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.
Converting to Orthodoxy : r/OrthodoxChristianity Greece, 9 million
Why Would a Protestant Convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? ADL, AJC join Orthodox groups in Supreme Court case on supporting 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.
Why isn't everyone christian? : r/Christianity At times it can be a healing group especially during the Liturgical services in particular the Eucharist and the Holy Prayer Oil services. The so-called Photian Schism brought this matter to a head. 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.
Why are Russian people (mostly) Orthodox Christians? When the media seized on John Paul II's statement, they not only missed his main point, they missed a wider story. Included in this liturgy is an anathema on all those who reject icons. 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. Why Are There So Many Curses and Cruelties In The Psalms? 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. 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. Are Orthodox Christians "Bible believing?". 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). All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. A person (who is searching within) goes through clerical education to explore questions. For me it was due to the fact that papal supremacy is a later doctrine, yet I could not become a Protestant because the writings of the Fathers do not agree with Protestantism. Subscribe for our weekly newsletter not to miss the most interesting articles on our blog. 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. Interesting comments. Experience Church Services. During my four years as a visiting professor at Moscow State University (1991-95) I often felt schizophrenic. Baptism is the primary and fundamental basis of the entire Orthodox Christian life. As the Body of Christ, the Church is a Divine-human organism, just as with the Person of Jesus Christ, the God-Man. In the year 311, Emperor Constantine moved the political capital of his empire from Rome to Constantinople. Chrysostom's liturgy says of the Eucharistic sacrifice: "Your own, from your own, we offer you, in all and for all."
How Christianity Came to Ukraine and Russia | Christian History 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. The priest censes them and elevates them in processions. Despite its historical estrangement from Rome, from a Protestant theological perspective Orthodoxy is similar to Catholicism at several points. Before long, in Reformation churches the sermon had replaced the Eucharist as the defining moment of the liturgy. Recently I worshiped at an Orthodox church in Palo Alto on this celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy.
Q&A: A closer look at Orthodox Christians | Pew Research Center This may be to some extent true but it is much more than that. Orthodox Christians viewed the filioque amendment to be contrary to explicit instructions by past ecumenical councils not to change the creeds. Many times, inquirers approach the Orthodox Church as a safe haven from controversy and scandal, believing that the Orthodox Churchas the one, true Churchis immune to such things. Becoming Orthodox means being willing to submit to the Church and Her bishops, who might not be interested in ordaining you. Another danger is converting to Orthodoxy simply because it is beautiful. But whether a non-Orthodox person can even be saved is an open question in Orthodox ecclesiology. 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. And such a journey can only be spoken of from experience. Many people believe the Church is a social group gathering or a place to network with other like minded people. Around 2-3 months ago I decided that I wanted to convert to Christianity. The basic framework of services like the Divine Liturgy or Vespers doesnt change much, but every day of the liturgical year provides prayers for saints and feasts that can be added to that framework. The Orthodox Church is indelibly marked by the One who is its origin and source.
Why did Vladimir convert to Orthodox Christianity? They push it down the road that they will be able to transition to that in their new group eventually. Submitted by Fr. This woode, Christ (Wedding Icon in Textile Oklad) The rise of Islam after Muhammad (died 632) was likewise crucial. Conversion means belief and acceptance in Jesus Christ, the God-man, as the Savior of the world. 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. You can also subscribe without commenting. Search, Learn more about the Orthodox Church in America, Orthodoxy and Cults and Non-Christian Groups.
Why Converts to Christian Orthodoxy can be Obnoxious First, Christianity had no doctrine to support the Islamic hypothesis about Jesus' modification into a semi-god. 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.
Ask An Eastern Orthodox Christian: Conversion Process - SpokaneFVS They have not given up the idea of being clergy. Icons. I think people just dont believe me, and I hardly provide a good personal example. Orthodoxy's size alone warrants our attention, despite its invisibility on the cultural radar screens of most Americans. The Puritan John Foxe, for example, insisted that "God conducted the Reformation by printing, writing, and reading." Yet, at times there are questions of conscience and matters of principle. In 1993, I was chrismated and joined the Eastern Orthodox Church. That is, Orthodoxy's commitment to "right belief" provides a natural link to evangelical concerns. We are looking forward to our journey in the church.
Converting to Orthodox Judaism Is a Lot. Here's How 3 Women Did It. - ELLE Converting to Orthodoxy | St Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church 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. But unlike the other two large branches of Christianity, which have spread throughout the developing world, Orthodoxy remains largely confined to Europe. As with liturgy, conversion to Orthodoxy is hardly a prerequisite for a renewed engagement with apostolic tradition. Some have even ended in apostasy. 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. 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. My husband had been an Episcopal priest for 16 years, and we had gradually moved from evangelical-style "low church" to the more liturgically-fancy "high church."
Why People Convert to Orthodoxy Other times it is a youth group or Bible study group inspiring and educating. Several factors must be considered when converting to Greek Orthodox Christianity. To be Eastern Orthodox is, above all, to stake a bold and unapologetic theological claim as the one true church of Christ on earth, which alone has guarded right belief and true worship in absolute identity and unbroken succession with the apostolic church. The secret is out.
Why I Converted to Judaism | My Jewish Learning Why Convert To Islam? - The American Conservative Why Converts to Christian Orthodoxy Are So Obnoxious by Frederica 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. And I would try hard, no doubt to the point of rudeness, to convince them this was not so. By joining Orthodoxy one inherits a theological package that includes central elements that have traditionally troubled many Protestant evangelicals and omits doctrines many evangelicals consider nonnegotiable essentials of vital Christianity. So Christianity would not have been completely alien to the Rus, and even Vladimir's grandmother, Olga, would become enamored with Christianity. My ideas havent changed, and Im always glad for a good discussion, but maybe Im past the need to belabor them. Rather, Orthodoxy affirms a single source of revelation, holy tradition, of which Scripture is the preeminent among several forms. These thirteen churches are united in their understanding of the sacraments, discipline, doctrine, faith, government, and worship, but they administer their internal affairs separately. 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. 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. St. Theophan The Recluse On Spiritual Practice.