Everyone associates Orthodox worship with sensory richness, but its also rich in theological content. (Of course, for every person insisting that there were no differences, there was another person asking me to explain the differences. 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. To be Eastern Orthodox is, above all, to stake a bold and unapologetic theological claim as the one true church of Christ on earth, which alone has guarded right belief and true worship in absolute identity and unbroken succession with the apostolic church. This is a sufficiently serious reason for reproach: We are right to expect that the Church will point out a path toward God, independently of the jolts and shocks of the epoch; that it will remain,. Why Converts to Christian Orthodoxy can be Obnoxious, People who've found their way back to Orthodoxy, Theophan the Recluse on Spiritual Practice. Orthodoxy is true to the Lord, to herself and to her past. 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." 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. While the Church is certainly Divine in one respect, She is also comprised of human beingshuman beings that can, and do, err. Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. Worshipers prostrate themselves before them and kiss them. Vladimir fled to his kinsman Haakon Sigurdsson, who ruled Norway at the time. Here are a few reasons from this man's personal reflection. Any vestiges of hope for unity after the estrangement of 1054 were dashed with the pillage of 1204. In the 950s, Olga, the grandmother of Vladimir, was . I had been to the east and discovered something wondrous that I assumed all Christians crave. Another issue is becoming Orthodox because one thinks the Church will reward them in some way for doing so. Cerularius condemned Humbert and entreated Orthodox believers to "flee the fellowship of those who have accepted the heretical Latins." But the impulse is to exaggerate the differences when you fear being hugged to death. 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. 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. Heres a clue to a third possibility. 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]. Ignatius's followers, however, refused to acknowledge the transition, and eventually both Ignatius and Photius appealed to Pope Nicholas (858-67) in Rome. 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. Their new group who were so "excited" to have them isn't interested/has no role for them as clergy. The first, most obvious explanation is that some people simply are obnoxious to start with. 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. Over coffee one day I asked an Orthodox priest whether I, as a Protestant theologian, might be considered a true Christian. 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. An evangelical explores the ancient and alien world of the Eastern church. When celebrating the Eucharist, Catholics mixed the wine with water, while the Orthodox did not. Why did Vladimir convert to Orthodox Christianity? For the past year or so I have been considering conversion to Orthodox Christianity. Experience Church Services. 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. Icons. its the same every year, year after year), it soon becomes familiar, and perhaps even boring for some. After being dunked in this sea of hymnography for a few years I began to recognize an underlying unity among all the elements of Orthodoxythe worship, the fasting, the exhortations to humility, the companionship of the saints, all of it. As I realized what the big difference is,I grew more insistent, I'm afraid. How to Convert to Judaism - What to Expect at a Conversion Most Protestants would experience an Orthodox liturgy as something strange, even exotic. Subscribe for our weekly newsletter not to miss the most interesting articles on our blog. 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. I love the Church, and so I find it difficult to understand how a person could not see the beauty in our faith, leaving it all behind. 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. Each of them had his idiosyncrasies, and they regularly disagree. They conceded a special honor to the Western papacy but insisted that the bishop of Rome was only the first among equals. Other religions and faiths occupy themselves with this life, with this world. When we realize that every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle or a matter of conscience, then we are freed to engage fully people with whom we actually have profound differences without compromising our own theological commitments. These are worthy pursuits that can be fulfilled in the Orthodox Church. What do they find so attractive? These Protestant movements, important in their own right, are liturgical light years from Orthodoxy. He promptly left Constantinople. In this Orthodox view, Scripture stands within rather than above the church, and to distinguish its authority from that of the church is a mistake of method. She is the Church of martyrs. Now let's hear from Frederica. There is a distinct set of conservative converts to Eastern Orthodoxy, which depending on your perspective either left, or was left by, Roman Catholicism in the Great Schism of 1054. Andrey brings us the news about Orthodox Christianity (the form of Christianity practiced by Russians). Moreover, evangelicals have some important lessons to learn from Orthodoxy. Orthodox spiritual life gives central prominence to the sacraments. There is an organic quality here, and the thing itself is inexpressibly alive. But whether a non-Orthodox person can even be saved is an open question in Orthodox ecclesiology. Copyright 1997 Christianity Today. Orthodox Christians viewed the filioque amendment to be contrary to explicit instructions by past ecumenical councils not to change the creeds. Needless to say, Rome was indignant; not until the Lateran Council of 1215 did it acknowledge the status of Constantinople. 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. Two theological controversies drove the final wedge between Catholic and Orthodox Christians: papal supremacy and the so-called filioque controversy. Orthodoxy's size alone warrants our attention, despite its invisibility on the cultural radar screens of most Americans. It takes awhile to get it, because its gotten by a process of immersion, by soaking in a context of worship. They saw this as a perception skill, something anyone could (with diligent practice) hone; it has nothing to do with emotion. It must sound like vague, fluffy religious talk (though in my experience it is anything but). The reality of the difficulty of living the Orthodox life then bubbles up, and apostasy from exhaustion is a real risk. 