why convert to orthodox christianity

In an encyclical letter of 1848, the Eastern patriarchs stated this most emphatically: "Infallibility resides solely in the ecumenicity of the church bound together by mutual love. One of the problems the Orthodox Church currently suffers in this country is a lack of converts. In this video, Fr. Serbia, 8 million At a minimum, Protestants need to move beyond ignorance of these neighbors. The Orthodox Churches share with the other Christian Churches the belief that God revealed himself in Jesus Christ, and a belief in the incarnation of Christ, his crucifixion and resurrection. 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. If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you If they persecuted me, they will persecute you (John 15:18. She rightly claims the wholeness of the truth. Why would a Protestant Christian convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? We must be willing to embrace mystery, to submit to other authorities, and to ultimately submit to the Church Herself. 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. 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? Whether you decided to do so because you are marrying someone who is a member of the church, or you simply decide to convert on your own, you might be overwhelmed as to where to start. Similarly, Protestants like Thomas Oden, Donald Bloesch, and others have shown that one need not join Orthodoxy to immerse oneself in the patristic past with joy, gratitude, and a sense of accountability to that "great cloud of witnesses" of the last two millennia. Chrysostom's liturgy says of the Eucharistic sacrifice: "Your own, from your own, we offer you, in all and for all." Why would a Protestant Christian convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? There is a myth in Orthodoxy that people only became Eastern Catholics under force by Catholic kings. You may wish to call the parish priest in advance to introduce yourself and explain that you will be joining him and the faithful of his parish for the first time, although this is not absolutely essential. In the East the local parish priest could administer the sacrament of confirmation; in the West only the bishop could. They saw this as a perception skill, something anyone could (with diligent practice) hone; it has nothing to do with emotion. Thatwould be interesting. 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. In other words, one cannot embrace Orthodox Christianity without embracing Orthodox Christians. Here is an overview of the steps you can take to convert to Orthodox Christianity: The true details behind her Also, while evangelicals wholeheartedly embrace the full-orbed New Testament descriptions of the work of Christ (reconciliation, ransom, redemption, forgiveness, adoption, etc. 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. 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. Underneath were written the Greek words en toutoi nika, "In this sign, conquer." 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). The numbers are staggering! 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. One is attracted to Orthodoxy in the same way one falls in love. If you have a specific question about Orthodox Christianity or the Orthodox Church in America, Thus Luther once wrote, "What else do I contend for but to bring everyone to an understanding of the difference between the divine Scripture and human teaching or custom?" It took awhile because I grasped it through hearing the hymns of the church year, week in and week out. Why Converts to Christian Orthodoxy can be Obnoxious, People who've found their way back to Orthodoxy, Theophan the Recluse on Spiritual Practice. Don't pretend you don't know what I mean. 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. Those friends benefit, no doubt, from this opportunity to practice patience and long-suffering. The priest censes them and elevates them in processions. If someone is approaching the Orthodox Church from a purely rationalistic standpoint, they will almost surely find it wanting. 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. But it's just fantasies, and they going to get themselves hopeless frustrated when it become clear that the fantasies can't become reality. (Of course, for every person insisting that there were no differences, there was another person asking me to explain the differences. 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. 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.". And to share why I am not Orthodox. From Islam to Indonesian Orthodox Priest In "Clergy" 97% of Moldovans Identify as Orthodox Christians In "Latest Stories" While evangelicals might be eager to argue there is no biblical warrant for icons, for the Orthodox it is enough that icons have always been a part of church tradition. 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 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. For example, I know someone that spent over a year studying almost every aspect of Orthodoxy, including many fathers of the Church and practically every nuance of both doctrine and history. In some places in the world, Orthodoxy is the primary Christian game in town (as in Russia and Serbia), and it is inextricably wedded to the local ethnic culture. For church membership? In 1993, I was chrismated and joined the Eastern Orthodox Church. A Aristocles Merarches Joined Apr 23, 2003 Messages 10,031 Reaction score 1 Points 0 Location Pittsburgh Aug 5, 2006 #4 Matthew777 said: Theological disputes combined with these geopolitical and cultural factors to divide the Christian East and West. Further, Protestants have long enjoyed rich liturgical traditions of their own (see, for example, Bard Thompson's classic Liturgies of the Western Church). Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. It is not a religion but rather a way of life. Christians in the West variously trace their roots to Rome (Catholics), Wittenberg (Lutherans), Geneva (Calvinists), Canterbury (Anglicans), or Oxford (Wesleyans). Then B. This is particularly notable in the mid-1st century, when the circumcision controversy came to the fore. "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. 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. There is an organic quality here, and the thing itself is inexpressibly alive. Kind of like large scale serial monogamous people. Nicola Yanney, Holy Man of Nebraska, Out of Appalachia: Orthodox Christianity and the Old Regular Baptists, What Do You Believe In? So they begin the process of "converting.". The first, most obvious explanation is that some people simply are obnoxious to start with. "Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." Turning to Jesus brings you to God, and you begin to understand His plan of salvation. 