why convert to orthodox christianity

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 The so-called Photian Schism brought this matter to a head. 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. Click for reprint information. Georgia, 3 million 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. Sign up to receive a regular email newsletter from Fr. She is conscious of being the true Church founded by Christ. Greenland. But that was too little, too late. And to share why I am not Orthodox. Kate Forbes Is Done (or Why an Orthodox Christian Can Never Lead a But the claim to be Christ's one, true church remains the clear Orthodox position. Some have even ended in apostasy. Rather, for Orthodoxy the whole people of God is the protector of apostolic tradition. At times it can be a healing group especially during the Liturgical services in particular the Eucharist and the Holy Prayer Oil services. Why would a Protestant Christian convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? Becoming Orthodox means being willing to submit to the Church and Her bishops, who might not be interested in ordaining you. 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. The collapse of the Roman Empire created a power vacuum that was increasingly filled by the growing power of the Roman papacy. 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. Orthodoxy in America Has a Convert Problem that freedom of practice for faith groups should be "defended" in Holyrood's proposed ban on conversion practices and that she believes a trans woman is a "biological male who identifies as a . This book cover is made to order i, Hand-painted Icon of Christ the Pantocrator (acryl. When we realize that every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle or a matter of conscience, then we are freed to engage fully people with whom we actually have profound differences without compromising our own theological commitments. You can also subscribe without commenting. 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. We think the fundamental Christian schism occurred when Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg church, October 31, 1517. It was like seeing a face emerge from a random pattern of dots, and then wink at you. 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. Before you start the process of converting, you will want to speak with a priest in the Greek Orthodox Church. Alister McGrath, an intellectual historian and proponent of paleo-orthodoxy, claims that many of the . Becoming Orthodox means being willing to submit to the Church and Her bishops, who might not be interested in ordaining you. Converts to Orthodoxy usually precede their decision with voluminous reading and research, so their friends must endure agitated lectures on church history, ancient heresies, and what words mean in Greek. The first is by Lactantius, a tutor to Constantine's son and a good authority. I kept finding myself in conversations with nice people who wanted to assure me that this very thing I was so excited about in Orthodoxy is something they have in their church as well. He made the decision to convert following his second marriage to actress Rita Wilson in. Orthodoxy knows where she stands, and she is in no need to re-define herself. There is not going to be a restored "Celtic" Orthodoxy or "Anglo-Saxon" Orthodoxy. Overall, is the Orthodox church growing in America or is it slowly dying, as the older cradle Orthodox are dying and fewer cradle Orthodox either convert to other churches [primarily Protestant churches] or morph into Deists or worse?. 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." And these prayers are jam-packed. But it's just fantasies, and they going to get themselves hopeless frustrated when it become clear that the fantasies can't become reality. Young teens go through a few years when they are trying to understand their own unique identity, and trying to establish it in the face of well, it would be one thing if they had to establish it in the face of hostility, because, even though that would be hard, it would be bracing and clarifying. Made using e, Book Cover for the Epistle Interesting comments. Nicholas Kim. Vladimir agreed, in exchange for a marital tie; he also agreed to accept Christianity as his religion and bring his people to the new faith. Why I Didn't Convert to Eastern Orthodoxy Conciliar Post What was the impact of Vladimir I converting to Greek Orthodox Christianity in the region of Byzantium? But perhaps our theology of the church is too "low," much lower than our Protestant forebears would have it. What are we to make, for example, of the Orthodox liturgy in Russia today, which is recited in ninth-century Slavonic, a language very few Russians even understand? 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. As I realized what the big difference is,I grew more insistent, I'm afraid. Rich worship taught the faith to literate and illiterate, peasant and emperor, and its essentially the same as our worship today. 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. Those who were clergy in a former denomination have no guarantees they will become clergy in the Orthodox Church. (2 Pet. "It's typically an immigrant faith, so I was really interested in that experience and why it spoke to. Converts from Protestantism claim that Orthodoxy is strongest where evangelicals tend to be weak-its robust liturgical celebration of the majesty and mystery of God, its unyielding insistence on the indispensable role of tradition in theology, and its admirable heritage of perseverance amid terrible fires of persecution. 