Introducing Orthodox Christianity version 2

Introducing Orthodox Christianity: 

Introducing Orthodox Christianity The Faith and Life of the Orthodox Church http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/frgregory-571948-introducing-orthodox-christianity-version-2/ A Teacher’s Guide

Key Facts about the Orthodox Church: 

Key Facts about the Orthodox Church It is the second largest church in the Christian world after the Roman Catholic Church with more than 300 million believers. It is the indigenous and predominant faith of Russia, the Ukraine, Belarus, Serbia, Greece, Cyprus, parts of Eastern Europe, Armenia and the Horn of Africa (Oriental Orthodox). It is the predominant Christian presence (if not the dominant religion) in the Balkans outside Serbia, the Middle East, Syria, Turkey, and Egypt (Oriental Orthodox). Substantial minority Orthodox populations exist in Finland, and on every continent globally including the English speaking world. The “Eastern” (Chalcedonian) and Oriental Orthodox Churches, although close in belief and practice are not in unity with one other. There is no such thing as “Eastern” Orthodox Church ... just the Orthodox Church since she is not limited by geography.

The Organisation of the Orthodox Church: 

The Organisation of the Orthodox Church

Timeline : 

Timeline

The Faith:: 

The Faith: “Orthodox” means (from the Greek) “right belief” or “true worship.” This standard is established in Holy Tradition which connects the Church to its origins in the covenanted communities of the Old and New Testaments. Since Orthodoxy confesses itself to be the original Church it has friendly ecumenical relations with other churches but cannot accept into unity those churches that do not share this original faith and life. The west was Orthodox during the first Millennium before Rome broke away in the Great Schism of 1054 A.D. Before that time Rome had been the “senior partner” in the Church; afterward Constantinople became the first amongst equals.

Authority in the Orthodox Church: 

Authority in the Orthodox Church The Scriptures are the normative core of Holy Tradition but the Scriptures alone are not a sufficient source of authority in the Church. In Orthodoxy, Holy Tradition is a many layered “cake” of Scripture, the Creeds, the Councils of the Church, the teachers of the Fathers, the lives of the saints and even the iconography of the Church, all inspired by the Holy Spirit, connecting past, present and future. Orthodoxy has no single human head as is the Pope’s role in the Roman Catholic Church. Certain bishops have the seniority of precedence by caring for historically important sees (in order, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Moscow ... then the other autocephalous churches), but all bishops are essentially equal the only head of the Church being Christ. The Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople is not an eastern “pope”! His service of love is to facilitate the unity of the whole Church but not by decree or jurisdiction over any other local church. The whole Orthodox Church is an organic unity in God and ALL Orthodox Christians are responsible for the maintenance and living out of her faith, not just the clergy. Important matters in the Orthodox Church are settled by an Ecumenical Council (of which in history there have been seven) together with other regional councils and synods. Their decisions are enshrined in the canons or rule book of the Orthodox Church. Some canons are now of historical interest only. Others remain vital for today.

Who are the ministers of the Orthodox Church?: 

Who are the ministers of the Orthodox Church? Bishops: Successors of the Apostles, responsible for pastoring their dioceses under Christ. Always single in the Orthodox Church and usually monastics. May have been married priests before the repose of their wives. Women may be neither bishops nor priests. Priests: Care for the parish churches and missions on behalf of the bishop. Usually, (but not always), married unless serving in a monastery. If married, must have done so before ordination. Deacons: A ministry of service and liturgical prayer in the Church. Women deacons (deaconesses) existed once in the Orthodox Church and there is no reason why they shouldn’t do so now. Minor Orders: Subdeacons , Readers, Cantors and other authorised ministries .... Usually liturgical in character. Other Ministries: Catechists, Teachers, Pastoral Assistants, Evangelists, Acolytes (Servers), Administrators (too many to mention!)

What about monks and nuns?: 

What about monks and nuns? There are no monastic orders in the Orthodox Church as in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. Monks and nuns live by historic Rules but the monastery itself does not have a specialism or profile inherent in the idea of an “order.” The first monastics were the desert fathers and mothers who after the example of St. Antony retired to the deserts of the Middle East to deepen their spiritual lives and by so doing became counsellors to many. In the second Millennium a group of monastic communities on Mount Athos in Greece grew rapidly and soon established itself, even in the Ottoman period, as the monastic spiritual power-house of the Orthodox Church ... a position formerly held by Palestinian and Syrian monasticism before the spread of Islam.  Vibrant communities remain on Mount Athos today and have grown considerably over the last 50 years. Monasticism has also grown in the Slav world and before the Russian revolution the Optina fathers made a strong contribution to Russian Christian culture.  With Orthodoxy's growth in the west in more recent times, monasteries have been established here as well.

How are your beliefs different from those of other churches?: 

How are your beliefs different from those of other churches? A different understanding of sin – human problems and conflicts arise from disordered energies in the human heart which have been generated by corruption and death in our consciousness / spirit. A different understanding of salvat ion – the resurrection of Christ has lifted the curse of death freeing up mankind to grow back into the likeness of God, participating in his energies (deification / theosis). We do not inherit guilt in respect of the sin of Adam and Eve for we are accountable for our own actual sins only. Human nature is perfectible. Mary does not need to be immaculately conceived, that is without ancestral (original) sin. The cross is not a forensic transaction whereby we have been spared a punishment by a vicarious sacrifice but rather an inward crucifixion of egotism as we learn to repent, that is to renew our minds and hearts. Hell is not a place of eternal punishment created by God. His nature is unvarying, constant and infinite Love. Those who damn themselves create hell by resisting divine Love and experiencing it as ultimate suffering. We deny the alleged 1000 year reign of Christ and the rapture. We pray for all to be saved even if we can not be confident of that. Children receive Holy Communion from the moment of baptism no matter how young they are. They are in a natural state of communion with God and grow most readily through reception of the Holy Mysteries.

How does your worship differ from that of other churches?: 

How does your worship differ from that of other churches? We do not use musical instruments. God is best worshipped with the unadorned human voice. The normal posture for worship is standing. We are redeemed. No kneeling is permitted on Sunday for it is the Day of Resurrection, a little Pascha (Easter). We dislike sentimentality and inordinate expressions of emotion in worship. Not everyone has the same feelings in worship so we do not attempt to standardise them. Prayers and readings are objectified by chanting. Worship is offered to God , not as a means of manipulating the human response. As such, reverence and glory are the keys to a correct ethos. Worship must be an evolution of a received tradition , not a creation of an individual or the artifice of a committee. Worship must utilise all the senses, including the body. The veneration of icons and relics is an essential (not merely a permissive) aspect of Christian worship. They ground our love of God tangibly in actual persons the prototypes of which these images are. We are not reductionists in worship but rather maximalists!