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? On these points evangelical and Orthodox thinking diverge in significant ways. The sum of all parts wont add to the total. No new dogmas of faith spring out of the blue in her life. For church membership? 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. 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. Through the centuries, theological, geopolitical, cultural, and linguistic factors have combined to differentiate the Orthodox ethos from Western patterns of Christianity. Why would a Protestant Christian convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? Share your feedback here. John 17:14.16). John A. Peck, The Apostolic Mission of Journey To Orthodoxy, Armenian Muslims Living in Turkey are Returning to Christianity, Devotion to Orthodox History leads Malaysian Priest to Mount Carmel. The sacraments of the Church have helped fill countless young people's lives with meaning in ways that are difficult to find elsewhere. It took me a few years to sense that there was a whole other something going on. She is committed to the same, unchanging, absolute truth. Second, in biblical interpretation the Reformers placed the Scriptures above the church. Handcarved Frederica Matthewes-Green reflects on how new converts to Orthodoxy can sometimes be overzealous. Orthodoxy looks forward, to the age to come. There is a certain chemistry involved, which one cannot so easily verbalize. He has no good option for dealing with that affection, so hes either sullen or angry. 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. Those friends benefit, no doubt, from this opportunity to practice patience and long-suffering. If only you could get them to form two lines.). Vladimir I formed an alliance with Basil II of the Byzantine Empire and married his sister Anna in 988. Is Orthodox different from Catholic? If a richer liturgical life is what a believer wants, converting to Orthodoxy is hardly necessary. She stands firm on her dogmatic and moral teachings. 1. But dont do it for all the wrong reasons. The true details behind her However, I do think that there are certain factors that influence and even cause these abandonments and apostasies from the one, true Church. 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. Such a question cannot be answered through the use of dogmatic assertions or theoretical musings. It depends on where you put the emphasis. 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] Why did you convert to Eastern Orthodoxy? Why are so many Christians in Colombia converting to Orthodox Judaism Questions & Answers / This book cover is mad, Worship Gospel Orthodox Christians were more inclined to appeal to the ecumenical councils than to a single bishop to settle theological matters. In the dystopian film,Children of Mendirected by Alfonso Cuarn, a world is imagined in the future where no more children are born, and, as the decades pass, humanity is plunged into despair. Made using e, Book Cover for the Epistle How to Become an Orthodox Christian? Without waiting for a response, Humbert exited the church and declared, "Let God look and judge." Her name is right belief. When the media seized on John Paul II's statement, they not only missed his main point, they missed a wider story. Affectionate attempts to obscure this quest feel suffocating. During those years of discovery I labored to absorb new ideas and excise stubborn old ones. 1:4). 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. Russian priest explains why westerners are converting to Orthodox We must be willing to embrace mystery, to submit to other authorities, and to ultimately submit to the Church Herself. The West used unleavened bread, the East did not. It depends on where you put the emphasis. An Appeal to Traditional Roman Catholics From - Orthodox Christianity For example, on the Feast of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, the chanter launches into this: Of the Father before the morning star You were begotten from the womb without mother before all ages, even though Arius did believe You to be created, not God, classing You in ignorance and impudence with creatures Thats just a fraction of a thorough march through what happened at the first Council of Nicaea, and why it was important (including Arius unpleasant death from digestive indisposition: his bowels were torn by a divine hookin a repulsive manner his soul came out). Why Would A Protestant Christian Convert to Eastern Orthodox - YouTube Converting to Orthodox Judaism Is a Lot. Here's How 3 Women Did It. - ELLE There is a myth in Orthodoxy that people only became Eastern Catholics under force by Catholic kings. Even more obnoxious, though, must be the tendency to reject hospitality. (To be fair, we should note that a large number of Orthodox have become evangelical Protestants as well.). 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. However, because I've never been really exposed to . Surely there is enough evangelistic work for everyone. There was plenty of ceremony and beauty, but without the mainline churches affection for keeping up-to-date. While Protestant evangelicals have never agreed on the precise meaning or mode of the sacraments, they have historically emphasized two related truths that diverge from the Orthodox understanding of the sacraments. Those friends benefit, no doubt, from this opportunity to practice patience and long-suffering. Rather, they are a source of revelation. Nicholas reversed the decision, reinstating Ignatius and deposing Photius. Serbia, 8 million For employment at a seminary? Yes, because clearly a Christian is the most honest person to talk about the inner thoughts of atheists . Because of my interest for eastern culture, negative views on catholicism (I live in a mostly catholic country) and protestantism and my fascisnation for the Orthodox Church, i decided to convert to just that. Another danger is converting to Orthodoxy simply because it is beautiful. Affectionate attempts to obscure this quest feel suffocating. July 26, 2019 By Fr. And during those years of discovery, my mind was constantly cranking away as I laboured to absorb new ideas and excise stubborn old ones. Catholicism and Orthodoxy are not alike in their views on the nature of theological authority; it is nevertheless correct to say that Orthodoxy, like Catholicism, views Protestantism in a similar negative manner. The first four enjoy special honor due to their antiquity. Because everyone has their own presuppositions in which they interpret reality and thus no surprise you'll find people based on these presuppositions won't accept Christianity. 