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. I felt like Marco Polo. Then C" The strengths of a group draws them but after a while the weaknesses bubble up. Scripture and tradition. Here are a few reasons from this man's personal reflection. Holy Orders are a mystery (sacrament) of the Church, and the Spirit blows where it will. Christianization of Kievan Rus - Wikipedia Believe in the Church as the true Body of Christ, and the Churchflawed people and allwill help lead you down the right path. But perhaps our theology of the church is too "low," much lower than our Protestant forebears would have it. For them the fundamental schism occurred 500 years earlierin the year 1054 (more about that below). 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. Almost everyone around me was a Baptist. Buddhism and Conversion to Orthodoxy - Questions & Answers - Orthodox I've chosen Oriental Orthodoxy over the Byzantine Church because I believe that ours is closer in doctrine and liturgy to the earliest Christians. Those friends benefit, no doubt, from this opportunity to practice patience and long-suffering. Excellent comment Kosmas, I totally concur. Orthodoxy looked like taking that escalator up one more floor. It took me a few years to sense that there was a whole other something going on. Not that every churchgoer is following that path, not that the church administration is perfect, but that the path still existedthats what amazed me. Shortly after the beginning of our own catechumenate as a family, we saw friendsand their familiesbegin journeys towards the East. Early on in the life of the Christian church, the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West began to diverge. 12 Reasons Why I Became and/or Remain an Orthodox Christian 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 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). My Conversion from Islam to Orthodoxy - ORTHODOX CHEYENNE Modern speculation is simply just that, speculation, and . 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. Handcarved 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]. Why Would a Protestant Convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? There are other problems as well: overlapping jurisdictions, lack of communication across jurisdictional lines, and a tendency to isolate ourselves from communities in which we live. Although my parents intentionally raised my brother and me without a focus on . Instagram | Instead, Orthodoxy believes that the church stands above the Scriptures, which is why, as noted, Orthodox believers agree to "accept and understand Holy Scripture in accordance with the interpretation that was and is held by the Holy Orthodox Catholic Church of the East, our Mother." 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. The Orthodox Church does not fit into the paradigms of modernity; it is not a wholly rational faith. Heres a clue to a third possibility. He has no good option for dealing with that affection, so hes either sullen or angry. 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. Also, people should not join the Church in the hopes of solidifying an identity they have in the first place. However, I do think that there are certain factors that influence and even cause these abandonments and apostasies from the one, true Church. From Islam to Indonesian Orthodox Priest In "Clergy" 97% of Moldovans Identify as Orthodox Christians In "Latest Stories" Cerularius condemned Humbert and entreated Orthodox believers to "flee the fellowship of those who have accepted the heretical Latins." Several factors must be considered when converting to Greek Orthodox Christianity. There was plenty of ceremony and beauty, but without the mainline churches affection for keeping up-to-date. 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. 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. Its not something you can figure out by studying the Church Fathers. Why didn't Henry VIII go Orthodox, and what would happen if he did? The priest censes them and elevates them in processions. 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. Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to Christianity. Orthodoxy, in contrast, is a thoroughly aesthetic tradition, as attested by the central role played by icons. 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. 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. In the Orthodox calendar, the first Sunday of Lent celebrates the Triumph of Orthodoxy, a commemoration of the final triumph of icons in the long and bitter battle with the iconoclasts (literally, "image-smashers") on March 11, 843. 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. Kind of like large scale serial monogamous people. This is not just an explanation but an apology, and even an appreciation for the perseverance of friendship in the face of truly annoying behavior. 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. Made using e, Book Cover for the Epistle Luther urged that Christianity would stand or fall with this doctrine; Calvin called it "the hinge upon which all true religion turns.". Why would a Protestant Christian convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? Conversion means belief and acceptance in Jesus Christ, the God-man, as the Savior of the world. Why did YOU convert to the Coptic Orthodox Church? I felt like Marco Polo. They are the efficacious means by which God transmits his salvific and sanctifying grace to us. Orthodox spiritual life gives central prominence to the sacraments. Affectionate attempts to obscure this quest feel suffocating. 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. "More than a . 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. Don't pretend you don't know what I mean. They saw this as a perception skill, something anyone could (with diligent practice) hone; it has nothing to do with emotion. Before long, in Reformation churches the sermon had replaced the Eucharist as the defining moment of the liturgy. When I visit prisons where floors are shiny, morale is noticeably higher. Those who will guide you through your period of instruction and formation surely will help you in this regard. Put another way, we must invoke the spirit of irenic disagreement in the formula: "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity." Why Are Orthodox Christians So Grumpy? - Church Militant 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. There is not going to be a restored "Celtic" Orthodoxy or "Anglo-Saxon" Orthodoxy. This perspective presupposes a defective Christologyone that fails to account for the anthropos of the theanthropic (Divine-human) Church. 