Why did Vladimir convert to Orthodox Christianity? In Orthodoxy one encounters the eternal, unchangeable God. Evangelicals urge the necessity of personal conversion through the faith and repentance of the individual believer, as opposed to the Orthodox idea of regeneration by the sacraments. In 999, Leif, the son of Erik, was converted to Christianity by Olaf Tryggvason. Get the best from CT editors, delivered straight to your inbox! Thank you for this! Orthodox Christianity has a rich tradition of being mindful. Before long, in Reformation churches the sermon had replaced the Eucharist as the defining moment of the liturgy. Kind of like large scale serial monogamous people. The late Orthodox theologian John Meyendorff once remarked that the ultimate conflict between the Orthodox East and the Latin West, both Catholic and Protestant, resided in two different ideas about tradition. 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? 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. we'll be happy to answer it! Praise for Surprised by Christ "Surprised by Christ is an autobiography, an intellectual history, and a conversion story, and more than these, conveys a spiritual and theological vision in a message that touches people from many different backgrounds. "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. 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. While this exclusivism is not unique to Orthodoxy, with this self-understanding it is easy to see why the Orthodox Church in countries such as Russia is extremely unhappy about Western, Protestant missionary incursions. Such a question cannot be answered through the use of dogmatic assertions or theoretical musings. Beyond the recovery of history and liturgy, there are deeper and more important questions. These are worthy pursuits that can be fulfilled in the Orthodox Church. Why should we welcome that? Calvin objected to the "tyranny of human tradition which is haughtily thrust upon us under the title of the Church." These arguments wont convert anyone. Other religions and faiths occupy themselves with this life, with this world. But I slowly came to see that I cant communicate it. Second, Christian theology perfectly explained why Jesus, who was also called a prophet, was worthy of worship. Small bodies of Orthodox believers exist in other places as "autonomous" but not "autocephalous" churches (Finland, Japan, former Czechoslovakia, etc.). Whatever honor Protestants bestow upon tradition, they deny that its authority is coequal with Scripture. Scripture and tradition. 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. 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." 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. Modern speculation is simply just that, speculation, and . 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. There is a certain chemistry involved, which one cannot so easily verbalize. The sacraments of the Church have helped fill countless young people's lives with meaning in ways that are difficult to find elsewhere. 0. Contact | One need not travel overseas to encounter Eastern Orthodoxy. 20). 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?" Writing a book on Eastern Orthodoxy and working through the manuscript with my Russian students helped me to compare Orthodoxy and Protestant evangelicalism. 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. Those who will guide you through your period of instruction and formation surely will help you in this regard. Even more obnoxious, though, must be the tendency to reject hospitality. Then C" The strengths of a group draws them but after a while the weaknesses bubble up. At the beginning, I thought I knew what I was getting into. 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. Why have so many Evangelical ministers embraced the Orthodox faith? This woode, Christ (Wedding Icon in Textile Oklad) But this really begs another question: "Essential" for what? It takes a while to get it, because its received by a process of immersion, by soaking in a context of worship. We are not seeking to reform or to teach the Church how it should do things, but are rather seeking to be formed by the Church and to learn how we should be doing things as faithful Christians. Its just that Orthodoxy still passes on the early churchs knowledge of how to tune in to the presence of Christ. In the first place, Christians believed Jesus to be the true God rather than a semi-god. Andrey brings us the news about Orthodox Christianity (the form of Christianity practiced by Russians). An evangelical explores the ancient and alien world of the Eastern church. And these prayers are jam-packed. This book cover is mad, Worship Gospel The first four enjoy special honor due to their antiquity. Sizable groups of the Russian population are disenchanted with Orthodoxy for a number of reasons. Worshipers prostrate themselves before them and kiss them. He sailed to Greenland with a priest to convert the people. As a young convert to Orthodox Christianity myself, I can testify that confession and Communion have filled my life meaning and have directed me when I have felt lost. 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. 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. 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. Although my parents intentionally raised my brother and me without a focus on . If only you could get them to form two lines.). The East allowed some priests to marry, while the West required celibacy. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. 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. 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. 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. Those who were clergy in a former denomination have no guarantees they will become clergy in the Orthodox Church. Hello all, forgive me if I am posting to the wrong forum. Rather, Orthodoxy affirms a single source of revelation, holy tradition, of which Scripture is the preeminent among several forms. Two theological controversies drove the final wedge between Catholic and Orthodox Christians: papal supremacy and the so-called filioque controversy. Becoming Orthodox means being willing to submit to the Church and Her bishops, who might not be interested in ordaining you. Why do people convert to Orthodoxy? The so-called Eastern Orthodox Church is actually not one but thirteen "autocephalous" or independent, self-governing churches. It took me a few years to sense that there was a whole other something going on. Yes, because clearly a Christian is the most honest person to talk about the inner thoughts of atheists . 