Orthodox-Reformed Bridge

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Author: Robert Arakaki (Page 61 of 89)

Baptist Questions About Ignatius of Antioch

November 10, 2012 / / 18 Comments

 

 

Icon - Ignatius of Antioch (d. 98/117)

Icon – Ignatius of Antioch (d. 98/117)

Dear Folks, Burckhardtfan wrote some important questions about Ignatius of Antioch’s understanding of the early Church. As my answer grew longer I decided to turn it into a blog posting.Burkhardtfan wrote:

Mr. Arakaki,

Thank you for another brilliant post. I just have two questions:

1. When Ignatius says that nothing should be done without the bishop, what does he mean by the word ‘bishop’? Does it mean a local pastor or someone with authority over local congregations in a certain area? Congregationalists believe that local churches should be completely autonomous, believing that any external authority which in any way dictates the affairs of a local church is illegitimate. This is especially prominent among Baptist churches; they jealously guard their independence. Does Ignatius or any other father clarify what they mean by a bishop or describe the functions of this particular office?

2. In the same passage, what is the phrase ‘catholic church’ in the original Greek/Latin (I don’t know which language Ignatius wrote in)? Does it really mean ‘universal’ in the original Greek/Latin, or is the English translation an interpolation? I know the Greek word ‘katholikos’ means universal; if this word is present, then I know the concept of a ‘catholic’ church existed from the very beginning (some Baptists completely reject the notion of a ‘universal Church’ – and some go so far as to reject the idea that the Church is the Body or Bride of Christ!)

God bless!

 

MY RESPONSE

1. The Office of the Bishop

In Titus 1:5 Paul reminds Titus that he gave Titus the assignment of appointing elders in every town and to “set in order the things that are lacking.” Here Titus is acting in the capacity of a bishop, and the elders playing the role of priests assigned to a local parish. It appears that there were already Christian fellowships in these towns but that they needed to be recognized and brought into proper relationship with the Church catholic. Also interesting is Titus 2:15: “These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.” This makes sense if Titus is acting as a bishop attempting to bring order to a troubled diocese. Given the egalitarianism of Baptist polity I cannot imagine a Baptist pastor exercising “all authority.” More significant is the Greek word επιταγης (epitage) which Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament vol. viii p. 37 has this to say: “…it denotes especially the direction of those in high office who have something to say.” (emphasis added)  That the meaning of the original Greek “epitage” is based on authority coming from a higher office is consistent with the office of the bishop as a hierarchical position.

Acts 14:23 indicates that only qualified men were appointed (ordained) to office of elders. The verse also notes that this was the standard practice for local leaders to be appointed by those with apostolic authority. This was not an independent action by an autonomous congregation but a church under the authority of the Apostles. Baptist churches are self-organized, not by an external authority; this is contrary to Acts 14:23.

The following chapter (Acts 15) shows how the early Church responded to a theological crisis. In response to the controversy over whether Gentiles needed to become Jews in order to become Christians a council was convened in Jerusalem. This set a precedent for future Ecumenical Councils. (For those unfamiliar with church history, the Seven Ecumenical Councils defined the parameters of orthodox Christology and Trinity.) From the Jerusalem Council came a letter showing how the issue was resolved. This decision had binding authority on the churches. This is quite different from the Baptist polity.

Another indication of the bishop as the leader of the city can be found in Revelation 2 and 3 in which a letter was sent to the respective “angel” (bishop) of the cities of Asia. In Revelation 2:5 Jesus warns the bishop of Ephesus that he would be removed from office (remove your lampstand from its place) if he did not amend his ways. So when we look at Ignatius’ letters we see them addressed to the church of a particular city. This points to the local church as the unified gathering of congregations in one particular city or area. Ignatius could have addressed it to a particular home fellowship but he did not.

The word “bishop” is derived from the Greek επισκοπος (episcopos). It comes from “epi” (over) and “skopeo” (to pay attention to, be concerned about). The modern English word “supervise” is similar in meaning coming from “super” (over) and “vise” (to see) thus to “oversee.” Some denominations have superintendents instead of bishops but the overall function is similar. One critical difference is that Protestant superintendents cannot claim apostolic authorization for their office. See my posting on the office of the bishop and apostolic succession.