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. From the Orthodox perspective, both Catholics and Protestants seek to ground theological authority in an external norm. Why should we welcome that? I hope so. Although it is difficult to gather firm figures, worldwide Orthodox Christians number about 150 million, with 3 million in the U.S. alonemore than most evangelical denominations. The Eucharist is a true, propitiatory sacrifice. Many would find themselves back in Rus with their new faith and establishing Churches (Spinka, 42-44). She rightly claims the wholeness of the truth. Thus Georges Florovsky once referred to tradition as "the witness of the Spirit.". Kate Forbes is young, smart, a woman (in the actual sense of the word), but fatally, an orthodox Christian seeking the top office in the land. Are Orthodox Christians "Bible believing?". Steps to "becoming" an Orthodox Christian - Questions & Answers 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. It took awhile because I grasped it through hearing the hymns of the church year, week in and week out. 5:12). Since the World Council of Churches' Canberra Assembly in 1991, evangelical and Orthodox believers have joined in a series of wcc-sponsored dialogues on matters challenging historic Christian faith. Worshipers prostrate themselves before them and kiss them. I responded by writing back: "Because I am committed to key distinctives of the Protestant evangelical tradition.". Andrey brings us the news about Orthodox Christianity (the form of Christianity . Serbia, 8 million Because everyone has their own presuppositions in which they interpret reality and thus no surprise you'll find people based on these presuppositions won't accept Christianity. 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. Around 2-3 months ago I decided that I wanted to convert to Christianity. By the end of the sixth century, neither group could speak the other's language. In the security of the Orthodox Church one finds peace, reassurance. There was plenty of ceremony and beauty, but without the mainline churches affection for keeping up-to-date. Other religions and faiths occupy themselves with this life, with this world. St. Theophan The Recluse On Spiritual Practice. Before trying to discern how evangelicals should respond to these many issues involving Eastern Orthodoxy, a brief history is in order. 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 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. Orthodoxy, in contrast, is a thoroughly aesthetic tradition, as attested by the central role played by icons. Why did Kievan Rus convert to Orthodox Christianity? 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. He sailed to Greenland with a priest to convert the people. The true details behind her 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. How to Convert to Greek Orthodox Christianity Affectionate attempts to obscure this quest feel suffocating. 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. There most certainly will never be a "Southern" or "Confederate" Orthodoxy".And yet another reason not to join is the hopes of having a base of operations for a goofy political ideology. 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. However, this is a mistaken viewpoint and can lead to the destruction of a persons faith. It depends on where you put the emphasis. Why have so many Evangelical ministers embraced the Orthodox faith? It is not surprising they become disaffected and leave. They are the efficacious means by which God transmits his salvific and sanctifying grace to us. He shares his witness of it. At each point in their conversions, from initial religious seeking to settling into life as Orthodox Christians, Orthodox converts in Pittsburgh consistently relate a kind of on-going negotiation between self and other, as they research religious differences and experiment with practices and dogmas. She is not the endshe is the way. Although she is in this world, she is not of this world (cf. 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. One need not travel overseas to encounter Eastern Orthodoxy. When celebrating the Eucharist, Catholics mixed the wine with water, while the Orthodox did not. Why Ultra-Orthodox Jews Are Turning to Jesus | Opinion News Christians in the West variously trace their roots to Rome (Catholics), Wittenberg (Lutherans), Geneva (Calvinists), Canterbury (Anglicans), or Oxford (Wesleyans). There is a distinct set of conservative converts to Eastern Orthodoxy, which depending on your perspective either left, or was left by, Roman Catholicism in the Great Schism of 1054. Much like a divorce where numerous and complex problems fester for years and then coalesce around a single event, the defining moment for a distinctly Orthodox identity came with the Great Schism of 1054. More than 70 percent of the roughly 75,000 Antiochian Orthodox Christians in the United States are converts. Why Would A Protestant Christian Convert to Eastern Orthodox - YouTube 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. And for Orthodoxy, this argument from holy tradition is of great significance. 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]. I had been to the east and discovered something wondrous that I assumed all Christians crave. Why Would a Protestant Convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? 3:15). Why did you convert to Orthodoxy? | OrthodoxChristianity.net . Some have argued that evangelicals eager to "contend earnestly for the faith" (Jude 3) will find an ally in Orthodoxy's allegiance to the basic truths of Christianity. 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. Jerusalem, 260,000 Reasons Why You Should Not Convert to Orthodox Christianity It doesnt matter how long they have served, or how extensive their education. But that cant be the case with me, so lets press on. If someone is approaching the Orthodox Church from a purely rationalistic standpoint, they will almost surely find it wanting. Orthodoxy has always affirmed that Peter was the "first among equals" (primus inter pares) ; but unlike Roman Catholics, the Orthodox have always denied that he held any "primacy of power" (primatus potestatis). The Orthodox Church is the only Church, originally founded by Christ and still retaining the apostolic succession and the undistorted teaching of the Lord and . Why didn't Henry VIII become Orthodox? - Paradox Interactive Forums I cant be the only one to have done this. Underneath were written the Greek words en toutoi nika, "In this sign, conquer." 