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.". Sizable groups of the Russian population are disenchanted with Orthodoxy for a number of reasons. They saw this as a perception skill, something anyone could (with diligent practice) hone; it has nothing to do with emotion. 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. 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?" Converts to Orthodox Christianity in America in the Russian Church But every church must have its distinctives, or wed all be in the same church. In Russia, the largest figure usually cited for the Orthodox Church is 85 million people (some estimates are as low as 50 million), which means 100 million Russiansmore than half the countryare not affiliated with Orthodoxy. However, this is a mistaken viewpoint and can lead to the destruction of a persons faith. Most notable are its beliefs about baptism and the Eucharist. 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. Becoming Orthodox means being willing to submit to the Church and Her bishops, who might not be interested in ordaining you. 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/. Rather, "theosis" (literally, "deification"), or the progressive transformation of people into full likeness to God, in soul and body, takes center stage. In 978, Vladimir returned to . 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. Alexandria, 350,000 However, because I've never been really exposed to . Another issue is becoming Orthodox because one thinks the Church will reward them in some way for doing so. Why not convert to Oriental Orthodoxy? - OrthodoxChristianity.net Sign up to receive a regular email newsletter from Fr. Pretty good. Buddhists are called to meditate. Rather, Orthodoxy affirms a single source of revelation, holy tradition, of which Scripture is the preeminent among several forms. But unlike the other two large branches of Christianity, which have spread throughout the developing world, Orthodoxy remains largely confined to Europe. 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. It took awhile because I grasped it through hearing the hymns of the church year, week in and week out. Applies to RCC too. 20). Playing as Rurik in 862: Convert to local religion or keep Norse We must be willing to embrace mystery, to submit to other authorities, and to ultimately submit to the Church Herself. 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. True, Luther and some other Protestants have not viewed baptismal regeneration and justification by faith as mutually exclusive. Another danger is converting to Orthodoxy simply because it is beautiful. 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. 7 Hollywood stars who adopted Orthodox Christianity 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. In 1993 I was chrismated and joined the Eastern Orthodox Church, but only lately has it dawned on me that I must have strained friendships over the years, due to my vocal enthusiasm for my adopted church. Why did Vladimir convert to Orthodox Christianity? In many of these lands, Orthodoxy exhibits an unveiled distrust and even xenophobia toward the massive influx of Western missionaries into their backyards. Orthodox believers see things very differently. . 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. Well, was it so? The Reformers did not reject tradition as a help to wisdom, as a reading of Calvin, Luther, or Wesley easily shows. Why Are Protestants Converting To 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,. Can we attempt to put into words why a host of people have converted and continue to convert to the Orthodox faith? Moreover, evangelicals have some important lessons to learn from Orthodoxy. At the beginning, I thought I knew what I was getting into. 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. Romania, 19.8 million Calvin objected to the "tyranny of human tradition which is haughtily thrust upon us under the title of the Church." Debate is more plentiful than research, but also indefinite. Cyprus, 450,000 We have challenges here in Africa to find such information for, So glorious+++ Most Holy Theotokos save us, Pectoral Cross It is not a religion but rather a way of life. "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. And to share why I am not Orthodox. Conversion to Christianity - Wikipedia This icon, Wedding Icon of The Mother Of God With Gossip of the Gospel, the Church Grows in Nepal, After Pushing for UMC Unity, Former Bishop Joins New Denomination, Christian Conservationists Sue to Protect Ghana Forest, Complete access to articles on ChristianityToday.com, Over 120 years of magazine archives plus full access to all of CTs online archives. Religion became a state of the Roman Empire, and Christianity became an enormous and influential religion nationwide. Your firstand subsequent visitswill help you to discern that to which the Lord is calling you. She is committed to the same, unchanging, absolute truth. Any vestiges of hope for unity after the estrangement of 1054 were dashed with the pillage of 1204. Those friends benefit, no doubt, from this opportunity to practice patience and long-suffering. 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. 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). I had been to the east and discovered something wondrous that I assumed all Christians crave. In the words of contemporary Orthodox theologian Thomas Hopko, "everything in the church flows out of the waters of baptism: the remission of sins and life eternal." After his marriage Vladimir I officially changed the state religion to Orthodox Christianity and destroyed pagan temples and icons. A wooden pectoral cros, Pectoral Cross for Clergy Why Convert to Orthodox Christianity? Orthodox worship can be overwhelmingly beautiful and attractiveon multiple, deeply-felt levelsbut this should not be the only reason why a person converts. 