Ignatius of Antioch (d. 98/117) was very familiar with the polity of the early Church. He came from Antioch the home church of the Apostle Paul. According to the book of Acts Antioch was where Paul received his missionary calling and it served as his home base for his missionary journeys (Acts 13 and 14). Ignatius was the third bishop of Antioch after the Apostle Peter and Euodius, whom he succeeded in AD 68. Thus, Ignatius’ letters cannot be ignored as a later development but must be treated as a direct witness to the early church.

 

2. The Church Catholic

Regarding the Greek word καθολου (katholou) that Ignatius used in his letters, the Liddell-Scott Lexicon gives the following meanings: (1) on the whole, (2) in general, and (3) in the negative – not at all. Etymologically, “katholou” comes from “kata” (according) and “holou” (whole, all) and thus can mean: according to the whole. An excellent discussion of the emergence of the idea of the church catholic can be found in JND Kelly’s Early Christian Doctrines (p. 190):

If the Church is one, it is so in virtue of the divine life pulsing through it. Called into existence by God, it is no more a mere man-made agglomerate than was God’s ancient people Israel. It is in fact the body of Christ, forming a spiritual unity with Him as close as is His unity with the Father, so that Christians can be called his members.

So to answer your question is: No. The word “catholic” is not the same as “universal.” The word “universal” has more of the sense of geographic dispersion, being everywhere. The better word for that is the Greek word οικουμενη (oikoumene).

Let me give you an analogy to illustrate the notion of “according to the whole.”

 

US Embassy in Manila, Philippines

US Embassy in Manila, Philippines

Imagine a US embassy located in a far off country in Africa or Asia. That embassy is not the United States but it is definitely a part of the USA. An action taken there is applicable elsewhere in the US and American embassies around the world. This is because that embassy and its staff work under the authority of the US government.

In a similar manner, the Orthodox Church through apostolic succession exercises authority from Christ and his Apostles.  What unites the local parish to the entire Church is the Eucharist in which we feed on the body and blood of Christ. The Orthodox parishes around the world shares in the same worship and doctrine. What one sees at one parish will be the same as other parishes around the globe. This liturgical and doctrinal unity is proof that Orthodoxy is the Church Catholic.

Imagine also a group of natives in the area who love the United States and want to be US citizens. They form an American club, read the US Constitution every week, eat hamburgers often, and celebrate the Fourth of July once a year. Would that make them US citizens? Of course not. They could pass for Americans but the key thing is whether they have the right to vote. This is the quandary of Protestants; they think that just holding a copy of the Bible in their hands make them a church. Early Christians like Ignatius of Antioch would strongly disagree. The key here is the Eucharist under the bishop.  Ignatius wrote:

Let no one do any of the things appertaining to the Church without the bishop. Let that be considered a valid Eucharist which is celebrated by the bishop, or by one whom he appoints (To the Smyrneans VIII)

A Protestant might object: “What’s the big deal about the Eucharist? It’s just a symbol.” The answer to that is that historically Christians have always since the beginning affirmed the real presence in the Eucharist. The symbolic understanding is something that surfaced on the radical fringes of the Protestant Reformation. Because the Eucharist links the local church to the Christ’s death on the Cross, the Eucharist is the source of the Church’s covenantal authority. Thus, the way Baptists and Congregationalists celebrate the Lord’s Supper makes visible their disconnect from the early Church.

 

A Reminiscence

I used to belong to a congregational church. Once I was on the church by-laws committee. The moderator wanted to do some minor updating to the by-laws. I persuaded the rest of the committee to put everything up for review including the church’s statement of faith!   I recommended some changes to the statement of faith that were approved. And ironically, the by-laws revisions led to my old church moving away from pure congregational polity to an elder model. As a congregational church we were free to do as we pleased. As an Orthodox Christian I look back on all this with amazement, amusement, and horror.

