Buddhists are called to meditate. Why Convert to Orthodox Christianity? Orthodox Christianity has a rich tradition of being mindful. "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. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. But perhaps our theology of the church is too "low," much lower than our Protestant forebears would have it. Sad, very sad. 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 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. And for Orthodoxy, this argument from holy tradition is of great significance. Harakas asked. There is a certain chemistry involved, which one cannot so easily verbalize. 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. 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. Their new group who were so "excited" to have them isn't interested/has no role for them as clergy. Why I Converted from Orthodoxy - Clarifying Catholicism already I have lost many people I thought were friends but so be it! See something we missed? 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. One thinks, for example, of those committed to full ministerial status for women, the centrality of lay ministry and spiritual gifts, charismatically inclined groups, seeker-sensitive churches attempting to reach baby boomers or Generation X'ers with novel worship formats, and so on. Circumcision controversy in early Christianity - Wikipedia We must be willing to embrace mystery, to submit to other authorities, and to ultimately submit to the Church Herself. In fact, what Orthodox converts "vow to accept" diverges significantly from important, basic tenets of evangelical Protestantism. Without waiting for a response, Humbert exited the church and declared, "Let God look and judge." 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. Antioch, 750,000 Fr. Many would find themselves back in Rus with their new faith and establishing Churches (Spinka, 42-44). 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. But unlike the other two large branches of Christianity, which have spread throughout the developing world, Orthodoxy remains largely confined to Europe. 3:15). 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. 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. (2 Pet. Many non-Jews become "Jews by choice" because they're spiritual seekers. These arguments wont convert anyone. 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 took awhile because I grasped it through hearing the hymns of the church year, week in and week out. But why is our kind so characteristically obnoxious? 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. Conversion means belief and acceptance in Jesus Christ, the God-man, as the Savior of the world. Frederica Matthewes-Green reflects on how new converts to Orthodoxy can sometimes be overzealous. Orthodoxy is true to the Lord, to herself and to her past. If only you could get them to form two lines.). Constantine had once controlled the entire Mediterranean perimeter, and as a result, Christianity flourished. 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. 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. Other religions and faiths occupy themselves with this life, with this world. This is the ultimate reason an ultra-Orthodox Jew would turn to Jesus. So, you have decided to convert to the Greek Orthodox Christian religion. If only you could get them to form two lines.). Unfortunately the Eastern organization is founded on control and power. 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. Even more obnoxious, though, must be the tendency to reject hospitality. For such a question presupposes a particular person's journey of faith. Orthodoxy allows divorce in some conditions if I'm not mistaken, and it would have been an easier transition to switch to another powerful church (and become friendly with Russia, etc.). "The Orthodox Church of Christ never lost the 'unity of faith and the communion of the Holy Spirit' and does not accept the theory of the restoration of the unity of those "who believe in Christ," because it believes that the unity of those who believe in Christ already exists in the unity of all of Her baptized children, between themselves and In Catholicism this external dogmatic authority resides in the teaching magisterium of the church as expressed in the primacy and infallibility of the papacy. What was the impact of Vladimir I converting to Greek Orthodox Christianity in the region of Byzantium? 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. Converting to Orthodox Christianity : r/OrthodoxChristianity - reddit Take Russia as an example: First, the majority of Russians are non-Christian and unevangelized. This statement cannot be challenged. The last reason Orthodox converts are obnoxious resembles the reason adolescents are obnoxious. Surely there is enough evangelistic work for everyone. First, Christianity had no doctrine to support the Islamic hypothesis about Jesus' modification into a semi-god. If a richer liturgical life is what a believer wants, converting to Orthodoxy is hardly necessary. Do we mean essential for salvation? How to Become an Orthodox Christian - Phoenix, Arizona Albania, 160,000. Orthodoxy in America Has a Convert Problem Protestant Christianity," Andrei went on, "is a cheap, terrible substitute, and an Orthodox believer who knows his own faith will never go there.". 