Fr. Jerusalem, 260,000 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. I responded by writing back: "Because I am committed to key distinctives of the Protestant evangelical tradition.". 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. (Of course, for every person insisting that there were no differences, there was another person asking me to explain the differences. If they are looking for an ethnic identity because they feel they have none. Even more obnoxious, though, must be the tendency to reject hospitality. "It's typically an immigrant faith, so I was really interested in that experience and why it spoke to. In Catholicism this external dogmatic authority resides in the teaching magisterium of the church as expressed in the primacy and infallibility of the papacy. As if this were not quite enough, during the Fourth Crusade, Western forces stormed Constantinople in 1204 and ransacked the Church of the Holy Wisdom, an unimaginable act of desecration from the viewpoint of Orthodoxy. Orthodoxy, advocates suggest, reveals and corrects evangelical reductionism and superficiality. At the beginning, I thought I knew what I was getting into. Frederica Matthewes-Green reflects on how new converts to Orthodoxy can sometimes be overzealous. Early on in the life of the Christian church, the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West began to diverge. 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. Oden, for example, who delights in referring to his theological method as "paleo-orthodox," is now working on a comprehensive patristic commentary on the whole Bible to be published by InterVarsity Press. Legislation pending in Russia, for example, could, if implemented, curtail Western missionary enterprises. Most Protestants would experience an Orthodox liturgy as something strange, even exotic. Copyright 1997 Christianity Today. Is Orthodox different from Catholic? 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. ", Icons are not merely sacred art. Others are already involved in a Jewish community. If only they would realise that they are rotting corpses trapped in worshipping themselves. Many people believe the Church is a social group gathering or a place to network with other like minded people. 5:12). The numbers are staggering! 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. Rather, "theosis" (literally, "deification"), or the progressive transformation of people into full likeness to God, in soul and body, takes center stage. John 6 Comments Cole Knight, a former Anglican, got Baptized in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church. 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. Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to Christianity. They are the efficacious means by which God transmits his salvific and sanctifying grace to us. 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. Emmanuel Hatzidakis | January 19, 2013. Each of them had his idiosyncrasies, and they regularly disagreed. As we said, conversion is a love affair. After being dunked in this sea of hymnography for a few years I began to recognise an underlying unity among all the elements of Orthodoxy the worship, the fasting, the exhortations to humility, the companionship of the saints, all of it. This absorbed my attention so much that I was apt to expound my current level of comprehension to anyone who stood still in my vicinity. Serbia, 8 million Rather, Orthodoxy affirms a single source of revelation, holy tradition, of which Scripture is the preeminent among several forms. In time, you will be welcomed sacramentally into the Church and continue your ongoing path to the Kingdom of God. 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. Recently I worshiped at an Orthodox church in Palo Alto on this celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. Hope this helps, and hope that your journey to Orthodoxy is filled with every blessing. If a richer liturgical life is what a believer wants, converting to Orthodoxy is hardly necessary. Not that every churchgoer is following that path, not that the church administration is perfect, but that the path still existedthats what amazed me. Who can explain why one has fallen in love with a given person? But every church must have its distinctives, or wed all be in the same church. 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. Geoff. 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. On the other hand, there are cases where a person rejects the Church for what I would consider to be erroneous reasons. They push it down the road that they will be able to transition to that in their new group eventually. Theological disputes combined with these geopolitical and cultural factors to divide the Christian East and West. A wedding set o, Wedding Icon of Christ the Pantocrator (in Oklad /, A Handmade Bookcover For The Gospel. The reason Orthodoxy is stable is because she is grounded in the truth. Shortly after the beginning of our own catechumenate as a family, we saw friendsand their familiesbegin journeys towards the East. If you have a specific question about Orthodox Christianity or the Orthodox Church in America, Further, Protestants have long enjoyed rich liturgical traditions of their own (see, for example, Bard Thompson's classic Liturgies of the Western Church). (Some within Orthodoxy say there are 15, but this is a minor, internal debate.) The genius of this principle is that it allows us to disagree with other believers, even vehemently so, yet in an edifying fashion with a degree of theological modesty and a perspective that seeks a deeper consensus within the bounds of true faith. Religion became a state of the Roman Empire, and Christianity became an enormous and influential religion nationwide. Hello all, forgive me if I am posting to the wrong forum. Then B. In the end, they concocted a list of reasons for not converting. I will always remember my first visit to an Orthodox church in Russia. Small bodies of Orthodox believers exist in other places as "autonomous" but not "autocephalous" churches (Finland, Japan, former Czechoslovakia, etc.). And such a journey can only be spoken of from experience. * She rightly claims the wholeness of the truth. 