Kalihi Union Church – Photo by Joel Abroad

I understand and appreciate congregationalism’s emphasis on local church autonomy. It’s a very useful defense against a denomination attempting to impose strange doctrines on the local church. My former home church (Kalihi Union Church) was staunchly evangelical in the liberal mainline United Church of Christ. Over time I became concerned by the fact that that local church autonomy, while it provided some protection against liberal theology also made for a highly dysfunctional ecclesiology. Unity becomes more a mirage than a reality.

When I became Orthodox I found a sense of relief when I learned that the Orthodox bishops are constrained by Holy Tradition and that the entire Orthodox Church, including the laity, have a responsibility for guarding Holy Tradition. Just as reassuring was the fact that the Orthodox Church has kept the Faith without change for the past two thousand years.

 

Closing Question for Baptists and Congregationalists

The question I have for any Baptist or Congregationalist reading Ignatius of Antioch’s letters is: If the polity and worship practice described by Ignatius is at odds with your congregational polity and practice, whose church more closely resembles the early Church founded by the Apostles? Ignatius of Antioch’s which lives under the bishop and celebrates the Eucharist every Sunday or the Baptist/Congregational church which has no bishop and celebrates the Eucharist infrequently?

Robert Arakaki

 

Book Review: Saints and Scoundrels by Robin Phillips

October 29, 2012 / / 4 Comments
 [Revised 7 November 2012]

It is a distressing fact that many Protestants nowadays are ignorant or indifferent about church history.  This mindset is dangerous on several levels.  One, it in effect denies God’s role as the Creator and Sustainer of his creation.  Two, it denies that there is a moral dimension to history.  Three, it implicitly denies that God is at work redemptively giving human history purpose and meaning.  And four, it assumes a spirit/matter dualism that closely resembles the ancient heresy of Gnosticism.

Order Book from Canon Press

 

It has been a pleasure interacting with Robin Phillips through this blog.  I especially appreciate his articles on Protestantism’s vulnerability to the Gnostic heresy.  He recently published Saints and Scoundrels: From King Herod to Solzhenitsyn through Canon Press.  The book seems to be written to remedy Protestantism’s historical amnesia.

 

A Young Boy and the Flow of History

The seed for Saints and Scoundrels was planted when as a eleven year old boy, Robin Phillips, visited the Berlin Wall.  He wrote in the Preface:

Robin Phillips then

When I was eleven years old, I traveled to West Germany with my family. I will never forget the afternoon my dad drove us to the wall separating West and East Germany. The electric fence dividing the free world from the “evil empire” looked ominous. 

As we emerged from the car, we were met by a chill, drizzling rain. On the other side of the fence a lone guard stared gloomily at us. The rest of my family had their picture taken in front of the fence but I was too afraid to venture near. A few minutes later I plucked up the courage and asked my dad to photograph me next to the terrible barrier, or as close to it as I dared approach.

 

A few years later, he saw the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of communism. This had a profound impact on Robin Phillips. He wrote further in the Preface:

Robin Phillips

In toppling His enemies, God does not work alone but uses the faithfulness of His people throughout the ages to accomplish His purposes. From my perspective as a young boy, it seemed as though the collapse of communism had come out of the blue. Since then, I have had the opportunity to study the men and women of faith who played a part in the accomplishment of God’s plans. 

 

We are all part of the flow of history. Some people think history is boring and irrelevant to faith in Christ, but reading Saints and Scoundrels will make us come away with an appreciation of how the moral choices people make affect the flow of history and how God exercises his sovereignty and redemptive grace in history.

 

Overview of Saints and Scoundrels

This book is not conventional church history.  Major historical figures like Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, and John Calvin are passed over.  It is, rather, a collection of biographical sketches arranged in chronological order.  As the title implies the book covers both the high and low points of Western history.

