Christimates 1 day ago. Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to Christianity. Have something to add about this? "It's typically an immigrant faith, so I was really interested in that experience and why it spoke to. If someone is approaching the Orthodox Church from a purely rationalistic standpoint, they will almost surely find it wanting. This is no archaic, dusty doctrine, either. Step Two: Repentance There is no salvation without repentance. Why do Orthodox Christians keep a vigil at the Tomb of Christ? The percentage of foreign born Orthodox Christians is no larger than the percentage in the population at large. Several factors must be considered when converting to Greek Orthodox Christianity. Icons. The conversion of 2,000 evangelicals in 17 congregations "from Alaska to Atlanta" in 1987, recounted in Peter Gillquist's Becoming Orthodox, is only a small window into a larger phenomenon. 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. I've chosen Oriental Orthodoxy over the Byzantine Church because I believe that ours is closer in doctrine and liturgy to the earliest Christians. 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. The reason Orthodoxy is stable is because she is grounded in the truth. While evangelicals might be eager to argue there is no biblical warrant for icons, for the Orthodox it is enough that icons have always been a part of church tradition. 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 ex clergy thing I think is very real. Another danger is converting to Orthodoxy simply because it is beautiful. Your email address will not be published. Experience Church Services. 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?" It also must be noted that embracing the faith involves a running to Christ and His Church as the Ark of Salvation, rather than a running away from somethingother than sin. John 17:14.16). Home / I think people just dont believe me, and I hardly provide a good personal example. 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. But dont do it for all the wrong reasons. But that was too little, too late. Becoming Orthodox means being willing to submit to the Church and Her bishops, who might not be interested in ordaining you. However, they rarely spent any time in Orthodox worship services or their local parish, developed no relationship with a priest, and did not engage their spouse or family in their studies and interest in the Church. One need not travel overseas to encounter Eastern 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 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. 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. 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. 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." 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. 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. For example, it is understandable that evangelicals feel that the Orthodox doctrine of the church is too "high." To the extent, however, one could intellectualize the reasons for converting, he or she would probably summarize them along these lines: In our ever-changing world, in the constant re-design of services and re-evaluation of beliefs, Orthodoxy stands as a mountain of granite, unshakable by fads and movements and political correctness. 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. Instagram | Conversion involves a change or transformation in vision, direction and heart, one rooted in repentance and the acknowledgement of Our Lord as the One Who is "truly the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Who came into the world to save sinners." I appreciate this articles use of blunt honesty! Most notable are its beliefs about baptism and the Eucharist. It is precisely this exclusivistic assertion that some Protestant converts, in search of the "true, New Testament Church" have found so beguiling. Conversion means belief and acceptance in Jesus Christ, the God-man, as the Savior of the world. 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. After five years or so in the Orthodox Church, Ive seen a lot of friends and acquaintances come home to the apostolic faith. Thank you for this post! Without waiting for a response, Humbert exited the church and declared, "Let God look and judge." This statement cannot be challenged. I sincerely wish to know everyone's reasons for converting to Orthodoxy. According to the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 787, icons are of equal benefit as Scripture in presenting the gospel message. 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]. She is conscious of being the true Church founded by Christ. Why had a group of conservative American Christians converted to Russian Orthodoxy? Russia, 50-85 million 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. Suspicion and recrimination have often characterized relationships between Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Protestantism. And these prayers are jam-packed. 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. I can remember that, after Id been Orthodox a few years, developing an increasing sense of tension or frustration. And I would try hard, no doubt to the point of rudeness, to convince them this was not so. Receive updates and announcements from Orthodox Witness. The Mission of The Orthodox Church in America, the local autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Is it wrong for Western missionaries to seek to convert the Orthodox in lands like Russia, Romania, or Greece? It took awhile because I grasped it through hearing the hymns of the church year, week in and week out. The final declaration of the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicea (787) that ratified the use of icons appealed to the "written and unwritten" tradition of the early church. This icon, Wedding Icon of The Mother Of God A wedding set o, Wedding Icon of Christ the Pantocrator (in Oklad /, A Handmade Bookcover For The Gospel. In an encyclical letter of 1848, the Eastern patriarchs stated this most emphatically: "Infallibility resides solely in the ecumenicity of the church bound together by mutual love. 