why convert to orthodox christianity
Pretty good. By the end of the sixth century, neither group could speak the other's language. There was plenty of ceremony and beauty, but without the mainline churches affection for keeping up-to-date. ", Icons are not merely sacred art. Even before entering the church one is taken aback by the unusual architecture-the glittering gold onion domes that sparkle like diamonds on a sunny day. Site Map | 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. Your email address will not be published. She is conscious of being the true Church founded by Christ. 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 East allowed some priests to marry, while the West required celibacy. At the beginning, I thought I knew what I was getting into. 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. That is, Orthodoxy's commitment to "right belief" provides a natural link to evangelical concerns. Second, Christian theology perfectly explained why Jesus, who was also called a prophet, was worthy of worship. 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. Well, was it so? The Orthodox Church has been, for me, the ultimate revelation of what it means to be "in Christ"; my upbringing in Evangelical Protestantism has not only helped me appreciate this now, but was very much preparing me for this all along [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. There are two sides to this coin, as well: Some people become Orthodox for all the wrong reasons, while some dont become Orthodox for all the wrong reasons. Your email address will not be published. With Gossip of the Gospel, the Church Grows in Nepal, After Pushing for UMC Unity, Former Bishop Joins New Denomination, Christian Conservationists Sue to Protect Ghana Forest, Complete access to articles on ChristianityToday.com, Over 120 years of magazine archives plus full access to all of CTs online archives. My ideas havent changed, and Im always glad for a good discussion, but maybe Im past the need to belabor them. 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. It depends on where you put the emphasis. 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. Search, Learn more about the Orthodox Church in America, Orthodoxy and Cults and Non-Christian Groups. I will always remember my first visit to an Orthodox church in Russia. Cyprus, 450,000 But this really begs another question: "Essential" for what? Despite efforts at reunification, to this day the Catholic and Orthodox churches remain estranged. Vladimir I formed an alliance with Basil II of the Byzantine Empire and married his sister Anna in 988. Russian Baptists, Adventists, and Pentecostals feel persecuted. Calvin objected to the "tyranny of human tradition which is haughtily thrust upon us under the title of the Church." 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. July 26, 2019 By Fr. 20). Administered to infants who are fully immersed three times, baptism effects the "bath of regeneration" by which a person is born again, wholly cleansed from both original and actual sins, and, consequently, saved from guilt and punishment. To support our efforts, join us as a member . Orthodox Christianity has a rich tradition of being mindful. In Matthew 16:18, Christ speaks about building His church that "the gates of Hades will not prevail against". 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." I can't be the only one who's observed a friend converting to Orthodox Christianity and noticed them instantly, literally overnight, losing their sense of . Those who were clergy in a former denomination have no guarantees they will become clergy in the Orthodox Church. 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. Submitted by Fr. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Around 2-3 months ago I decided that I wanted to convert to Christianity. The first four enjoy special honor due to their antiquity. In other words, one cannot embrace Orthodox Christianity without embracing Orthodox Christians. Andrey brings us the news about Orthodox Christianity (the form of Christianity practiced by Russians). Toggle signature Lol. According to the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 787, icons are of equal benefit as Scripture in presenting the gospel message. Many would find themselves back in Rus with their new faith and establishing Churches (Spinka, 42-44). Preeminent among the sacraments are baptism and the Eucharist. Converting to Orthodoxy. After that, Orthodoxy is by far the best possible choice of religion for Russia because of Byzantium. An Orthodox Christian Perspective: Overcoming Difficulties in Life, Church Under Soviet Totalitarianism: Suppression, Resistance and Compliance, St Kassia and Her Creations, Still Heard at Todays Divine Services, The feast of the Most Holy Theotokos of the Inexhaustible Chalice, Why Our Catalogue Is More Than Just an Online Store Selling Church Supplies, The List of Musical Instruments Mentioned in the Bible, The First 40 Days after Death Explained by St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, An Old Icon of the Mother of God of the Sign Has Started to Exude Myrrh in the Diocese of Tula, Complete List of Prohibited Marriages in the Orthodox Church. Holy Orders are a mystery (sacrament) of the Church, and the Spirit blows where it will. Why do people convert to Orthodoxy? Your email address will not be published. A priest can provide guidance and support to help converts discern whether the religion is right for them. 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. Here is an overview of the steps you can take to convert to Orthodox Christianity: Talk With an Orthodox Priest. She is not the endshe is the way. Although she is in this world, she is not of this world (cf. The secret is out. Bulgaria, 8 million In the East the local parish priest could administer the sacrament of confirmation; in the West only the bishop could. Kind of like large scale serial monogamous people. Each of them had his idiosyncrasies, and they regularly disagreed. Bauxite mining would threaten birds, plants, and clean water. 