that the fantasies can't become reality. Needless to say, Rome was indignant; not until the Lateran Council of 1215 did it acknowledge the status of Constantinople. The first, most obvious explanation is that some people simply are obnoxious to start with. 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. 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." Q&A: A closer look at Orthodox Christians. Most people like to be polite and get along, so they highlight what we hold in common. Conversion means belief and acceptance in Jesus Christ, the God-man, as the Savior of the world. Here is an overview of the steps you can take to convert to Orthodox Christianity: Talk With an Orthodox Priest. Pray for the Lords mercy, and you can find the strength to endure to the end. 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. Many people believe the Church is a social group gathering or a place to network with other like minded people. Second, whatever failings Western missionaries might bring to their work, and whether Orthodoxy likes to admit it, many Russians are responding very positively to a clear, contemporary presentation of the gospel by Protestant missionaries. For Eastern Christians, this was yet another Roman encroachment upon their autonomy. Rome accused the "Greek heretics" of trying to "humiliate and crush the holy catholic and apostolic church." we'll be happy to answer it! Inherent in this claim, of course, is the charge that both Catholics and Protestants have lapsed from the true faith into error, if not outright heresy. In this video, Fr. John 17:14.16). 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. Other religions and faiths occupy themselves with this life, with this world. Protestant Christianity," Andrei went on, "is a cheap, terrible substitute, and an Orthodox believer who knows his own faith will never go there.". He shares his witness of it. Everyone associates Orthodox worship with sensory richness, but its also rich in theological content. Why Converts to Christian Orthodoxy can be Obnoxious Once inside, a Western Christian experiences sensory overload: the near absence of chairs or pews, dim lighting, head coverings for most women, icons and frescoes covering almost every inch of space on the walls and ceiling, a massive and ornate iconostasis separating the priest and the worshipers, the smoky smell of incense and hundreds of candles burning in memory of the dead, the priest resplendent in his ornate vestments and enormous beard, and worshipers repeatedly prostrating themselves, kissing the icons, and making the sign of the cross. Young teens go through a few years when they are trying to understand their own unique identity, and trying to establish it in the face of well, it would be one thing if they had to establish it in the face of hostility, because, even though that would be hard, it would be bracing and clarifying. Chrysostom's liturgy says of the Eucharistic sacrifice: "Your own, from your own, we offer you, in all and for all." Greenland. 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. Those friends benefit, no doubt, from this opportunity to practice patience and long-suffering. 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. It is not a surprise that many Catholics adhering to traditional values are converting to conservative Orthodoxy. One finds that the Orthodox Church is indeed "the pillar and foundation of the truth" ( 1 Tim. Wynona doesn't indicate why the parish priest has done this, but it would appear from the context that the priest objects to her marrying an . 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. 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. St. Theophan The Recluse On Spiritual Practice. The first four enjoy special honor due to their antiquity. Before long, in Reformation churches the sermon had replaced the Eucharist as the defining moment of the liturgy. She is conscious of being the true Church founded by Christ. Despite its historical estrangement from Rome, from a Protestant theological perspective Orthodoxy is similar to Catholicism at several points. 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. 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 . Clearly this stability is found in no other church. 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." 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. Yes, because clearly a Christian is the most honest person to talk about the inner thoughts of atheists . For such a question presupposes a particular person's journey of faith. It is precisely this exclusivistic assertion that some Protestant converts, in search of the "true, New Testament Church" have found so beguiling. Thats surely a factor, but I think theres something else going on, more specific to Orthodox converts. Over coffee one day I asked an Orthodox priest whether I, as a Protestant theologian, might be considered a true Christian. Those friends benefit, no doubt, from this opportunity to practice patience and long-suffering. Such a question cannot be answered through the use of dogmatic assertions or theoretical musings. In time, you will be welcomed sacramentally into the Church and continue your ongoing path to the Kingdom of God. If someone is approaching the Orthodox Church from a purely rationalistic standpoint, they will almost surely find it wanting. 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. My husband had been an Episcopal priest for 16 years, and we had gradually moved from an evangelical-style low church to the more liturgically-fancy high church. Orthodoxy looked like taking that escalator up one more floor. Why not convert to Oriental Orthodoxy? - OrthodoxChristianity.net Who can explain why one has fallen in love with a given person? I cant be the only one to have done this. There is an organic quality here, and the thing itself is inexpressibly alive. But the "little guy" is not going through a phase. Two theological controversies drove the final wedge between Catholic and Orthodox Christians: papal supremacy and the so-called filioque controversy. 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. 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. A second theory is that converts of any sort have a tendency to exuberance that is wearying to outsiders. Then B. Rather, for Orthodoxy the whole people of God is the protector of apostolic tradition. Such a question cannot be answered through the use of dogmatic assertions or theoretical musings. Icons are absolutely central to Orthodoxy, distinguishing it from both Catholicism and Protestantism. 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. 0. But that was too little, too late. 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. Site Map | Affectionate attempts to obscure this quest feel suffocating. Why did Kievan Rus convert to Orthodox Christianity? Everyone associates Orthodox worship with sensory richness, but its also rich in theological content. Orthodoxy insists tenaciously on the role of tradition which is her very life and builds upon its past, without revisions. There was plenty of ceremony and beauty, but without the mainline churches affection for keeping up-to-date. Why did YOU convert to the Coptic Orthodox Church? Like baptism, the Eucharist is administered to infants. Worshipers prostrate themselves before them and kiss them. I will always remember my first visit to an Orthodox church in Russia. Its that Orthodoxy still passes on the early churchs knowledge of how to tune in to the presence of Christ. 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. His response: "I don't know.". Why Convert To Islam? - The American Conservative
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