Robin Phillips is attempting to present something similar to Hebrews 11, the biblical chapter that recalls the heroes of the faith. The book aims to present a Christian worldview through positive and negative moral examples.  It also presents the Christian worldview exemplified through a wide range of vocations: theology, politics, charity, literature, drama, and cross-cultural missions.  In his Preface Phillips states: “What is just as important as defeating or converting God’s enemies is the positive work of building up the culture of Christendom (p. 13).”  To further reinforce the book’s pedagogical function at the end of each chapter is a list of discussion questions and a personal challenge question.  The book assumes that one already has a grasp of basic Christian doctrine and values.

 

My Evaluation

Robin Phillips’ prose is clear and accessible to a general audience, but I was confused at times about whom his intended audience was.  The occasional bolded terms for the glossary seem to be aimed a high schoolers or first year college students.  But there are parts where Phillips presents complex ideas like cultural Marxism which is more appropriate to college students.

I wished Robin Phillips had provided an introduction and an epilogue to provide an overarching thematic unity for the book.  George Grant’s “Introduction” seems to me more of a foreword.  It would have been good if Phillips took some time to discuss the method behind his selections.  There is an implicit agenda conducted through his selections.  Nearly half of the chapters (eight out of twenty) deal with characters from England and another two from Scotland.  This is not necessarily a flaw or a weakness but it does need to be addressed openly in either the introduction or epilogue.  A parent or instructor perusing the book needs to know these things at the outset.

The selections seem to be guided by a concern for the cultivation of a Christian worldview.  The selections are at times surprising and illuminating.  As a product of modern American culture I especially benefitted from the chapters on Alfred the Great, King John, William of Orange, and J.S. Bach.  I was pleasantly surprised to find the inclusion of the Frankfurt School of critical theory.  As a product of modern liberal education I am well acquainted with this school of thought.  This is an influential school of thought that young Christians need to be prepared to deal with.  It seems to this reviewer that in selecting extremes like Jean Jacques Rousseau and Antonio Gramsci, Phillips quietly passed over moderate liberals like Thomas Jefferson and John Locke.  This gives the selections an antinomic black versus white quality that can give an unbalanced view of history.

Theologically, the book assumes an irenic “mere Christian” stance.   While Robin Phillips often took an overtly didactic tone in his biographical sketches, theological issues were handled with a light touch.  One example of the book’s didactic tone can be found in the introduction to the life of George MacDonald: “One important lesson we learn from MacDonald is that beauty was never meant to be an end in itself, but something that points us beyond the universe to God and His goodness” (p. 246).  Phillips describes Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a “highly complex thinker” and “heterodox” (p. 263).  This is very mild language that fails to alert the young reader to the liberal elements in Bonhoeffer’s theology that has upset conservative Protestants.  See Michael Hoffman’s review on Amazon.

From an ecumenical standpoint the book is biased towards Protestantism but is balanced by the inclusion other Christian traditions, e.g., Eastern Orthodox Christians like Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.  It would have been good if someone from the Roman Catholic tradition were included in Saints and Scoundrels.  The late Pope John Paul II, who helped bring about the downfall of Communism, could have served as a complement to the Orthodox Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.  Father Damien De Veuster is an example of a life of sacrificial service to those rejected by society.  In the 1800s the Hawaiian kingdom was predominantly Protestant (Calvinist Congregationalist), but it was a Roman Catholic missionary priest from Belgium who is remembered more than a century later for his ministry of compassion to the Hawaiians under medical quarantine due to Hansen’s disease.  He known today as Saint Damien of Molokai, a “martyr of charity.”

As an Orthodox Christian I was especially interested in what Robin Phillips had to say about Irenaeus of Lyons and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.  He did a good job describing how Irenaeus defended the Christian Faith against the Gnostic heresy.  He drew attention to the fact that Christian truth is public truth safeguarded by means of apostolic succession. But more attention could have been given to the fact that Irenaeus stressed the visibility and universality of Christian truth — that no matter where one went throughout the Roman Empire one would hear the same confession of faith.  Irenaeus’ emphasis on visible church unity is a necessary corrective to the widespread belief among Protestants that the true church is the invisible church and that the plurality of doctrines among Protestant denominations is tolerable.

