|
THE TREASURES OF ORTHODOXY An ever-growing
number of persons from various backgrounds are becoming interested in the Orthodox Church. These individuals are discovering the ancient faith and rich traditions of the Orthodox Church. They have been attracted by its
mystical vision of God and His Kingdom, by the beauty of her worship, by the purity of her Christian faith, and by her continuity with the past. These are only some of the treasures of the Church which has a
history reaching back to the time of the Apostles.Many Orthodox Christians in America proudly trace their ancestry to the lands and cultures of Europe and Asia, but the Orthodox Church in
the United States can no longer be seen as an immigrant church. While the Orthodox Church contains individuals from numerous ethnic and cultural backgrounds, the majority of her membership is composed of persons
who have been born in America. Following the practice of the Early Church, Orthodoxy treasures the various cultures of its people; but it is not bound to any particular culture or people. The Orthodox Church welcomes
all! EASTERN CHRISTIANITY The Orthodox Christian Church embodies and expresses
the rich spiritual treasures of Eastern Christianity. It should not be forgotten that the Gospel of Christ was first preached in the East and the first Christian communities were established in the lands surrounding the
Mediterranean Sea. It was in these eastern regions of the old Roman Empire that the Christian faith matured in its struggle against paganism and heresy and that the fundamentals of the Christian faith were proclaimed at
the Seven Ecumenical Councils.The spirit of Christianity which was nurtured in the East had a particular flavor. It was distinct, though not necessarily opposed, to that which developed in the Western
portion of the Roman Empire and subsequent Medieval Kingdoms in the West. While Christianity in the West developed in lands which knew the legal and moral philosophy of Ancient Rome, Eastern Christianity developed in
lands which knew the Semitic and Hellenistic cultures. While the West leaned toward a legalistic view of religion, the East espoused a more mystical theology. Since the Early Church was not monolithic, the two great
traditions existed together for more than a thousand years until the Great Schism divided the Church. Today, Roman Catholics and Protestants are heirs to the Western tradition, and the Orthodox are heirs to the Eastern
tradition. ORTHODOX Christians of the Eastern Churches call themselves Orthodox. This description comes to us from the fifth century and has two meanings which are closely related. The
first definition means true teaching. The Orthodox Church believes that she has maintained and handed down the Christian faith, free from error and distortion, from the days of the Apostles. The second
definition, which is actually the more preferred, means true praise. To bless, praise, and glorify God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the fundamental purpose of the Church. All her activities, even her
doctrinal formulations, are directed toward this goal. The word Catholic is also used to describe the Orthodox Church. This description dating back to the second century, is embodied in the Nicene
Creed which acknowledges One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. From the Orthodox perspective, Catholic means that the Church is universal and also that she includes persons of all races and cultures. It also
affirms that the Church has preserved the fullness of the Christian faith. It is not unusual for titles such as Greek, Ukrainian, and Syro-Rusian to he used in describing
Orthodox Churches. These appellations refer to the cultural or national roots of a particular parish or diocese, or its Apostolic Succession. |
