why convert to orthodox christianity

In Protestantism there arose the doctrine of sola scriptura. 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 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. For me, the one and only valid, core reason is because a person desires to be part of the one, true Body of Christ. 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." Most Protestants would experience an Orthodox liturgy as something strange, even exotic. On these points evangelical and Orthodox thinking diverge in significant ways. 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. Here is an overview of the steps you can take to convert to Orthodox Christianity: During my project I gained. (Of course, for every person insisting that there were no differences, there was another person asking me to explain the differences. 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. And during those years of discovery, my mind was constantly cranking away as I laboured to absorb new ideas and excise stubborn old ones. And yet, not all of these journeys have worked 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. Most notable are its beliefs about baptism and the Eucharist. In the security of the Orthodox Church one finds peace, reassurance. Failing to remember (or be taught) this, we are scandalized and even lose our faith in the Church, not distinguishing between the divine and human natures, or confusing them. It was electrifying. Serbia, 8 million * Another danger is converting to Orthodoxy simply because it is beautiful. We have challenges here in Africa to find such information for, So glorious+++ Most Holy Theotokos save us, Pectoral Cross I do not wish to antagonize anyone and if there is a place online where I might go to better have my questions answered, please. As with liturgy, conversion to Orthodoxy is hardly a prerequisite for a renewed engagement with apostolic tradition. These arguments wont convert anyone. And to share why I am not Orthodox. And these prayers are jam-packed. I will always remember my first visit to an Orthodox church in Russia. The numbers are staggering! Growing up in the Bible Belt, I was only ever exposed to Christian theology. The Search for Authority and the Fear of Difference, Nostalgia Without Memory: A Case Study of American Converts to Eastern Orthodoxy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, The Eastern Church in the Spiritual Marketplace: American Conversions to Orthodox Christianity, New York Times Article on Calvinist Revival., If Not Sola Scriptura, Then What? Why Convert to Orthodox Christianity? Rather, Orthodoxy affirms a single source of revelation, holy tradition, of which Scripture is the preeminent among several forms. The first, most obvious explanation is that some people simply are obnoxious to start with. A radical conversion to Christianity. Search, Learn more about the Orthodox Church in America, Orthodoxy and Cults and Non-Christian Groups. Perhaps this unanticipated experience of encountering something unknown and marvellously organic accounts for the distinctive lapel-grabbing impulse among converts to Orthodoxy. 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. 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. Russia, 50-85 million Orthodoxy appeals to the soulnot just to the intellect or the senses. It had ramifications for the ecclesiastical status of both cities and further exacerbated the strained relations between the two regions. Scripture and tradition. Doing so will make much of what you have read come alive, in the sense of seeing how that about which you have read is actually lived. Think of it in the following way. For the past year or so I have been considering conversion to Orthodox Christianity. 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. 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. In his homily, Father Vladimir explained the history and theology of icons, adding that the heresy of iconoclasm was alive and well: "Just look around us at all the Protestants. I have read many things on the internet, as well as a number of books about the Churchs faith, worship and history. Is Orthodox different from Catholic? Thumb through Calvin's Institutes or a volume of John Wesley's Works and you will see our Protestant forebears thoroughly engaged with patristic tradition. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Two points that have been hallmarks of evangelical identity deserve special scrutiny: the relationship between Scripture and tradition, and the relationship between Scripture and the church. Their new group who were so "excited" to have them isn't interested/has no role for them as clergy. already I have lost many people I thought were friends but so be it! Hello all, forgive me if I am posting to the wrong forum. Protestant Christianity," Andrei went on, "is a cheap, terrible substitute, and an Orthodox believer who knows his own faith will never go there.". It is not a religion but rather a way of life. 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. Over coffee one day I asked an Orthodox priest whether I, as a Protestant theologian, might be considered a true Christian. 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. Why had a group of conservative American Christians converted to Russian Orthodoxy? These Protestant movements, important in their own right, are liturgical light years from Orthodoxy. Intellectuals, like one of my students at Moscow University, often disdain Orthodoxy as a "medieval mentality." Christians in the West variously trace their roots to Rome (Catholics), Wittenberg (Lutherans), Geneva (Calvinists), Canterbury (Anglicans), or Oxford (Wesleyans). Hope this helps, and hope that your journey to Orthodoxy is filled with every blessing. Tom Hanks Legion Media The famous Hollywood actor converted to Orthodox Christianity as an adult. I felt like Marco Polo. Before you start the process of converting, you will want to speak with a priest in the Greek Orthodox Church. 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. Orthodox churches are full of them. A Aristocles Merarches Joined Apr 23, 2003 Messages 10,031 Reaction score 1 Points 0 Location Pittsburgh Aug 5, 2006 #4 Matthew777 said: 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. It is not a surprise that many Catholics adhering to traditional values are converting to conservative Orthodoxy. Emmanuel Hatzidakis | January 19, 2013. 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. Recently I worshiped at an Orthodox church in Palo Alto on this celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. This woode, Christ (Wedding Icon in Textile Oklad) 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. The so-called Photian Schism brought this matter to a head. Karmiris writes, "Scripture and Tradition are equally valid, possess equal dogmatic authority, and are equal in value as sources of dogmatic truth . But about this pursuit we can make several observations. YouTube | 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. Nicholas Kim. But unlike the other two large branches of Christianity, which have spread throughout the developing world, Orthodoxy remains largely confined to Europe. T he Orthodox Church in the United States has problems. Sizable groups of the Russian population are disenchanted with Orthodoxy for a number of reasons. At a minimum, Protestants need to move beyond ignorance of these neighbors. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. 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. Instagram | The reality of the difficulty of living the Orthodox life then bubbles up, and apostasy from exhaustion is a real risk. John A. Peck, The Apostolic Mission of Journey To Orthodoxy, Armenian Muslims Living in Turkey are Returning to Christianity, Devotion to Orthodox History leads Malaysian Priest to Mount Carmel. Orthodox Christianity has a rich tradition of being mindful. 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. Another danger is converting to Orthodoxy simply because it is beautiful. Persons wishing to become Orthodox of their own free volition, without any direct or indirect pressure from anyone, should firstly meet with a Priest of the Church. 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 ofwell, 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. Everyone associates Orthodox worship with sensory richness, but its also rich in theological content. Who can explain why one has fallen in love with a given person? Despite efforts at reunification, to this day the Catholic and Orthodox churches remain estranged. Have something to add about this? Greece, 9 million And I would try hard, no doubt to the point of rudeness, to convince them this was not so. 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 . We should expect nothing less of ourselves than total respect for and even love of the history, theology, and culture of Orthodoxy; still, two things ought to be said about Orthodox complaints about Protestant proselytizing. 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.