 

Orthodox Eucharist

Robin Phillips noted that Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was deeply influenced by the rhythms and rituals of Orthodox worship (p. 318).  But such a cursory description does a disservice to most Western readers who are unaware of the rich and profound nature of the Orthodox Liturgy.  Many first time visitors have commented on the deep spirituality of Orthodox worship.  There is a well known story how the pagan ruler Vladimir of the Kievan Rus sent envoys to investigate the religion of the neighboring countries.  Of the Orthodox worship at Constantinople the envoys reported: “We no longer knew whether we were in heaven or on earth, nor such beauty, and we know not how to tell of it.”  Unless the reader has a glimmer of the deep spirituality of the Orthodox Liturgy, they will not be able to understand what religion means for an Orthodox Christian like Solzhenitsyn.

With respect to the discussion questions I believe that Robin Phillips ought to have raised the question about the US now having the largest prison population and the highest prison population rate in the world.  If the United States has now become the new gulag archipelago what does it say about the moral health of our country and about the moral influence of Christianity?

The Glossary seems to be a vocabulary builder for high schoolers.  The inclusion of basic vocabulary items like “deft,” “ecclesiastical,” “ecumenical,” and “egalitarian” struck me as unnecessary as they can be easily looked up with a pocket dictionary or Googled by those with wifi connections.  Also, there were some missed opportunities.  For example, Phillips did not include important terms like: “heterodox,” “materialism,” “modernism,” “romanticism,” and “secularism.”  It is important that young Christians have a good understanding of these ideas when they enter into the intellectual marketplace of academia.

The “Bibliography and Sources” section will be useful for those who wish to do further reading.  The entries are eclectic ranging from ancient primary sources like Josephus’ Jewish Antiquities and the Jewish War, nineteenth century works like Philip Schaff’s History of the Christian Church, to modern scholarly works by major publishing houses like Cambridge University Press.  Also included are URLs to blog postings written by Phillips and others.  However, this section is not comprehensive.  A quick glance showed some major omissions, e.g., Robert M. Grant’s Irenaeus of Lyons (1997) and Eric Metaxas’ Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy (2011).  Despite these limitations the entries are suitable for the intended audience.

 

Recommendation

A widespread problem among many Christians today is the ignorance of church history and their Christian cultural heritage.  Saints and Scoundrels is recommended for Christians who wish to learn about the Western Christian heritage and those who want to strengthen their Christian worldview.  This book works best as: (1) a supplementary reading for a Christian secondary school or (2) Christian parents who want to acquaint their teenage children with a Christian approach to history, culture, and morality.

Robert Arakaki

 

Additional Links

Order Saints and Scoundrels from Canon Press

Posting:   Response to Robin Phillips — “Are Calvinists Among the Gnostics?”

Posting:   Response to Robing Phillips “Questions About St. Irenaeus and Apostolic Succession.”

 

The Orthodox Priest’s Toolbox for Pastoral Care

October 19, 2012 / / 7 Comments


toolbox-1

 

An Orthodox Response to Spencer Boersma’s “The Impotence of Calvinism?” (2 of 2)    (1 of 2)

This week’s posting is a continuation of my response to Spencer Boersma’s “The Impotence of Calvinism.”  In this posting I will be looking at how an Orthodox priest might approach Young Man’s problem differently.

 

The plight of Boersma’s Reformed pastor is that his tool box is a limited one.  An Orthodox priest has a much fuller array of tools available to him.

 

The Divine Liturgy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consistent attendance at weekly Sunday Service is foundational for Orthodox spirituality.  The Liturgy provides focus and power to our individual spirituality.  It shapes our hearts and minds as we participate in the prayers and hymns.  It is not just a nice Sunday service.  For the Orthodox it begins with the Vespers service at Saturday sundown followed by Matins and the Liturgy on Sunday morning.  Standing throughout the Liturgy, singing the hymns, paying attention to the prayers, and keeping the pre-Communion fast (no food or drink after midnight) comprise a regime of spiritual disciplines far more demanding than many Protestant services today.  Liturgical worship is radically different from the feel good spiritual high of mega churches or the lengthy sermon centered services of traditional Protestantism.