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. The Orthodox Church has existed since the day of Pentecost and when we truly believe and become truly attached, not merely by baptism or chrismation, not merely by our presence but by our actions and our inner convictions, then and only then do we truly become connected to the Church, to Jesus Christ the Saviour and therefore to the Trinitarian God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. One finds that the Orthodox Church is indeed the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. It is not surprising they become disaffected and leave. Yet, at times there are questions of conscience and matters of principle. Thus, while the Protestant principle of sola scriptura places Scripture above tradition, for Orthodoxy the two are complementary means of one organic whole through which the Spirit of God speaks. Forgetting early on that Orthodox worship is liturgical and cyclical (i.e. Why Are There So Many Curses and Cruelties In The Psalms? This gives strength and spiritual joy to her members, true to the Lords words, Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Mt. It was electrifying. "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 * Karmiris writes, "Scripture and Tradition are equally valid, possess equal dogmatic authority, and are equal in value as sources of dogmatic truth . Sad, very sad. After being dunked in this sea of hymnography for a few years I began to recognise an underlying unity among all the elements of Orthodoxy the worship, the fasting, the exhortations to humility, the companionship of the saints, all of it. Its that Orthodoxy still passes on the early churchs knowledge of how to tune in to the presence of Christ. So, you have decided to convert to the Greek Orthodox Christian religion. In other words, one cannot embrace Orthodox Christianity without embracing Orthodox Christians. 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. 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." Administered to infants who are fully immersed three times, baptism effects the "bath of regeneration" by which a person is born again, wholly cleansed from both original and actual sins, and, consequently, saved from guilt and punishment. Can we attempt to put into words why a host of people have converted and continue to convert to the Orthodox faith? Contact | No doubt, I felt at home when first attending the Divine Liturgy, but this was after months of study and discussion with other Orthodox people. Applies to RCC too. 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. 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. Rather, each of the thirteen Orthodox churches has its own head, variously referred to as the patriarch, archbishop, or metropolitan. I hope so. Her name is right belief. This is particularly notable in the mid-1st century, when the circumcision controversy came to the fore. 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. Further, Protestants have long enjoyed rich liturgical traditions of their own (see, for example, Bard Thompson's classic Liturgies of the Western Church). Your firstand subsequent visitswill help you to discern that to which the Lord is calling you. Orthodoxy, advocates suggest, reveals and corrects evangelical reductionism and superficiality. They saw this as a perception skill, something anyone could (with diligent practice) hone; it has nothing to do with emotion. 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. Clearly this stability is found in no other church. They saw this as a perception skill, something anyone could (with diligent practice) hone; it has nothing to do with emotion. In chrismation, performed immediately after rising from the baptismal waters, the priest anoints the infant with a special ointment, making the sign of the cross on various parts of the body, thus acknowledging the gift and seal of the Holy Spirit. After being dunked in this sea of hymnography for a few years I began to recognize an underlying unity among all the elements of Orthodoxythe worship, the fasting, the exhortations to humility, the companionship of the saints, all of it. Rather, "theosis" (literally, "deification"), or the progressive transformation of people into full likeness to God, in soul and body, takes center stage. The first, most obvious explanation is that some people simply are obnoxious to start with. 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." Cerularius condemned Humbert and entreated Orthodox believers to "flee the fellowship of those who have accepted the heretical Latins." already I have lost many people I thought were friends but so be it! A Aristocles Merarches Joined Apr 23, 2003 Messages 10,031 Reaction score 1 Points 0 Location Pittsburgh Aug 5, 2006 #4 Matthew777 said: 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? If our only reason for converting is more somber, reverent, and beautiful worship, the newness of this experience soon wanes. But every church must have its distinctives, or wed all be in the same church. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Orthodoxy looked like taking that escalator up one more floor; plenty of ceremony and beauty, but without the mainline churches affection for keeping up-to-date. In this video, Fr. Since then, Western and Eastern Christianity developed separately, under very different social and cultural conditions. 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. 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. Together they gathered an army with the intent to regain control of Rus' and establish Vladimir as the ruler. Speaking out against a government that is massively exterminating believers, would only lead to greater persecution. Then bear your cross,, Please, include documents that can be downloaded or printed. 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. Poland, 1 million Beliefnet is a lifestyle website providing feature editorial content around the topics of inspiration, spirituality, health, wellness, love and family, news and entertainment. What Scripture proclaims by word, the icon proclaims by color. 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. She has offered more martyrs in the twentieth century under communism than most churches have members. This simple change of dress symbolized a radical shift that has characterized the Protestant West ever since: that the knowledge of God is mediated primarily through the written Word. Around 2-3 months ago I decided that I wanted to convert to Christianity. And such a journey can only be spoken of from experience. The reality of the difficulty of living the Orthodox life then bubbles up, and apostasy from exhaustion is a real risk. 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.