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. 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. 3:15 ). At the beginning, I thought I knew what I was getting into. 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. Recently I worshiped at an Orthodox church in Palo Alto on this celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. 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. Any objective historian can discover that the permanence of Orthodoxy is due to the preservation and the passing on of the apostolic faith unadulterated, pure. Protestant theologian Adolf von Harnack once described the Orthodox church as "in her entire structure alien to the Gospel and a perversion of the Christian religion, its reduction to the level of pagan antiquity." 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. Reaching for the Transcendent on the Streets of New York, http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2007/12/icons-will-save-the-world, cool blog entry by Fr Andrew Damick - Christian Forums, http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/liturgics/athenagoras_remarriage.htm, http://www.oodegr.co/english/ekklisia/marriage_divorce.htm, http://www.oodegr.com/english/ekklisia/marriage_divorce.htm, http://www.patheos.com/blogs/justandsinner/the-church-fathers-interpretation-of-the-rock-of-matthew-1618-an-historical-refutation-of-the-claims-of-roman-catholicism-by-william-webster/. Many people believe the Church is a social group gathering or a place to network with other like minded people. It doesnt matter how long they have served, or how extensive their education. When the media seized on John Paul II's statement, they not only missed his main point, they missed a wider story. Here is an overview of the steps you can take to convert to Orthodox Christianity: Religion became a state of the Roman Empire, and Christianity became an enormous and influential religion nationwide. * No new dogmas of faith spring out of the blue in her life. 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. I think people just dont believe me, and I hardly provide a good personal example. 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. Icons are, quite literally, a "theology in color.". T he Orthodox Church in the United States has problems. 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. 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. 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 . I had been to the east and discovered something wondrous that I assumed all Christians crave. Can we attempt to put into words why a host of people have converted and continue to convert to the Orthodox faith? During my four years as a visiting professor at Moscow State University (1991-95) I often felt schizophrenic. Orthodoxy looked like taking that escalator up one more floor. When celebrating the Eucharist, Catholics mixed the wine with water, while the Orthodox did not. Orthodox worship can be overwhelmingly beautiful and attractiveon multiple, deeply-felt levelsbut this should not be the only reason why a person converts. She rightly claims the wholeness of the truth. She is conscious of being the true Church founded by Christ. The West used unleavened bread, the East did not. It is not a surprise that many Catholics adhering to traditional values are converting to conservative Orthodoxy. Orthodoxy, in contrast, is a thoroughly aesthetic tradition, as attested by the central role played by icons. There are two accounts of Constantine's conversion to Christianity. And I would try hard, no doubt to the point of rudeness, to convince them this was not so. But about this pursuit we can make several observations. It is not always easy to advance strong arguments for these conversions. True, Luther and some other Protestants have not viewed baptismal regeneration and justification by faith as mutually exclusive. Your email address will not be published. At a minimum, Protestants need to move beyond ignorance of these neighbors. It is no small thing for us to hold in common all the early, Christian creeds. Jerusalem, 260,000 Antioch, 750,000 All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. You can also subscribe without commenting. Let us know if corrections need to be made. 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. And for Orthodoxy, this argument from holy tradition is of great significance. There is another reason someone should not join Our Church. For example, their local parish was too ethnic; the priest wasnt nice or outgoing; their spouse wasnt interested; they found logical inconsistencies in the writings of the fathers; and so on. 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. As the Body of Christ, the Church is a Divine-human organism, just as with the Person of Jesus Christ, the God-Man. The Puritan John Foxe, for example, insisted that "God conducted the Reformation by printing, writing, and reading." Many would find themselves back in Rus with their new faith and establishing Churches (Spinka, 42-44). 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). 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. 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. Facebook | 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 would a protestant convert to Eastern Orthodoxy? Different from forms of western Christianity, there is no rationalization or theorization of dogma because its focus is on symbology rather than the literal. (To be fair, we should note that a large number of Orthodox have become evangelical Protestants as well.). But why is our kind so characteristically obnoxious? When Martin Luther burned the books of Catholic canon law at Wittenberg's Elster Gate on December 10, 1520, he symbolized an important Protestant distinctive. His response: "I don't know.". Everyone associates Orthodox worship with sensory richness, but its also rich in theological content. 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. Thus Georges Florovsky once referred to tradition as "the witness of the Spirit.". For such a question presupposes a particular person's journey of faith. Orthodox Christians were more inclined to appeal to the ecumenical councils than to a single bishop to settle theological matters. Four important areas deserve ongoing dialogue. 