I like to think of the Liturgy as a spiritual nuclear reactor; if one stands in the radiation field one gets irradiated or energized by the Divine Presence.  There are two key moments in the Liturgy: the reading of the Gospels in which we hear the words of Christ, and the Eucharist in which we feed on the Body and Blood of Christ.  The Eucharist in the early Church was not viewed as symbolic reminders but as “the medicine of immortality.”  In the pre-Communion prayer by John Chrysostom we read:

Seeing the divine blood, have fear, O man, for it is coal that burns the unworthy.  It is God’s body that deifies and nourishes me; it deifies the spirit and nourishes the mind mystically.

Loving Master, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, do not let these Holy Things be to my condemnation because of my unworthiness, but rather for purification and sanctification of my soul and body, and as a pledge of the life and kingdom to come.  For it is good for me to cleave to God, and to place the hope of my salvation in the Lord.

This understanding of the real presence in the Eucharist is radically different from what many Protestants are accustomed to, even for the Reformed Christians who affirm the real presence in the Lord’s Supper.

 

Confession

Orthodox Confession

This is probably the most potent tool that the Orthodox priest has that the Reformed pastor does not have.  If the Young Man were to ask: “Father, why did I sin?”  The priest can reply: “Let us go before God in prayer and we will deal with your sin problem in the sacrament of confession.”  In the Orthodox approach to confession one usually stands or kneels before the icon of Christ with the priest standing at one’s side.  To use Evangelical language the Orthodox priest and the penitent go in prayer to the foot of the Cross, and there the penitent confesses his sins to Jesus Christ directly.  The priest is a bystander acting as a witness.  In the sacrament of confession the priest prays:

O God our Saviour, who by thy Prophet Nathan didst grant unto repentant David pardon of his transgressions, and didst accept Manasses’ prayer of penitence: Do thou, with thy wonted love towards mankind, accept also thy servant, N., who repenteth him (her of the sins which he (she) hath done, pardoning his (her) offences, and passing by his (her) iniquities.  For thou hast said, O Lord: With desire have I desired not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from the wickedness which he hath committed, and live; and that even unto seventy times seven, sins ought to be forgiven.

By speaking out loud the sin, the penitent is bringing the sin out from the shadows of shame and secrecy into the light of humility and faith.  Confession is also an opportunity for healing and coaching.  Oftentimes the priest will give the penitent Christian advice about how to strengthen their spiritual life and live a life pleasing to God.  Going to confession is often an uncomfortable experience because it involves baring one’s soul to the priest.  This is similar to the discomfort one feels when one undergoes a physical examination by the physician.  Frederica Mathewes-Green in At the Corner of East and Now (p. 65) wrote:

Preparing to go to confession can be stressful; one feels awkward and embarrassed to say some things aloud.  But saying them, and then hearing them forgiven, turns out to be surprisingly liberating.  It’s freeing to have no secrets and to know that one’s most shameful moments are seen, known, and forgiven by God.  Receiving this forgiveness through the priest, hearing the words aloud, contributes to a sense of permanency and reliability; its’ not just you talking to the bedroom ceiling.  As my husband says, on the way in people say, “I hate confession!”  On the way out they say, “I love confessions!“

The Orthodox understanding is that when we come to faith in Christ and are born anew in the sacrament of Baptism all our sins have been forgiven.  In baptism all our previous sins have been forgiven but not future sins.  Because they have not yet happened these sins are hypothetical.  But when they become real then they need to be dealt with through repentance and confession.

 

Fasting

The Weekly Fasts.  All Orthodox Christians are expected to keep the Wednesday and Friday fasts.  The weekly fasts consists primarily of abstaining from meat, fish, and dairy products.  This is an ancient spiritual discipline which dates back to the early church.  According to the first century Christian document, Didache 8:1, the Christian fasts are a continuation of the Jewish biweekly fasts.  This makes for spiritual discipline as a corporate endeavor, something the Church does together than an individual affair.

