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. Is Orthodox different from Catholic? As Philip said to Nathaniel, Come and see [John 1:46]. If only you could get them to form two lines.). On the other hand, there are cases where a person rejects the Church for what I would consider to be erroneous reasons. If you have a specific question about Orthodox Christianity or the Orthodox Church in America, Sara Villate, 10, by a menorah during Hanukkah. Why Would a Protestant Convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? The theological objections evangelicals have traditionally had with Rome on these two points rightly apply to Orthodoxy. Its not something you can figure out by studying the Church Fathers. Hymns like these offer quite a theological education to anyone who comes to services, and if you didnt catch it all, theres a good chance theyre going to sing it two more times. 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. He made the decision to convert following his second marriage to actress Rita Wilson in. These arguments wont convert anyone. Christimates 1 day ago. It is why I think a number of people have a list of groups they have been in here. Why did you convert to Orthodoxy? | OrthodoxChristianity.net Rather, for Orthodoxy the whole people of God is the protector of apostolic tradition. Harakas asked. . As we said, conversion is a love affair. How to Convert to Greek Orthodox Christianity And such a journey can only be spoken of from experience. Required fields are marked *. 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." In any event, feel free to introduce yourself to and speak with the priest and his parishioners. The secret is out. A Christian representation of Vladimir I, who was the first Rus' leader to officially bring Christianity to the region. All Rights ReservedDesigned by Fr. Andrey brings us the news about Orthodox Christianity (the form of Christianity practiced by Russians). Orthodoxy in America Has a Convert Problem 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. Although it is difficult to gather firm figures, worldwide Orthodox Christians number about 150 million, with 3 million in the U.S. alonemore than most evangelical denominations. Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to Christianity. Most people like to be polite and get along, so they highlight our commonalities. When you are the only Norse guy and most of your lands are Slovianskian, it makes more sense to convert yourself than to convert them. Eastern Right: Conservative Minds Convert to Orthodox Christianity I have read many things on the internet, as well as a number of books about the Churchs faith, worship and history. 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." When celebrating the Eucharist, Catholics mixed the wine with water, while the Orthodox did not. In time, you will be welcomed sacramentally into the Church and continue your ongoing path to the Kingdom of God. 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. Underneath were written the Greek words en toutoi nika, "In this sign, conquer." This book cover is mad, Worship Gospel 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. Why Are Protestants Converting 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. Those who will guide you through your period of instruction and formation surely will help you in this regard. Orthodoxy's size alone warrants our attention, despite its invisibility on the cultural radar screens of most Americans. Converting to Orthodox Christianity : r/OrthodoxChristianity - reddit 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. Q&A: A closer look at Orthodox Christians. In fact, it promises a Cross and joining with Christ in both suffering and humiliation. Step Two: Repentance There is no salvation without repentance. Lol. 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. One of the problems the Orthodox Church currently suffers in this country is a lack of converts. 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. * Hope this helps, and hope that your journey to Orthodoxy is filled with every blessing. Orthodox believers see things very differently. Why Are Protestants Converting To Orthodox Christianity? Why I Didn't Convert to Eastern Orthodoxy - Catholic Culture 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. One need not travel overseas to encounter Eastern Orthodoxy. Orthodox Christianity offers a third solution, that is faith with an emphasis on symbolism, inner experience, and Church communion. Missiological concerns surface here, too. Perhaps this unanticipated experience of encountering something unknown and marvelously organic accounts for the distinctive lapel-grabbing impulse among converts to Orthodoxy. One can find people who interpret this ecclesiological exclusivity more leniently; in fact, some would argue that the best Orthodox scholarsGeorge Florovsky and John Meyendorff, to name twowould allow for such leniency. we'll be happy to answer it! Why would a protestant convert to Eastern Orthodoxy? 3:15). Photius then branded the entire Western church as heretical for inserting the phrase "and the Son" (filioque) into the Nicene Creed. 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. Orthodoxy is true to the Lord, to herself and to her past. 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. For such a question presupposes a particular person's journey of faith. Orthodox Sep 9, 2019 #1 For those who converted like myself, why did you? "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. It took me a few years to sense that there was a whole other something going on. Conversions gradually transforming Orthodox Christianity 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. PDF The Conversion of Vladimir the Great to Orthodox Christianity Sdn Tim Grace unveils the surprising message of Christmas. Why Would a Protestant Convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity? Receive updates and announcements from Orthodox Witness. Search, Learn more about the Orthodox Church in America, Orthodoxy and Cults and Non-Christian Groups. As historians mostly suppose, Vladimir's turn to Orthodox Christianity was more about the improvement of Russians' connections with Christian states than about sentiments: for Rus, Byzantium. The beauty and majesty of her liturgical services celebrating the majesty and mystery of God continue to be a major attraction to many seekers of a religious experience that transcends the mundane reality and elevates the spirit to the divine realm. Women and men who marry into the Orthodox Jewish faith are required to convertand both genders follow an identical process. It is not always easy to advance strong arguments for these conversions. 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/. its the same every year, year after year), it soon becomes familiar, and perhaps even boring for some. The Eucharist is a true, propitiatory sacrifice. Around 2-3 months ago I decided that I wanted to convert to Christianity. Steps to "becoming" an Orthodox Christian - Questions & Answers The collapse of the Roman Empire created a power vacuum that was increasingly filled by the growing power of the Roman papacy. Everyone associates Orthodox worship with sensory richness, but its also rich in theological content. Why have so many Evangelical ministers embraced the Orthodox faith? See something we missed? But the impulse is to exaggerate the differences when you fear being hugged to death. And during those years of discovery, my mind was constantly cranking away as I laboured to absorb new ideas and excise stubborn old ones. Baptism is the primary and fundamental basis of the entire Orthodox Christian life. Greece, 9 million The last reason Orthodox converts are obnoxious resembles the reason adolescents are obnoxious. Almost everyone around me was a Baptist. It was electrifying. So, you have decided to convert to the Greek Orthodox Christian religion. There is not going to be a restored "Celtic" Orthodoxy or "Anglo-Saxon" 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. Applies to RCC too. It is not surprising they become disaffected and leave. Rich worship taught the faith to literate and illiterate, peasant and emperor, and its essentially the same as our worship today. Another danger is converting to Orthodoxy simply because it is beautiful. He mentions one Church, not many. Other religions and faiths occupy themselves with this life, with this world. 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. Sizable groups of the Russian population are disenchanted with Orthodoxy for a number of reasons. 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. 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 The Orthodox Church does not fit into the paradigms of modernity; it is not a wholly rational faith. He has no good option for dealing with that affection, so he's either sullen or angry. I hope so. Recently I worshiped at an Orthodox church in Palo Alto on this celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. Icons are, quite literally, a "theology in color.". 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.