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. Everyone associates Orthodox worship with sensory richness, but its also rich in theological content. Along with Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, Orthodox Christianity is one of the world's three major Christian traditions. What Scripture proclaims by word, the icon proclaims by color. ADL, AJC join Orthodox groups in Supreme Court case on supporting Sad, very sad. If anyone is unwilling or not ready to submit to the Church in all areas of life, they should stay awayuntil or unless they are ready to do so. These sacraments are not mere signs, symbols, or reminders. Telegram | The blog includes recent news and ministry updates of the Convent, as well as other information about Orthodox Christianity that may be useful to those who are either making their first steps in church or want to learn something new about our faith. Such a question cannot be answered through the use of dogmatic assertions or theoretical musings. The first, most obvious explanation is that some people simply are obnoxious to start with. Search, Learn more about the Orthodox Church in America, Orthodoxy and Cults and Non-Christian Groups. From Protestant to Orthodox - Orthodox Christianity serving Costa Mesa, CA It took awhile because I grasped it through hearing the hymns of the church year, week in and week out. It must sound like vague, fluffy religious talk (though in my experience it is anything but). 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. She is not the endshe is the way. Although she is in this world, she is not of this world (cf. There I was, a Protestant theologian teaching in the former Department of Scientific Atheism in the land where Eastern Orthodoxy had reigned for over 1,000 years. But dont do it for all the wrong reasons. While the Church is certainly Divine in one respect, She is also comprised of human beingshuman beings that can, and do, err. And such a journey can only be spoken of from experience. 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. But that was too little, too late. It depends on where you put the emphasis. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. In this wonderful, 4-minute video, Fr. * Converting to Orthodox Judaism Is a Lot. Here's How 3 Women Did It. - ELLE 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. This book cover is made to order i, Hand-painted Icon of Christ the Pantocrator (acryl. It had ramifications for the ecclesiastical status of both cities and further exacerbated the strained relations between the two regions. Some have even ended in apostasy. For such a question presupposes a particular person's journey of faith. Now let's hear from Frederica. 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. Many would find themselves back in Rus with their new faith and establishing Churches (Spinka, 42-44). Fr. In Orthodoxy one encounters the eternal, unchangeable God. Together they gathered an army with the intent to regain control of Rus' and establish Vladimir as the ruler. An Appeal to Traditional Roman Catholics From - Orthodox Christianity Writing a book on Eastern Orthodoxy and working through the manuscript with my Russian students helped me to compare Orthodoxy and Protestant evangelicalism. This should trouble evangelicals (as well as other Protestants), especially when it is combined with the Orthodox idea of who constitutes the church and how one enters the church. It was like seeing a face emerge from a random pattern of dots, and then wink at you. Missiological concerns surface here, too. 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. 1. 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. Surely there is enough evangelistic work for everyone. 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. Orthodoxy attracts seekers with her other-worldliness, with her holiness, with her worship, with her services and sacraments, with the form and content of her religious expression, with her iconography, with her chanting, with her mysticism, with her monasticism, with her life between heaven and earth. One feels that the Church is not just a worldly organization, but a divine-human organism. For example, it is understandable that evangelicals feel that the Orthodox doctrine of the church is too "high." Why I Converted from Orthodoxy - Clarifying Catholicism Why Would I Need to Convert in Order to Get Married? Many people believe the Church is a social group gathering or a place to network with other like minded people. Needless to say, Rome was indignant; not until the Lateran Council of 1215 did it acknowledge the status of Constantinople. John A. Peck, The Apostolic Mission of Journey To Orthodoxy, On the Path of Love: From Islam to Christianity, Madagascar: Church Opens Huge Complex with Church, Schools, Orphanage, Old Folks Home, Australia: Orthodoxy Fastest Growing Church amidst General Christian Decline. If someone is approaching the Orthodox Church from a purely rationalistic standpoint, they will almost surely find it wanting. Take Russia as an example: First, the majority of Russians are non-Christian and unevangelized. This is no archaic, dusty doctrine, either. We are looking forward to our journey in the church. The theological objections evangelicals have traditionally had with Rome on these two points rightly apply to Orthodoxy. Most people like to be polite and get along, so they highlight our commonalities. Essential for clergy to pray together, to talk, and to encourage one another in Christ? Antioch, 750,000 Orthodox Sep 9, 2019 #1 For those who converted like myself, why did you? 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. Even more obnoxious, though, must be the tendency to reject hospitality. Copyright 1997 Christianity Today. Anxious to avoid the siege of his capital, Basil II turned to the Rus' for assistance, even though they were considered enemies at that time. Andrey brings us the news about Orthodox Christianity (the form of Christianity . We think the fundamental Christian schism occurred when Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg church, October 31, 1517. As I realized what the big difference is, I grew more insistent, Im afraid. Jerusalem, 260,000 And yet, not all of these journeys have worked out. Why I Didn't Convert to Eastern Orthodoxy - Catholic Culture Why are so many Christians in Colombia converting to Orthodox Judaism 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. Further, Protestants have long enjoyed rich liturgical traditions of their own (see, for example, Bard Thompson's classic Liturgies of the Western Church). He sailed to Greenland with a priest to convert the people. While some did come over by force, the Orthodox also forcibly converted large numbers of Eastern Catholics Orthodoxy. 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." It is not surprising they become disaffected and leave. 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.