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. 3:15 ). During my four years as a visiting professor at Moscow State University (1991-95) I often felt schizophrenic. If only they would realise that they are rotting corpses trapped in worshipping themselves. But why is our kind so characteristically obnoxious? 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. And during those years of discovery, my mind was constantly cranking away as I laboured to absorb new ideas and excise stubborn old ones. She rightly claims the wholeness of the truth. The West used unleavened bread, the East did not. For church membership? Indeed, what Protestant converts to Orthodoxy have often sought is not only a conscious continuity with the historic, apostolic past, but also a richer experience of God's majesty and mystery through a more liturgical worship setting. In Protestantism there arose the doctrine of sola scriptura. People are attracted by the permanence of Orthodoxy. The Reformers did not reject tradition as a help to wisdom, as a reading of Calvin, Luther, or Wesley easily shows. Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to Christianity. Also, people should not join the Church in the hopes of solidifying an identity they have in the first place. And these prayers are jam-packed. 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. 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. However, because I've never been really exposed to . Orthodox Christians were more inclined to appeal to the ecumenical councils than to a single bishop to settle theological matters. 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. This statement cannot be challenged. Eastern Christians would hear nothing of it. Home / Applies to RCC too. He sailed to Greenland with a priest to convert the people. She has offered more martyrs in the twentieth century under communism than most churches have members. Missiological concerns surface here, too. Thus Georges Florovsky once referred to tradition as "the witness of the Spirit.". This book cover is made to order i, Hand-painted Icon of Christ the Pantocrator (acryl. 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. 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. Antioch, 750,000 Orthodoxy's size alone warrants our attention, despite its invisibility on the cultural radar screens of most Americans. "More than a . In the first place, Christians believed Jesus to be the true God rather than a semi-god. I have read many things on the internet, as well as a number of books about the Churchs faith, worship and history. He shares his witness of it. Instagram | 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. 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. For them the fundamental schism occurred 500 years earlierin the year 1054 (more about that below). "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 To my friend who asked why I had not converted to Orthodoxy, the answer was surprisingly easy. You can also subscribe without commenting. Copyright 19962023. Twitter | The pairing of both secular groups with the Orthodox in a religious freedom case is rare they have frequently been on opposite sides on church-state separation issues such as same-sex marriage . 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. One finds that the Orthodox Church is indeed "the pillar and foundation of the truth" ( 1 Tim. Sara Villate, 10, by a menorah during Hanukkah. As we said, conversion is a love affair. Nicola Yanney, Holy Man of Nebraska, Out of Appalachia: Orthodox Christianity and the Old Regular Baptists, What Do You Believe In? In 1993, I was chrismated and joined the Eastern Orthodox Church. It took awhile because I grasped it through hearing the hymns of the church year, week in and week out. Subscribe for our weekly newsletter not to miss the most interesting articles on our blog. Most people like to be polite and get along, so they highlight our commonalities. Georgia, 3 million The essence of it was to evangelize younger aristocrats, future leaders of the land. But that cant be the case with me, so lets press on. But whether a non-Orthodox person can even be saved is an open question in Orthodox ecclesiology. At a minimum, Protestants need to move beyond ignorance of these neighbors. Fr. It is not surprising they become disaffected and leave. While reading about the Orthodox Christian tradition is certainly important, it is crucial to stepliterallyinto an Orthodox Christian parish church near you to witness/experience the Churchs worship and fellowship. Others are already involved in a Jewish community. Don't pretend you don't know what I mean. Intellectuals, like one of my students at Moscow University, often disdain Orthodoxy as a "medieval mentality." On these points evangelical and Orthodox thinking diverge in significant ways. Most people like to be polite and get along, so they highlight what we hold in common. Receive updates and announcements from Orthodox Witness. Underneath were written the Greek words en toutoi nika, "In this sign, conquer." It took me a few years to sense that there was a whole other something going on. Christianity had, in fact, penetrated "Russia" by the early 900s, when at least one church had been built in the ancient city of Kiev. So it would be wise to visit a parish near you, perhaps for the celebration of Vespers on a Saturday evening or the Sunday morning Divine Liturgy. 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. Serbia, 8 million 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. 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. 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. Your email address will not be published. Yet, at times there are questions of conscience and matters of principle. 