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. Protestant Christianity," Andrei went on, "is a cheap, terrible substitute, and an Orthodox believer who knows his own faith will never go there.". many mercenaries would convert to Christianity. 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. Handcarved A priest can provide guidance and support to help converts discern whether the religion is right for them. 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?" 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. It must sound like vague, fluffy religious talk (though in my experience it is anything but). Here is an overview of the steps you can take to convert to Orthodox Christianity: Talk With an Orthodox Priest. The sacraments of the Church have helped fill countless young people's lives with meaning in ways that are difficult to find elsewhere. Modern speculation is simply just that, speculation, and . Search, Learn more about the Orthodox Church in America, Orthodoxy and Cults and Non-Christian Groups. Beyond the recovery of history and liturgy, there are deeper and more important questions. Well, was it so? Those who will guide you through your period of instruction and formation surely will help you in this regard. But why is our kind so characteristically obnoxious? We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth, for surely there is no such splendor or beauty anywhere upon earth. 1:4). Fr. 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. Calvin objected to the "tyranny of human tradition which is haughtily thrust upon us under the title of the Church." Christimates 1 day ago. Missiological concerns surface here, too. 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. Paganism was a mental mindset of the Eastern Slavs living in a world where a majority of the European countries surrounding them had already converted to a monastic religion. Indeed, in a letter of 865, Pope Nicholas made it clear that he intended to extend the power of the papacy "over all the earth, that is, over every church." For me, the one and only valid, core reason is because a person desires to be part of the one, true Body of Christ. It is not surprising they become disaffected and leave. To support our efforts, join us as a member . Your email address will not be published. Through the centuries, theological, geopolitical, cultural, and linguistic factors have combined to differentiate the Orthodox ethos from Western patterns of Christianity. Why Are Protestants Converting To Orthodox Christianity? At the 1996 meeting of sseoe, Orthodox representative Stanley Harakas said that the Orthodox, who have lived for 70 years in Russia under Communist oppression, are in a state of weakness, unable to rebuild churches and barely able to educate their parishioners. Bulgaria, 8 million If our only reason for converting is more somber, reverent, and beautiful worship, the newness of this experience soon wanes. At times it can be a healing group especially during the Liturgical services in particular the Eucharist and the Holy Prayer Oil services. The more familiar I became with Orthodoxy by serving in a local parish, on a parish council, and as an altar assistant, the more I saw others approach the Church, test the waters, and walk back out the narthex door. Twitter | Believe in the Church as the true Body of Christ, and the Churchflawed people and allwill help lead you down the right path. Icons. There is world of difference between going Orthodoxy vs staying pagan. 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. YouTube | You can also subscribe without commenting. Orthodox Christians and some Eastern Catholics baptize by triple immersion upon invocation of the Trinity; the only time the Orthodox Church permits other forms of baptism is in the case of an emergency. John 6 Comments Cole Knight, a former Anglican, got Baptized in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church. The conversion of 2,000 evangelicals in 17 congregations "from Alaska to Atlanta" in 1987, recounted in Peter Gillquist's Becoming Orthodox, is only a small window into a larger phenomenon. Different from forms of western Christianity, there is no rationalization or theorization of dogma because its focus is on symbology rather than the literal. 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. Telegram | Excellent comment Kosmas, I totally concur. 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. already I have lost many people I thought were friends but so be it! A wooden pectoral cros, Pectoral Cross for Clergy Conversion means belief and acceptance in Jesus Christ, the God-man, as the Savior of the world. Similarly, a person can read a dozen books on Orthodox Christianity, but that which he or she has read will not come alive until he or she actually encounters the Church as the worshipping People of God. 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. On the other hand, there are cases where a person rejects the Church for what I would consider to be erroneous reasons. True, Luther and some other Protestants have not viewed baptismal regeneration and justification by faith as mutually exclusive. Get the best from CT editors, delivered straight to your inbox! You haven't "arrived" in this life. 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? Romania, 19.8 million The theological objections evangelicals have traditionally had with Rome on these two points rightly apply to Orthodoxy. Scripture and tradition. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. Frederica Matthewes-Green reflects on how new converts to Orthodoxy can sometimes be overzealous. Nicholas reversed the decision, reinstating Ignatius and deposing Photius. July 2012 edited December 1969 in Coptic Orthodox Church As an Eastern Orthodox Christian, I am interested in finding out why all of you converts out there converted to the Coptic Orthodox Church, and not any one of the Eastern Orthodox Churches readily available in so many parts of the world. For we cannot forget that beauty (Envoys of the Russian Prince Vladimir, after experiencing the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Wisdom in Constantinople in the year 987). They push it down the road that they will be able to transition to that in their new group eventually. There is a certain chemistry involved, which one cannot so easily verbalize. Now, I dont share all of this in order to dissuade anyone from becoming a catechumen, but rather to encourage those who are on such a journeyor who have strayed away from one that began on the wrong foot. Her name is "right belief". But they all came together in worship, and were shaped by the same hymns and prayers, the appointed Scripture readings, preaching, and the picture Bible of iconography. (To be fair, we should note that a large number of Orthodox have become evangelical Protestants as well.). Whatever honor Protestants bestow upon tradition, they deny that its authority is coequal with Scripture. 