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Many people dismayed by Western Christianity today, especially disaffected Anglicans & others from liturgical churches, feel drawn to Eastern Orthodoxy. An ancient, mysterious branch of the Church, maybe itâs held onto the apostolic faith thatâs withering in the West?
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![Many people dismayed by Western Christianity today, especially disaffected Anglicans & others from liturgical churches, feel drawn to Eastern Orthodoxy. An ancient, mysterious branch of the Church, maybe itâs held onto the apostolic faith thatâs withering in the West?[THREAD]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EuFEpa4VIAMnOte.jpg "Many people dismayed by Western Christianity today, especially disaffected Anglicans & others from liturgical churches, feel drawn to Eastern Orthodoxy. An ancient, mysterious branch of the Church, maybe itâs held onto the apostolic faith thatâs withering in the West?[THREAD]")
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At face value, it can look quite appealing: they have a vibrant liturgical life, despite centuries under hostile Muslim rulers and Communist tyranny, it seems theyâve both preserved the catholicity of faith and moral teaching, and uphold a high view of the sacraments.
2/21
2/21
Additionally, it seems like an escape from the world of denominationalism; an escape from the seemingly endless labyrinth of different sects squabbling over minutiae, with a rich historical tradition, while not being under submission to the Bishop of Rome. Win win, right?
3/21
3/21
Alas, the picture isnât as rosy as it might appear initially. The nature of man is corrupted and inclined to evil. This is the case in every nation on earth, and in every Christian communion as well. Just as Rome and Canterbury have erred, so too have those in the East.
4/21
4/21
For this thread, Iâm not going to delve into the filioque controversy, nor the politics of the Great Schism of AD 1054, except to say both Leo IX & Cerularius were harsh and uncharitable in their conduct, and that neither excommunication was approved of by most in the Church
5/21
5/21
When it comes to Justification, EOs tend to very squishy. For an Anglican like myself, Christâs atoning sacrifice was absolutely necessary to restore the breach between mankind and God, and requires that we trust in Christ as our Savior.
6/21
6/21
Succinctly stated, we are accounted righteous before God not for our own works, but only through the sinless life and death of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Our good works do not accumulate in some way as to eventually tip the scale and render us worthy of salvation.
7/21
7/21
This is not to say that good works are not pleasing to God, for they truly are, when they flow out of the living faith of a Christian, a faith which produces such deeds as a natural outgrowth of our trust in divine mercy and the love of God. They are the fruits of redemption
8/21
8/21
The Orthodox almost seem to treat Justification as a mystery. According to the Eastern Orthodox, we sin because we follow Adamâs example, not because we have inherited his corrupted nature. For them, our justification is kind of a process of letting God unto our lives.
9/21
9/21
The problem is that Holy Scriptures is very clear on this point- justification is necessary for us, and our own works contribute nothing to the towards it. The needless vagueness about such a central issue stems from a larger difficulty with EO theology.
10/21
10/21
Among Anglicans, Continental Protestants, and evangelical denominationalists, Scripture is either the supreme revelation of God or the sole source of authority for our beliefs and practices. In this, the Eastern Orthodox are much closer to the Roman view.
11/21
11/21
EOs place Tradition on the same level as Scripture. The Bible is a collection of written works of revelation, but not the totality of it. Doctrines are determined by consulting Scripture, the ecumenical councils, the writings of the Church Fathers, monks, etc.
12/21
12/21
While many Christians turn to the Church Fathers, esteemed saints, and theologians to interpret the Bible, for EOs their interpretations are on par with Godâs Word; indeed, they are likewise inspired revelations from God. Their words are authoritative on their own merits.
13/21
13/21
To an Anglican like me, this seems, to be frank, kinda crazy. We uphold the ecumenical councils, not as inspired events of revelation, but as assemblies of men that may fall into error, and derive their authority solely on their proclamationsâ congruence w/Holy Scripture.
14/21
14/21
You might think âOk, so they just believe really strongly in the Creeds in stuff. Itâs not that crazy.â You would be wrong. By believing that the teachings of a variety of monks and theologians teachings are self-authenticating, new doctrines crop up. Enter Toll Houses
15/21
15/21
Itâs the idea that when you die, angels start carrying your soul to heaven. On the way, demons in toll houses confront you w/your earthly sins to prove youâre unworthy, to drag you into hell. To combat this, you have to provide counter examples of your works to pay them off
16/21
16/21
This idea is a pretty wild, definitely heterodox (to be charitable) doctrine. They have other strange ideas, mostly revolving around contemplative prayer, until your mind is purged of images, and you encounter the uncreated light of God, which is the Holy Spirit.
17/21
17/21
This light produces an intense ecstasy & the process of purification, prayer, and encounters w/this light accelerate sanctification. EOs believe in this because it was taught by a monk, Evagrius Ponticus, and the light is believed to be the same light at the Transfiguration
18/21
18/21
The major problem is that these ideas have, at best, the flimsiest grounding in Scripture, yet are fully incorporated into their faith and practice, coloring their understanding of salvation as involving good works to buy off demons and mystical visions to purge us of sin.
19/21
19/21
The Eastern Orthodox are strong on a lot of things, but are in need of some reforms. This is where I have encountered the most pushback from them; EOs tend to believe Eastern Orthodoxy is superior because it has always maintained the apostolic faith without blemish or error
20/21
20/21
The truth is every communion of the Church is filled w/sinners; their individual sins inevitably bring forth heresy, which spreads, making periodic reformation necessary. When anything is placed on par w/Scripture for authority, we are in peril; let us trust in Godâs Word.
21/21
21/21