Fasting has for the most part been discarded by Protestants.  They shy away from fasting out of fear of works righteousness or if they do endorse fasting, they stress that you do it on your time in your own way.  But for the Orthodox fasting is a way of denying the desires of the flesh and of submitting to Christ.  It is also a way of strengthening our souls.  For many Christians our inner life is in disarray like an exhausted mom whose house is taken over by unruly children, or like the owner of a dog who is pulled along by the dog instead being the master.  Oftentimes a priest will prescribe a fasting regime for persistent sins.  By learning to control the desires of our stomachs we learn to control the other desires (passions) becoming rational beings no longer swayed by our feelings and wants.

Fasting is a powerful tool for dealing with situations where demonic influences are involved (see Mark 9:29 NKJV).  Pope Leo the Great, a fifth century church father, wrote:

Therefore abstaining from food and drink, they [the Jews] applied the discipline of strict correction to themselves, and in order to conquer their foes, first conquered the allurements of the palate in themselves.  And thus it came about that their fierce enemies and cruel taskmasters yielded to them when fasting, whom they had held in subjection when full.  And so we [the Christians] too, dearly beloved, who are set in the midst of many oppositions and conflicts, may be cured by a little carefulness, if only we will use the same means [fasting].  For our case is almost the same as theirs, seeing that, as they were attacked by foes in the flesh so are we chiefly by spiritual enemies.  (“Sermon XXXIX.I On Lent” Sermons of Leo the Great.  NPNF Second Series Vol. XII p. 152)

Relying, therefore, dearly-beloved, on these arms, let us enter actively and fearlessly on the contest set before us; so that in this fasting struggle we may not rest satisfied with only this end, that we should think abstinence from food alone desirable.  For it is not enough that the substance of our flesh should be reduced, if the strength of the soul be not also developed. (“Sermon XXXIX.V On Lent” Sermons of Leo the Great.  NPNF Second Series Vol. XII p. 153)

Abstaining from food makes little sense in a religious tradition like Calvinism that puts the emphasis on the intellect, but fits in well with a religious tradition like Orthodoxy that has a more holistic view of the human person.  I would urge my Calvinist friends to give thought to the mind-body separation that seems to pervade their worldview.  This theological outlook is at odds with the more integrated and holistic spirituality of the early Christians.

 

Boston Marathon

Great Lent.  For me the transition from popular Evangelicalism to Orthodoxy was a lot like a couch potato joining a family of athletes.  If the twice a week fasts are like a routine morning jog, Orthodoxy’s 40 days of fasting in Orthodoxy is like the Boston Marathon or the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon.

 

Great Lent is a time of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.  In addition to the fasting are the midweek church services.  It can be a tremendous challenge for many but they end up spiritually stronger.   Under the spiritual regimen of Calvinism, the Young Man would become more developed intellectually but remain undeveloped in other areas of his life.  Under the holistic approach of Orthodox Great Lent the Young Man will be challenged not only in his intellect, but also in his heart and his relationship with the Church and with those in need outside the Church.

 

Pocket-Prayer-book-black__50622_zoom

Prayer.  Personal devotions are valued in both the Protestant and Orthodox traditions.  In contrast to Protestantism’s emphasis on extemporaneous prayer, Orthodoxy values liturgical prayers.  It also values prayers composed by the saints.  The value of using these prayers are much like a beginning pianist imitating the great composers.  Orthodoxy also has available for its members prayer books that contain the Morning Prayer and the Evening Prayer, and prayers for other occasions.  One of the more popular prayer book is the tiny pocket prayer book sponsored by the Antiochian Archdiocese.  In addition there are: A Manual of Eastern Orthodox Prayer and My Orthodox Prayer Book.  For those interested in the Slavic tradition, there are the Orthodox Prayer Book (Jordanville) and the Old Orthodox Prayer Book (Russian Old Believer).

 

 

Prayer Rope

Probably the most characteristic example of Orthodox spirituality is the black knotted prayer rope and the Jesus Prayer.  Orthodox Christians will say: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me” at each knot.  The constant saying of the Jesus Prayer will etch the prayer onto our hearts and mind reshaping our inner man.

