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. Icons are absolutely central to Orthodoxy, distinguishing it from both Catholicism and Protestantism. 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. The blog includes recent news and ministry updates of the Convent, as well as other information about Orthodox Christianity that may be useful to those who are either making their first steps in church or want to learn something new about our faith. Rich worship taught the faith to literate and illiterate, peasant and emperor, and its essentially the same as our worship today. 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. It is not always easy to advance strong arguments for these conversions. Why Converts to Christian Orthodoxy Are So Obnoxious by Frederica Becoming Orthodox means being willing to submit to the Church and Her bishops, who might not be interested in ordaining you. 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? Your email address will not be published. Well, was it so? Many times, inquirers approach the Orthodox Church as a safe haven from controversy and scandal, believing that the Orthodox Churchas the one, true Churchis immune to such things. Heres a clue to a third possibility. 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." Why Are There So Many Curses and Cruelties In The Psalms? 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." Why did YOU convert to the Coptic Orthodox Church? Rather, each of the thirteen Orthodox churches has its own head, variously referred to as the patriarch, archbishop, or metropolitan. 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. Contact | Interesting comments. The true details behind her How to Convert to Judaism - What to Expect at a Conversion 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. Christians in the West variously trace their roots to Rome (Catholics), Wittenberg (Lutherans), Geneva (Calvinists), Canterbury (Anglicans), or Oxford (Wesleyans). Bulgaria, 8 million 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. 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. Then C" The strengths of a group draws them but after a while the weaknesses bubble up. For Eastern Christians, this was yet another Roman encroachment upon their autonomy. So why should someone desire to join the Orthodox Church? But it's just fantasies, and they going to get themselves hopeless frustrated when it become clear that the fantasies can't become reality. Orthodox Priest Explains Why Many People in the West are Converting to Fr. I had been to the east and discovered something wondrous that I assumed all Christians crave. In 999, Leif, the son of Erik, was converted to Christianity by Olaf Tryggvason. Further, rote liturgy can stultify as well as edify, which is one reason why many people prefer more informal or personal worship settings. However, they rarely spent any time in Orthodox worship services or their local parish, developed no relationship with a priest, and did not engage their spouse or family in their studies and interest in the Church. 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. 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 Aristocles Merarches Joined Apr 23, 2003 Messages 10,031 Reaction score 1 Points 0 Location Pittsburgh Aug 5, 2006 #4 Matthew777 said: 5:12). It takes awhile to get it, because its gotten by a process of immersion, by soaking in a context of worship. 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. 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. Thus, when an Orthodox believer once asked why his church did not do more doctrinal teaching, his priest responded, "Icons teach us all that we need to know." 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. Instagram | Rather, for Orthodoxy the whole people of God is the protector of apostolic tradition. 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. The Orthodox Church has existed since the day of Pentecost and when we truly believe and become truly attached, not merely by baptism or chrismation, not merely by our presence but by our actions and our inner convictions, then and only then do we truly become connected to the Church, to Jesus Christ the Saviour and therefore to the Trinitarian God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. Get the best from CT editors, delivered straight to your inbox! Q&A: A closer look at Orthodox Christians | Pew Research Center What Do I Need to Do to Become Greek Orthodox? - Greek Boston Most notable are its beliefs about baptism and the Eucharist. Cyprus, 450,000 At the beginning, I thought I knew what I was getting into. 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. John A. Peck, The Apostolic Mission of Journey To Orthodoxy, Orthodox Church in Harbin, China Reopens as an Orthodox Church, "When We Speak of Christ, We Must Start With Christ" - An Interview With Fr. The Orthodox Church in America, with roots in Moscow and about 85,000 adherents . 1. Karmiris writes, "Scripture and Tradition are equally valid, possess equal dogmatic authority, and are equal in value as sources of dogmatic truth . Converting to Orthodox Judaism Is a Lot. Here's How 3 Women Did It. - ELLE Before long, in Reformation churches the sermon had replaced the Eucharist as the defining moment of the liturgy. Your email address will not be published. Have something to add about this? At the beginning, I thought I knew what I was getting into. Yeah, I think Ive gotten it out of my system. Yeah, I think Ive gotten it out of my system. The reason Orthodoxy is stable is because she is grounded in the truth. 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. Then B. Who can explain why one has fallen in love with a given person? There are two accounts of Constantine's conversion to Christianity. It took me a few years to sense that there was a whole other something going on. These are worthy pursuits that can be fulfilled in the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox Church does not fit into the paradigms of modernity; it is not a wholly rational faith. Schisms had already occurred in the Christian church, and others would occur later, but the Great Schism was the first of such major consequence. But the human warts of where they are at and continuing searching within causes them to look elsewhere. He has no good option for dealing with that affection, so hes either sullen or angry. These groups mostly came over willingly. The West used unleavened bread, the East did not. Nicola Yanney, Holy Man of Nebraska, Out of Appalachia: Orthodox Christianity and the Old Regular Baptists, What Do You Believe In? Why I Didn't Convert to Eastern Orthodoxy Conciliar Post 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. According to the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 787, icons are of equal benefit as Scripture in presenting the gospel message. Preeminent among the sacraments are baptism and the Eucharist. A radical conversion to Christianity. They conceded a special honor to the Western papacy but insisted that the bishop of Rome was only the first among equals. I will always remember my first visit to an Orthodox church in Russia. Harakas asked. Spiritual enlightenment changes everything. 