Interesting article was posted on the Orthodoxy board today:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/december/30.40.html
I felt like cheering! I don't think most of the "real Orthodox" liked it as much though. The article points out that Orthodoxy hasn't contextualized its faith and liturgy in the modern world and hasn't figured out how to relate to unchurched people. He calls for increased evangelical fervour in the Orthodox church and an increasingly self-critical view of the accretions of Orthodoxy. Most of all, he calls for dialogue between the Orthodox and the rest of Christendom - Oh yes!
2 comments:
Mine was probably one of those comments. Not the best-writeen or best thought out thing I've ever done. Hopefully this will make a bit more sense: I think that by and large that article is excellent. I am completely in favor of a missionary church. We need to have the desire to share what should be the most precious thing in the world with others. We need to have English services in English-speaking countries. We need to think of Orthodoxy as universal, not ethnic (while acknowledging the lessons the ethnic Orthodox can teach us). The article supports all of that and for that I applaud it and its author. On the other hand, we have to walk the tightrope of relating to the world while maintaining our Orthodox identity which is something I feel the ecumenical movement as a whole sometimes fails to do. I want a missionary church but I don't want it to compromise what it is as a church to become missionary. At this point I'm not sure if the article is a little further in that direction than I am or if I was having a knee-jerk reaction. No matter which way it really is, it contains some valuable lessons which we need to take to heart. If you have any questions/comments, feel free to leave them on either my LJ or my blogspot account.
Maureen
I must have missed the negative comments. I'll have to go back and look for them. I posted the article in my personal journal because I liked it and those who read it in my journal (admittedly, only a few of whom are Orthodox) seemed to like it as well.
On another note, I stumbled across a URL that made me think of you so I'm passing it on in case there is anything there you might find useful.
A Reading List for Anglican Inquirers
http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/ang_readlist.aspx
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