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. "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 If only you could get them to form two lines.). The other forms of tradition include the first seven ecumenical councils, which are acknowledged as normative and, by some, even infallible; patristic writings, especially those of the first four centuries; later councils; the Liturgy; canon law; and icons. For the past year or so I have been considering conversion to Orthodox Christianity. Others charge complicity with the state, both past and present. Orthodoxy insists tenaciously on the role of tradition which is her very life and builds upon its past, without revisions. Four important areas deserve ongoing dialogue. 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. For example, if a person goes through a great deal of hardship, sacrifice, and turmoil in order to join the Churchas in the case of former clergy in a different communion, or when ones family does not approvethey might feel that the Church owes them for converting. In 1523-24 the Reformers Ulrich Zwingli and Martin Luther donned the gown of the university scholar. Conversely, evangelicals argue that this forensic framework for sin and salvation is not merely a historical and unduly negative carryover from Augustine and Anselm, but rather is the clear teaching of Paul in his Letters to the Romans and Galatians. Those who were clergy in a former denomination have no guarantees they will become clergy in the Orthodox Church. Orthodoxy appeals to the soulnot just to the intellect or the senses. 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. Contact | Her allegiance to the perennial truths of Christianity is appreciated by sincere seekers. 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." Buddhists are called to meditate. Put more starkly, Orthodoxy explicitly rejects the historic Protestant idea of sola scriptura. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. So Christianity would not have been completely alien to the Rus, and even Vladimir's grandmother, Olga, would become enamored with Christianity. However, I do think that there are certain factors that influence and even cause these abandonments and apostasies from the one, true Church. Debate is more plentiful than research, but also indefinite. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. What do they find so attractive? And during those years of discovery, my mind was constantly cranking away as I laboured to absorb new ideas and excise stubborn old ones. Needless to say, Rome was indignant; not until the Lateran Council of 1215 did it acknowledge the status of Constantinople. This book cover is made to order i, Hand-painted Icon of Christ the Pantocrator (acryl. She stands firm on her dogmatic and moral teachings. Many non-Jews become "Jews by choice" because they're spiritual seekers. Georgia, 3 million Those friends benefit, no doubt, from this opportunity to practice patience and long-suffering. 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. This simple change of dress symbolized a radical shift that has characterized the Protestant West ever since: that the knowledge of God is mediated primarily through the written Word. To my friend who asked why I had not converted to Orthodoxy, the answer was surprisingly easy. These sacraments are not mere signs, symbols, or reminders. It depends on where you put the emphasis. This is no archaic, dusty doctrine, either. It is not a surprise that many Catholics adhering to traditional values are converting to conservative Orthodoxy. 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,. Doing so will make much of what you have read come alive, in the sense of seeing how that about which you have read is actually lived. Think of it in the following way. In fact, what Orthodox converts "vow to accept" diverges significantly from important, basic tenets of evangelical Protestantism. Early on in the life of the Christian church, the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West began to diverge. 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. Unfortunately most "Orthodox Christian" are nominal even despite their active presence they are nominal because they extinguish the Holy Spirit and do not have a relationship with God, they outwardly seem to be praying but like the Pharisee praise themselves for being 'good with God'. Yet, at times there are questions of conscience and matters of principle. Religion became a state of the Roman Empire, and Christianity became an enormous and influential religion nationwide. 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 the impulse is to exaggerate the differences when you fear being hugged to death. Second, Christian theology perfectly explained why Jesus, who was also called a prophet, was worthy of worship. However, because I've never been really exposed to . 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. He states that in Gaul, before setting out towards Rome, Constantine and his army saw a great cross in the sky. Legislation pending in Russia, for example, could, if implemented, curtail Western missionary enterprises. Everyone associates Orthodox worship with sensory richness, but its also rich in theological content. One finds that the Orthodox Church is indeed the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. Before trying to discern how evangelicals should respond to these many issues involving Eastern Orthodoxy, a brief history is in order. Affectionate attempts to obscure this quest feel suffocating. . We are looking forward to our journey in the church. 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. The Orthodox Church in America, with roots in Moscow and about 85,000 adherents .

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