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. Home / Most Protestants would experience an Orthodox liturgy as something strange, even exotic. Its not something you can figure out by studying the Church Fathers. 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. Reasons Why You Should Not Convert to Orthodox Christianity One finds that the Orthodox Church is indeed "the pillar and foundation of the truth" ( 1 Tim. How To Become An Orthodox Christian - Journey To Orthodoxy Now let's hear from Frederica. An Appeal to Traditional Roman Catholics From - Orthodox Christianity Buddhists are called to meditate. The final declaration of the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicea (787) that ratified the use of icons appealed to the "written and unwritten" tradition of the early church. But that cant be the case with me, so lets press on. Liberalism is not a word in the Orthodox vocabulary. When I visit prisons where floors are shiny, morale is noticeably higher. But the impulse is to exaggerate the differences when you fear being hugged to death. To the extent, however, one could intellectualize the reasons for converting, he or she would probably summarize them along these lines: In our ever-changing world, in the constant re-design of services and re-evaluation of beliefs, Orthodoxy stands as a mountain of granite, unshakable by fads and movements and political correctness. Each of them had his idiosyncrasies, and they regularly disagreed. Similar differences and disputes existed within early Christianity, but disputes within Christianity extended also to the place of Mosaic Law or Old Covenant in general in Christianity. It was electrifying. The numbers are staggering! The move was far more than geographic. Writing a book on Eastern Orthodoxy and working through the manuscript with my Russian students helped me to compare Orthodoxy and Protestant evangelicalism. Orthodoxy affirms the real, physical presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist (as do Catholics, Lutherans, and many Anglicans), yet unlike Catholicism it is content not to explain how this happens. What Scripture proclaims by word, the icon proclaims by color. And these prayers are jam-packed. Why Are Orthodox Christians So Grumpy? - Church Militant We must be willing to embrace mystery, to submit to other authorities, and to ultimately submit to the Church Herself. "More than a . Russia, 50-85 million 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. 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. Different Orthodox theories exist as to what, exactly, this means. [Converts] Why did you convert to Eastern Orthodoxy? Andrey brings us the news about Orthodox Christianity (the form of Christianity practiced by Russians). For the past year or so I have been considering conversion to Orthodox Christianity. Why did Vladimir convert to Orthodox Christianity? Nicholas reversed the decision, reinstating Ignatius and deposing Photius. Their new group who were so "excited" to have them isn't interested/has no role for them as clergy. We should expect nothing less of ourselves than total respect for and even love of the history, theology, and culture of Orthodoxy; still, two things ought to be said about Orthodox complaints about Protestant proselytizing. 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. It was like seeing a face emerge from a random pattern of dots, and then wink at you. Andrey brings us the news about Orthodox Christianity (the form of Christianity . At times it can be a healing group especially during the Liturgical services in particular the Eucharist and the Holy Prayer Oil services. How to Convert to Greek Orthodox Christianity They saw this as a perception skill, something anyone could (with diligent practice) hone; it has nothing to do with emotion. One can find Orthodox statements that ascribe a unique authority to Scripture over tradition, but these are few and far between, and they speak of tradition in a narrower than usual sense. 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. Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to Christianity. In the words of contemporary Orthodox theologian Thomas Hopko, "everything in the church flows out of the waters of baptism: the remission of sins and life eternal." They insisted that the Bible interprets itself, and through the Holy Spirit, God instructs its readers in a direct and individual manner rather than binding their consciences to the supposedly reliable teaching of the church. Q&A: A closer look at Orthodox Christians. Converting to Orthodoxy | St Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church Theologically, just what is at stake in the differences between Protestant and Orthodox theology? It took awhile because I grasped it through hearing the hymns of the church year, week in and week out. One of the problems the Orthodox Church currently suffers in this country is a lack of converts. Orthodox believers see things very differently. Alexandria, 350,000 This conception lessens the validity and value of the Holy Scriptures as the primary source of Christian dogma." Maybe you have to soak in it for years, till the evidence becomes overwhelming. Another issue is becoming Orthodox because one thinks the Church will reward them in some way for doing so. 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. Geoff. Those friends benefit, no doubt, from this opportunity to practice patience and long-suffering. 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. From the Orthodox perspective, both Catholics and Protestants seek to ground theological authority in an external norm. Recently I worshiped at an Orthodox church in Palo Alto on this celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. Why I Converted to Judaism | My Jewish Learning 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.
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