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. As Philip said to Nathaniel, Come and see [John 1:46]. Subscribe for our weekly newsletter not to miss the most interesting articles on our blog. What they objected to was the elevation of tradition to the status of Scripture. And such a journey can only be spoken of from experience. 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. By the end of the sixth century, neither group could speak the other's language. A radical conversion to Christianity. Home / Who can explain why one has fallen in love with a given person? The priest censes them and elevates them in processions. That vision is of the Living God revealed in Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant, the life of the Faithful, the hope of the . Over coffee one day I asked an Orthodox priest whether I, as a Protestant theologian, might be considered a true Christian. John Meyendorff writes that "the Christian faith can in no way be compatible with the notion of sola scriptura." The numbers are staggering! 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. Who Converted Russian Religion To Orthodox Christianity? An Orthodox Christian Perspective: Overcoming Difficulties in Life, Church Under Soviet Totalitarianism: Suppression, Resistance and Compliance, St Kassia and Her Creations, Still Heard at Todays Divine Services, The feast of the Most Holy Theotokos of the Inexhaustible Chalice, Why Our Catalogue Is More Than Just an Online Store Selling Church Supplies, The List of Musical Instruments Mentioned in the Bible, The First 40 Days after Death Explained by St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, An Old Icon of the Mother of God of the Sign Has Started to Exude Myrrh in the Diocese of Tula, Complete List of Prohibited Marriages in the Orthodox Church. Here is an overview of the steps you can take to convert to Orthodox Christianity: 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. I sincerely wish to know everyone's reasons for converting to Orthodoxy. Women and men who marry into the Orthodox Jewish faith are required to convertand both genders follow an identical process. How to Convert to Judaism - What to Expect at a Conversion Why Are Orthodox Christians So Grumpy? - Church Militant Tom Hanks Legion Media The famous Hollywood actor converted to Orthodox Christianity as an adult. Becoming Orthodox means being willing to submit to the Church and Her bishops, who might not be interested in ordaining you. 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." Chrysostom's liturgy says of the Eucharistic sacrifice: "Your own, from your own, we offer you, in all and for all." Why didn't Henry VIII go Orthodox, and what would happen if he did? 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. Why not convert to Oriental Orthodoxy? - OrthodoxChristianity.net I think people just dont believe me, and I hardly provide a good personal example. Despite its historical estrangement from Rome, from a Protestant theological perspective Orthodoxy is similar to Catholicism at several points. Another issue is becoming Orthodox because one thinks the Church will reward them in some way for doing so. After his marriage Vladimir I officially changed the state religion to Orthodox Christianity and destroyed pagan temples and icons. Orthodoxy appeals to the soulnot just to the intellect or the senses. But the "little guy" is not going through a phase. 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. Pray for the Lords mercy, and you can find the strength to endure to the end. In contrast, Orthodoxy offers a view of theological authority that is internal and pneumatic rather than external and dogmatic. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. There are two accounts of Constantine's conversion to Christianity. The sum of all parts wont add to the total. But every church must have its distinctives, or wed all be in the same church. 2. 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. To support our efforts, join us as a member . 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 Christianity may be the o. Made using e, Book Cover for the Epistle 0. In the security of the Orthodox Church one finds peace, reassurance. Luther urged that Christianity would stand or fall with this doctrine; Calvin called it "the hinge upon which all true religion turns.". 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?" 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. Why are so many Christians in Colombia converting to Orthodox Judaism But the human warts of where they are at and continuing searching within causes them to look elsewhere. Not a few evangelicals in the last decade have forsaken Protestantism to join an Eastern Orthodox church. The Orthodox Church does not fit into the paradigms of modernity; it is not a wholly rational faith. 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. 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. She is conscious of being the true Church founded by Christ. John 6 Comments Cole Knight, a former Anglican, got Baptized in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church. Have something to add about this?
why convert to orthodox christianity