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. My ideas havent changed, and Im always glad for a good discussion, but maybe Im past the need to belabour them. St. Theophan The Recluse On Spiritual Practice. This book cover is made to order i, Hand-painted Icon of Christ the Pantocrator (acryl. The first is by Lactantius, a tutor to Constantine's son and a good authority. Questions & Answers / Has Orthodoxy in these lands obscured the gospel, becoming merely a "cultural" religion thoroughly assimilated to ethnic identity? Her allegiance to the perennial truths of Christianity is appreciated by sincere seekers. 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 . "I was A. Hope this helps, and hope that your journey to Orthodoxy is filled with every blessing. The first, most obvious explanation is that some people simply are obnoxious to start with. 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. And during those years of discovery, my mind was constantly cranking away as I laboured to absorb new ideas and excise stubborn old ones. 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. Before you start the process of converting, you will want to speak with a priest in the Greek Orthodox Church. Shortly after the beginning of our own catechumenate as a family, we saw friendsand their familiesbegin journeys towards the East. 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. 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. In addition, a new convert must undergo a formal process of initiation. Your firstand subsequent visitswill help you to discern that to which the Lord is calling you. Is it wrong for Western missionaries to seek to convert the Orthodox in lands like Russia, Romania, or Greece? It is not surprising they become disaffected and leave. I've chosen Oriental Orthodoxy over the Byzantine Church because I believe that ours is closer in doctrine and liturgy to the earliest Christians. Rather, each of the thirteen Orthodox churches has its own head, variously referred to as the patriarch, archbishop, or metropolitan. Most people like to be polite and get along, so they highlight what we hold in common. To my friend who asked why I had not converted to Orthodoxy, the answer was surprisingly easy. Around 2-3 months ago I decided that I wanted to convert to Christianity. Sign up to receive a regular email newsletter from Fr. 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. What was the impact of Vladimir I converting to Greek Orthodox Christianity in the region of Byzantium? Maybe you have to soak in it for years, till the evidence becomes overwhelming. I felt like Marco Polo. Thank you for this post! Put more starkly, Orthodoxy explicitly rejects the historic Protestant idea of sola scriptura. Russia, 50-85 million its the same every year, year after year), it soon becomes familiar, and perhaps even boring for some. Becoming Orthodox means being willing to submit to the Church and Her bishops, who might not be interested in ordaining you. In many of these lands, Orthodoxy exhibits an unveiled distrust and even xenophobia toward the massive influx of Western missionaries into their backyards. Such a question cannot be answered through the use of dogmatic assertions or theoretical musings. John 17:14.16). Don't pretend you don't know what I mean. 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. Not a few evangelicals in the last decade have forsaken Protestantism to join an Eastern Orthodox church. Affectionate attempts to obscure this quest feel suffocating. Nicholas reversed the decision, reinstating Ignatius and deposing Photius. Why Convert to Orthodox Christianity? 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 . Geoff Harvey on Thu, 20/11/2008 - 11:15am. We cannot describe it to you: only this we know, that God dwells there among men, and that their service surpasses the worship of all other places. 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. The Eucharist, according to the Divine Liturgy of Saint Chrysostom (the normal liturgy for Sundays and weekdays), is "for the purification of the soul, for the remission of sins, for the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, [and] for the Kingdom of Heaven.". We have challenges here in Africa to find such information for, So glorious+++ Most Holy Theotokos save us, Pectoral Cross 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. 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. During my project I gained. So why should someone desire to join the Orthodox Church? The secret is out. 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. 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." 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?" But the "little guy" is not going through a phase. Copyright 1997 Christianity Today. 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. Today 23 percent of all Orthodox Christians in the United Statesabout one in fourare converts, as are 30 percent of the clergy and 43 percent of seminarians. A second theory is that converts of any sort have a tendency to exuberance that is wearying to outsiders. What steps would I take to become an Orthodox Christian? It was like seeing a face emerge from a random pattern of dots, and then wink at you. Those who approach Orthodoxy looking for all their questions to be answered in a neat-and-tidy manner will be deeply disappointed, left rejecting the faith to which theyve only been shortly exposed. Baptism is the primary and fundamental basis of the entire Orthodox Christian life. Orthodoxy generally affirms the same seven sacraments as Catholicism: baptism, chrismation or confirmation, the Eucharist, repentance or confession, holy orders or ordination, marriage, and holy unction or anointing of the sick. 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 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. More than 70 percent of the roughly 75,000 Antiochian Orthodox Christians in the United States are converts. 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. 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. I will always remember my first visit to an Orthodox church in Russia. A wooden pectoral cros, Pectoral Cross for Clergy Your email address will not be published. And while it's true that my involvement with Judaism began with a Jewish boyfriend now my husband of 28 years and the father of our two children as Reform Jews, I would not have had to convert to participate in Jewish life and raise Jewish children.
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