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. Our digital archives are a work in progress. Thank you for this! Conversion may be unnecessary if you're open to a Reform wedding: Reform Judaism permits interfaith marriages, though roughly half of all Reform rabbis still abjure officiating at them. There are many basic beliefs that Orthodoxy and evangelicalism hold in common: the inspiration of Scripture; the two natures of Christ, the finality and uniqueness of Christ's death on the cross, the resurrection, and our future hope of eternal life. We must be willing to embrace mystery, to submit to other authorities, and to ultimately submit to the Church Herself. She is conscious of being the true Church founded by Christ. The first four enjoy special honor due to their antiquity. One is attracted to Orthodoxy in the same way one falls in love. 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. It is precisely this exclusivistic assertion that some Protestant converts, in search of the "true, New Testament Church" have found so beguiling. In chrismation, performed immediately after rising from the baptismal waters, the priest anoints the infant with a special ointment, making the sign of the cross on various parts of the body, thus acknowledging the gift and seal of the Holy Spirit. For good and ill, it is a classic "cultural religion," and comprehending Orthodoxy is an indispensable key to understanding those countries, cultures, and people. Excellent comment Kosmas, I totally concur. What steps would I take to become an Orthodox Christian? 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). 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. 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. Andrey brings us the news about Orthodox Christianity (the form of Christianity practiced by Russians). This conception lessens the validity and value of the Holy Scriptures as the primary source of Christian dogma." Her name is right belief. Toggle signature He promptly left Constantinople. And for Orthodoxy, this argument from holy tradition is of great significance. This icon, Wedding Icon of The Mother Of God 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. Clearly this stability is found in no other church. Second, Christian theology perfectly explained why Jesus, who was also called a prophet, was worthy of worship. It merits our attention for several reasons. Why would a Protestant Christian convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? 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,. Affectionate attempts to obscure this quest feel suffocating. As I realized what the big difference is, I grew more insistent, Im afraid. 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. Even more obnoxious, though, must be the tendency to reject hospitality. Worshipers prostrate themselves before them and kiss them. People often assume that most Jews by choice convert because they have a partner or spouse who is Jewish. They have not given up the idea of being clergy. Your email address will not be published. Applies to RCC too. It is why I think a number of people have a list of groups they have been in here. 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. There are two accounts of Constantine's conversion to Christianity. Questions & Answers / And I would try hard, no doubt to the point of rudeness, to convince them this was not so. It took awhile because I grasped it through hearing the hymns of the church year, week in and week out. Made using e, Book Cover for the Epistle Worse, they considered the interpolation to be theologically untrue and a threat to the doctrine of the Trinity. (To be fair, we should note that a large number of Orthodox have become evangelical Protestants as well.). Let us know if corrections need to be made. It took awhile because I grasped it through hearing the hymns of the church year, week in and week out. It is not about rules and regulations but rather guide posts to make choices to transition to what we were designed to become. Poland, 1 million 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. Each of them had his idiosyncrasies, and they regularly disagree. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Once inside, a Western Christian experiences sensory overload: the near absence of chairs or pews, dim lighting, head coverings for most women, icons and frescoes covering almost every inch of space on the walls and ceiling, a massive and ornate iconostasis separating the priest and the worshipers, the smoky smell of incense and hundreds of candles burning in memory of the dead, the priest resplendent in his ornate vestments and enormous beard, and worshipers repeatedly prostrating themselves, kissing the icons, and making the sign of the cross. Through the centuries, theological, geopolitical, cultural, and linguistic factors have combined to differentiate the Orthodox ethos from Western patterns of Christianity. As with liturgy, conversion to Orthodoxy is hardly a prerequisite for a renewed engagement with apostolic tradition. Whereas Western Protestants want to hear the written Word spoken in the sermon, Orthodox believers want to see it in the visual images of iconsas well as hear it in the spoken word. 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. 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. A person can read a dozen books on swimming, but that which he or she has read will not come alive until he or she actually gets into a pool. It depends on where you put the emphasis. Icons are, quite literally, a "theology in color.". Orthodox Christianity has a rich tradition of being mindful. 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 Eucharist is a true, propitiatory sacrifice. Why would a Protestant Christian convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? "More than a . Greenland. We are looking forward to our journey in the church. It took me a few years to sense that there was a whole other something going on. Conversion is not only a matter of the intellect, but also of the heart. 