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. However, this is a mistaken viewpoint and can lead to the destruction of a persons faith. 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 basic theological impetus for the ever-virginity of Mary (besides the fact that it is presumably historically true and would have been passed down from the early days of the church) is the fact that Mary was profoundly sanctified by her role as the living sanctuary in which God dwelled (quite literally) for nine months and from whom he Vladimir I, a great prince of Kiev, reigned from 980 till 1015 and succeeded in the mass conversion of the Eastern Slavs.1 Throughout his reign Vladimir's agenda had . Other times it is a youth group or Bible study group inspiring and educating. He promptly left Constantinople. 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. These Protestant movements, important in their own right, are liturgical light years from Orthodoxy. Thank you for this post! Many non-Jews become "Jews by choice" because they're spiritual seekers. Thats surely a factor, but I think theres something else going on, more specific to Orthodox converts. Such a question cannot be answered through the use of dogmatic assertions or theoretical musings. As the Body of Christ, the Church is a Divine-human organism, just as with the Person of Jesus Christ, the God-Man. St. Theophan The Recluse On Spiritual Practice. In the end, they concocted a list of reasons for not converting. Jerusalem, 260,000 In 867, Patriarch Photius of Constantinople told other Christian patriarchs that the Rus' people were converting enthusiastically, but his efforts seem to have entailed no lasting consequences, since the Primary Chronicle and other Slavonic sources describe the tenth-century Rus' as still firmly entrenched in Slavic paganism. More than 70 percent of the roughly 75,000 Antiochian Orthodox Christians in the United States are converts. People often assume that most Jews by choice convert because they have a partner or spouse who is Jewish. 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. Whatever honor Protestants bestow upon tradition, they deny that its authority is coequal with Scripture. An Orthodox priest who lectured to standing-room-only crowds at Moscow State once described Orthodox theology to me as "music made in the conservatory," whereas he described Protestant theology as "music made in the honkytonk bars. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This perspective presupposes a defective Christologyone that fails to account for the anthropos of the theanthropic (Divine-human) Church. While the Church is certainly Divine in one respect, She is also comprised of human beingshuman beings that can, and do, err. A second theory is that converts of any sort have a tendency to exuberance that is wearying to outsiders. They become clergy in their group. 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. You can make an appointment to talk to our parish priest Fr Athanasios by contacting him at (03) 9387 7693. 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? Differences over clerical beards, the tonsure, and fasting also exacerbated the growing deterioration of East-West unity. When celebrating the Eucharist, Catholics mixed the wine with water, while the Orthodox did not. A Aristocles Merarches Joined Apr 23, 2003 Messages 10,031 Reaction score 1 Points 0 Location Pittsburgh Aug 5, 2006 #4 Matthew777 said: 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." 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. But one insightful reader asked a penetrating question: "Your book does a fine job comparing the two traditions; why have you not converted to Orthodoxy?" This may be to some extent true but it is much more than that. Another danger is converting to Orthodoxy simply because it is beautiful. Not to be outdone, the Orthodox could respond in kind. 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. Heres a clue to a third possibility. 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. Then the reality sets in. Recently I worshiped at an Orthodox church in Palo Alto on this celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. Rather, each of the thirteen Orthodox churches has its own head, variously referred to as the patriarch, archbishop, or metropolitan. But that was too little, too late. Worse, they considered the interpolation to be theologically untrue and a threat to the doctrine of the Trinity. Not that every churchgoer is following that path, not that the church administration is perfect, but that the path still existed thats what amazed me. Orthodoxy appeals to the soulnot just to the intellect or the senses. The first, most obvious explanation is that some people simply are obnoxious to start with. Constantine had once controlled the entire Mediterranean perimeter, and as a result, Christianity flourished. 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. Legislation pending in Russia, for example, could, if implemented, curtail Western missionary enterprises. Sad, very sad. One of the problems the Orthodox Church currently suffers in this country is a lack of converts. See something we missed? Photius then branded the entire Western church as heretical for inserting the phrase "and the Son" (filioque) into the Nicene Creed. There is a myth in Orthodoxy that people only became Eastern Catholics under force by Catholic kings. Albania, 160,000. Why would a protestant convert to Eastern Orthodoxy? The sacraments of the Church have helped fill countless young people's lives with meaning in ways that are difficult to find elsewhere. As I realized what the big difference is,I grew more insistent, I'm afraid. Ignatius's followers, however, refused to acknowledge the transition, and eventually both Ignatius and Photius appealed to Pope Nicholas (858-67) in Rome. 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. There is an organic quality here, and the thing itself is inexpressibly alive.