 

 

 

Monasticism.  If the Orthodox parish priest is like the family doctor, the monastery is like the Mayo Clinic of Orthodox spirituality.  Orthodox monastics devote their lives to prayer much like the way pro football players devote their lives to athletic excellence.  Thus, if an Orthodox priest finds himself with a difficult pastoral challenge he has the option of recommending the Young Man do a pilgrimage to a monastery.  Many Orthodox Christians go to a nearby monastery for a personal retreat and for spiritual direction.  Contemporary accounts of pilgrimages to Orthodox monasteries can be found in Touching Heaven: Discovering Orthodox Spirituality on the Island of Valaam (2003), The Mountain of Silence: A Search for Orthodox Spirituality (2002), and The Scent of Holiness: Lessons From a Women’s Monastery (2012).

The Calvinist pastor on the other hand pretty much operates like an independent physician who has no nearby hospital to rely on.  Thus many Reformed pastors, if they ever run into especially difficult pastoral cases, are pretty much on their own.  They might be able to consult with fellow pastors or with their seminary professors but that is about it.

In our modern and post-modern culture saturated material excess and framed by materialistic worldview, we have largely lost the place and importance of the monastery and monastic life for Christian spirituality. This neglect is evident even in many Orthodox parishes. Yet in many Protestant settings the subject of monasticism and the monastic lifestyle is subject to scorn and ridicule.  Instead of visiting monasteries, many Protestants attend conferences or go on cruises where they hear inspiring talks.  This situation is tragic.  We need to awaken to the widespread spiritual poverty in our midst to recognize the important role monasteries play in supporting the spiritual vigor of the larger Church.

 

Lives of the Saints.  In every Sunday service the Orthodox Church commemorates saints of the day.  During the Matins service which precedes the Divine Liturgy excerpts from the lives of the saints are read.  These are in part a lesson in church history but are also a celebration of the Holy Spirit’s work in a person’s life.  One of the more conspicuous examples of this is the story of Saint Mary of Egypt whose life story is recounted on the fifth Sunday of Lent.  Athanasius the Great Life of St. Anthony is an early classic about a great desert father.  The Prologue of Ohrid is a multi-volume series of the lives of Orthodox saints.

 

 

Protestantism’s neglect of the lives of the saint is partly due to its rugged individualistic mindset.  We will live the Christian life our own way: “No one tells me what to do!”  Our fear of “ancestor worship” has resulted in a huge gap in church history among Protestants.  Instead of being rooted in history, many Protestants today are enamored with their favorite modern theologians or radio preachers but are woefully ignorant of their rich Christian heritage.  When I need examples for combating the passions of the flesh I reflect on John the Baptist and Saint Mary of Egypt.  I can also find spiritual wisdom in the great spiritual classic The Ladder of Divine Ascent by Saint John of the Ladder.  Many people also find great value in the Philokalia, a compilation of texts by spiritual masters from 300 to 1400.  The wisdom of these books become even more useful if used in conjunction with the guidance of a wise father confessor (spiritual director).

 

Summary

The predicament of Boersma’s Young Man is common across Christian traditions.  However, theological paradigms greatly influence the responses the pastor or priest will make.  Boersma’s hypothetical dialogue illustrates some of the limitations and constraints of Reformed theology.  Orthodoxy on the other hand does not agonize whether one is part of the elect.  Instead it takes a more direct and practical approach to the problem of living a holy life.  Orthodoxy is full of ancient wisdom expressed in song and teachings, historical examples of courage and humility, a framework for worship.  Orthodoxy draws on Holy Tradition and a host of spiritual tools and disciplines handed down to us from the early Church.  What I have tried to do is show how Orthodoxy provides a more holistic and effective course of treatment for problem of sin.  For those spiritually wounded and struggling to live holy lives the Orthodox Church says: Come and see!  Come to the spiritual hospital for the healing of your souls.

 Robert Arakaki
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