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. The Orthodox Church is indelibly marked by the One who is its origin and source. Debate is more plentiful than research, but also indefinite. Hymns like these offer quite a theological education to anyone who comes to services, and if you didnt catch it all, theres a good chance theyre going to sing it two more times. The thesis that Eastern Orthodoxy is the true religion was turning out to bear the practical corollary that, to share fully and fruitfully in the life of the Body of Christ, one would almost have. Many would find themselves back in Rus with their new faith and establishing Churches (Spinka, 42-44). The Orthodox Church has suffered throughout her history. Those who will guide you through your period of instruction and formation surely will help you in this regard. 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. The Catalog of Good Deeds is the official blog of the Catalogue of St. Elisabeth Convent. 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. But if you are still intrigued and drawn to the Orthodox Church, considering all of these disclaimers, then do so with faith, reverence, and a healthy fear of God. The ex clergy thing I think is very real. Russia, 50-85 million It was like seeing a face emerge from a random pattern of dots, and then wink at you. It is not a surprise that many Catholics adhering to traditional values are converting to conservative Orthodoxy. 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." Now let's hear from Frederica. Naturally, it is crucial to know what the Church teaches and acquire an Orthodox mindset on the intellectual level, so to speak, but it is equally crucial to grow in identifying with the People of God, the worshipping community, through fellowship. For them the fundamental schism occurred 500 years earlierin the year 1054 (more about that below). So, you have decided to convert to the Greek Orthodox Christian religion. The beauty and majesty of her liturgical services celebrating the majesty and mystery of God continue to be a major attraction to many seekers of a religious experience that transcends the mundane reality and elevates the spirit to the divine realm. But perhaps our theology of the church is too "low," much lower than our Protestant forebears would have it. He made the decision to convert following his second marriage to actress Rita Wilson in. 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 . "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. So why should someone desire to join the Orthodox Church? Their new group who were so "excited" to have them isn't interested/has no role for them as clergy. Forgetting early on that Orthodox worship is liturgical and cyclical (i.e. Thank you for this post! There is not going to be a restored "Celtic" Orthodoxy or "Anglo-Saxon" Orthodoxy. Included in this liturgy is an anathema on all those who reject icons. For example, it is understandable that evangelicals feel that the Orthodox doctrine of the church is too "high." This period of instruction, discernment and spiritual formation also affords you with the opportunity to develop and strengthen your relationship with the parishs clergy and faithfulthose with whom you will worship in Spirit and truth and with whom you will share in fellowship as a member of the Body of Christ, the Church. Sdn Tim Grace unveils the surprising message of Christmas. If our only reason for converting is more somber, reverent, and beautiful worship, the newness of this experience soon wanes. Teachings of Orthodoxy. Orthodoxy knows where she stands, and she is in no need to re-define herself. It was like seeing a face emerge from a random pattern of dots, and then wink at you. Orthodoxy insists tenaciously on the role of tradition which is her very life and builds upon its past, without revisions. Before long, in Reformation churches the sermon had replaced the Eucharist as the defining moment of the liturgy. Christ is thus "the Offerer and the Offered, the Acceptor and the Distributed," all in such a way that nothing is added to his once-for-all sacrifice on the cross. She has offered more martyrs in the twentieth century under communism than most churches have members. In the security of the Orthodox Church one finds peace, reassurance. Orthodoxy looked like taking that escalator up one more floor. 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. And to share why I am not Orthodox. For me, the one and only valid, core reason is because a person desires to be part of the one, true Body of Christ. 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]. The sacraments. Wow, like it very much. It is often wrongly assumed that Orthodoxy . Thus Georges Florovsky once referred to tradition as "the witness of the Spirit.". Calvin objected to the "tyranny of human tradition which is haughtily thrust upon us under the title of the Church." Yes, because clearly a Christian is the most honest person to talk about the inner thoughts of atheists . 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 true details behind her The Spirit of God himself, realizing the sacramental presence of Christ in the church, speaks to us in tradition. On June 16, 1054, Pope Leo IX's legate, Cardinal Humbert, delivered a Bull of Excommunication to the Orthodox Patriarch Michael Cerularius on the altar of the Church of the Holy Wisdom at Constantinople while the patriarch prepared to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, condemning him and his court. John Meyendorff writes that "the Christian faith can in no way be compatible with the notion of sola scriptura." And during those years of discovery, my mind was constantly cranking away as I laboured to absorb new ideas and excise stubborn old ones. He has no good option for dealing with that affection, so hes either sullen or angry. Unfortunately the Eastern organization is founded on control and power. But the impulse is to exaggerate the differences when you fear being hugged to death. 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. It is not always easy to advance strong arguments for these conversions. A priest can provide guidance and support to help converts discern whether the religion is right for them. Theologically, just what is at stake in the differences between Protestant and Orthodox theology? Georgia, 3 million Has Orthodoxy in these lands obscured the gospel, becoming merely a "cultural" religion thoroughly assimilated to ethnic identity? 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. Here is an overview of the steps you can take to convert to Orthodox Christianity: Talk With an Orthodox Priest.

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