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. This hardly signifies any sort of congregational or ecclesiological democracy, however, for while all believers possess the truth, it is the special duty of church authorities to teach it. Unfortunately the Eastern organization is founded on control and power. Converting to Orthodoxy. Its just that Orthodoxy still passes on the early churchs knowledge of how to tune in to the presence of Christ. The essence of it was to evangelize younger aristocrats, future leaders of the land. Roman Emperor Constantine's Conversion to Christianity - Classic History Why Converts to Christian Orthodoxy can be Obnoxious, People who've found their way back to Orthodoxy, Theophan the Recluse on Spiritual Practice. 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. Schisms had already occurred in the Christian church, and others would occur later, but the Great Schism was the first of such major consequence. I can remember, after Id been Orthodox a few years, developing an increasing sense of tension or frustration. 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. The numbers are staggering! Assuming that, after subsequent visits, you grow into the conviction that Orthodox Christianity is the fullness of Truth as revealed by Jesus Christ and discern your desire to embrace faith in Our Lord in its fullness, make your desire known to the parish priest, who will initiate the period of instruction and spiritual formation that eventually would lead to your reception into the Church. Have something to add about this? Orthodox Christianity has a rich tradition of being mindful. It is often wrongly assumed that Orthodoxy . 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. 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. Not that every churchgoer is following that path, not that the church administration is perfect, but that the path still existedthats what amazed me. And yet, not all of these journeys have worked out. Many people believe the Church is a social group gathering or a place to network with other like minded people. Surprised by Christ: My Journey from Judaism to Orthodox Christianity 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. Becoming Orthodox is not a conversion but more so a transformation of self. But whether a non-Orthodox person can even be saved is an open question in Orthodox ecclesiology. How to Become an Orthodox Christian? Hope this helps, and hope that your journey to Orthodoxy is filled with every blessing. Clearly this stability is found in no other church. 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]. My ideas havent changed, and Im always glad for a good discussion, but maybe Im past the need to belabor them. The Orthodox Church in America, with roots in Moscow and about 85,000 adherents . 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. Why not convert to Oriental Orthodoxy? - OrthodoxChristianity.net 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. 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. It had ramifications for the ecclesiastical status of both cities and further exacerbated the strained relations between the two regions. Instead, an adolescent has to figure out and establish his adult persona in the face of affection. Your email address will not be published. My husband and I were just Chrismated into the church on Christmas day. Orthodoxy insists tenaciously on the role of tradition which is her very life and builds upon its past, without revisions. 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. John 17:14.16). 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. 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. On these points evangelical and Orthodox thinking diverge in significant ways. These Protestant movements, important in their own right, are liturgical light years from Orthodoxy. The move was far more than geographic. While Rome stumbled toward destruction in 476, Constantinople enjoyed relative theological and political stability for another 1,000 years, until it was sacked by the Turks in 1453. Icons are, quite literally, a "theology in color.". There is an organic quality here, and the thing itself is inexpressibly alive. Intellectuals, like one of my students at Moscow University, often disdain Orthodoxy as a "medieval mentality." Nicholas reversed the decision, reinstating Ignatius and deposing Photius. Handcarved Why did Kievan Rus convert to Orthodox Christianity? 1:4). Converting to Orthodox Christianity : r/OrthodoxChristianity - reddit Thank you for this post! 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. These thirteen churches are united in their understanding of the sacraments, discipline, doctrine, faith, government, and worship, but they administer their internal affairs separately. 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? It is why I think a number of people have a list of groups they have been in here. I've chosen Oriental Orthodoxy over the Byzantine Church because I believe that ours is closer in doctrine and liturgy to the earliest Christians. Russian Baptists, Adventists, and Pentecostals feel persecuted. 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 Thou wast begotten from the womb without mother before all ages, even though Arius did believe Thee to be created, not God, classing Thee in ignorance and impudence with creatures. Why did YOU convert to the Coptic Orthodox 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.