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. He states that in Gaul, before setting out towards Rome, Constantine and his army saw a great cross in the sky. "We are Orthodox because (we) follow the same laws like in other Orthodox communities in the world," explains Meyer Sanchez, assistant to a rabbi in Medelln. Perhaps this unanticipated experience of encountering something unknown and marvelously organic accounts for the distinctive lapel-grabbing impulse among converts to Orthodoxy. Nicola Yanney, Holy Man of Nebraska, Out of Appalachia: Orthodox Christianity and the Old Regular Baptists, What Do You Believe In? It must sound like vague, fluffy religious talk (though in my experience it is anything but). Because we confess and believe in the one holy, catholic and apostolic Church, this means we are not looking for a Church that fits our own preferences and ideals, but rather one that teaches us what our preferences should be. This woode, Christ (Wedding Icon in Textile Oklad) Why Convert To Islam? - The American Conservative 5:12). My ideas havent changed, and Im always glad for a good discussion, but maybe Im past the need to belabor them. Beyond the recovery of history and liturgy, there are deeper and more important questions. I do not wish to antagonize anyone and if there is a place online where I might go to better have my questions answered, please. Essential for clergy to pray together, to talk, and to encourage one another in Christ? It is often wrongly assumed that Orthodoxy . 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. By the end of the sixth century, neither group could speak the other's language. Wynona is a Catholic planning to marry an Orthodox man, but as she tells us, "my Catholic parish priest is not giving his consent for this marriage, so it will be held in an Orthodox church.". 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. Failing to remember (or be taught) this, we are scandalized and even lose our faith in the Church, not distinguishing between the divine and human natures, or confusing them. In 858 Photius was appointed as Orthodoxy's new patriarch at Constantinople, replacing Ignatius, who had been exiled and later resigned his duties. It is no small thing for us to hold in common all the early, Christian creeds. Perhaps this unanticipated experience of encountering something unknown and marvellously organic accounts for the distinctive lapel-grabbing impulse among converts to Orthodoxy. 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. The independent Orthodox Church in America (OCA) desires to function as a fully "autocephalous" church, although as yet the oca has not been officially recognized by most of the thirteen patriarchates. Is the church made up of those who have been "regenerated" by infant baptism in an Orthodox church institution, or by those who have experienced new birth and been justified by grace through faith? Thats surely a factor, but I think theres something else going on, more specific to Orthodox converts. Lol. Not a few evangelicals in the last decade have forsaken Protestantism to join an Eastern Orthodox church. Spiritual enlightenment changes everything. Whatever honor Protestants bestow upon tradition, they deny that its authority is coequal with Scripture. In 1523-24 the Reformers Ulrich Zwingli and Martin Luther donned the gown of the university scholar. Converting to Orthodox Christianity : r/OrthodoxChristianity - reddit The percentage of foreign born Orthodox Christians is no larger than the percentage in the population at large. He sailed to Greenland with a priest to convert the people. 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. Greenland. Orthodoxy appeals to the soulnot just to the intellect or the senses. She is conscious of being the true Church founded by Christ. It is precisely this view that elevates Scripture above the church and actually encourages private interpretation that the Orthodox theologian Georges Florovsky once called "the sin of the Reformation.". Preeminent among the sacraments are baptism and the Eucharist. One can find people who interpret this ecclesiological exclusivity more leniently; in fact, some would argue that the best Orthodox scholarsGeorge Florovsky and John Meyendorff, to name twowould allow for such leniency. "The Orthodox Church of Christ never lost the 'unity of faith and the communion of the Holy Spirit' and does not accept the theory of the restoration of the unity of those "who believe in Christ," because it believes that the unity of those who believe in Christ already exists in the unity of all of Her baptized children, between themselves and But unlike the other two large branches of Christianity, which have spread throughout the developing world, Orthodoxy remains largely confined to Europe. The Actual Conversion to Judaism: Conversion to Judaism has a few components, which are undertaken under the supervision of an established beit din: Accepting the yoke of the commandments. But why is our kind so characteristically obnoxious? 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. Orthodoxy in America Has a Convert Problem Orthodoxy insists tenaciously on the role of tradition which is her very life and builds upon its past, without revisions. 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?" 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." The so-called Eastern Orthodox Church is actually not one but thirteen "autocephalous" or independent, self-governing churches. 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. In many of these lands, Orthodoxy exhibits an unveiled distrust and even xenophobia toward the massive influx of Western missionaries into their backyards. 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.). 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. Handcarved Theologically, just what is at stake in the differences between Protestant and Orthodox theology? However, this is a mistaken viewpoint and can lead to the destruction of a persons faith. Reaching for the Transcendent on the Streets of New York, http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2007/12/icons-will-save-the-world, cool blog entry by Fr Andrew Damick - Christian Forums, http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/liturgics/athenagoras_remarriage.htm, http://www.oodegr.co/english/ekklisia/marriage_divorce.htm, http://www.oodegr.com/english/ekklisia/marriage_divorce.htm, http://www.patheos.com/blogs/justandsinner/the-church-fathers-interpretation-of-the-rock-of-matthew-1618-an-historical-refutation-of-the-claims-of-roman-catholicism-by-william-webster/. Converting to Judaism has defined my high school experience