What Does the Russian Orthodox Church Have to Offer Christians?

The Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church are both major religions within the world. Orthodox Christianity is an ecclesiastical term referring to what various Christian sects conceive of as the true church or the original body of Christians. It has also been commonly used in academia as an synonym for Catholicism. As an example, the Russian Orthodox Church, which uses the name “Oriental Orthodox” when referring to its followers, is thought by many to be a valid expression of faith for many of the millions of Russian Orthodox Christians.

The challenge for every church, whatever denomination it may be, is to continue to exist as an entity that can bridge the gap between faith and reason. This means that every church must be defined by its beliefs and by its practices. Faith and Reason: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. In order for a religion to survive and thrive as a living organism that teaches and lives by the tenets of its creed it must continually engage with learning and innovation in terms of both faith and reason.

In the case of the Orthodox Church, the chief obstacle to sustaining the faith and robust growth of membership is the prevalent myth that the Bible provides irrefutable truth. According to this myth, the Russian Orthodox Church must “live in the generation after the next” or face the eventual collapse of its existence. This myth, though popular, is a gross distortion of the Bible and of Orthodox teachings. The Great Commission does not exhort the church to limit itself to the norms of the age; rather, it insists that the church must insist on the biblical dimension of faith and preaching.

Orthodox leaders commonly remind churchgoers that the modern version of Christianity is nothing more than a modern creation. The church in the time of the Fathers was not just a historical entity. Rather, its purpose was to inspire life through Biblical revelation. Hence, Orthodox Christians view the Bible as the ultimate path to understanding and acceptance, a path that leads eventually to full union with God. Thus, Orthodoxy does not reject learning and teaching in favor of retaining the exclusive definition of the church: theosis–theosis being theosis a synonymy of God.

Orthodox leaders further insist that they are not contradictory to the Gospel of Christ. Orthodox theology maintains that theosis–theosis being theosis–is the very basis of theosis–theosis theosis. Consequently, Orthodox leaders are unalterably opposed to innovations and interpretations of the Bible that relate to religion, particularly those that relate to church government and worship. Moreover, Orthodox leaders argue that theosis is not a meaningless word, but rather a meaningful and intentional act.

A key role for the Holy Fathers of the Church in the Orthodox Church has been the promotion of Orthodoxy as theosis. This role has played a key role in the growth and success of the church throughout the ages. For example, the Russian Church, which broke with the Russian Empire in 17inus’ time, welcomed converts from Germany and England who were willing to convert to Orthodoxy. In the Eastern Church, converts from Latin America, the Philippines, and China have also had notable successes. The Greek Orthodox Church, which was the first major church to break away from Rome, experienced a rapid expansion in its membership, while the Latvian Orthodox Church experienced an equally impressive growth, both within the former Yugoslavia and within the rest of the Baltic countries.

In modern times, the greatest growth of Orthodoxy outside of Russia and the Eastern Orthodox Churches has occurred in countries such as Poland and Lithuania, where many converts to Orthodoxy have come from the former Yugoslavia. Other Orthodox populations include Georgia (which has had its own Orthodox Christian population since the tenth century), Ukraine (which has had its own Orthodox Christian communities since the ninth and tenth centuries), and Moldova. In addition, some priests and church participants have left the Russian Orthodox Church and joined the Orthodox communities of the former Yugoslavia, the Philippines, or Romania. While it may be true that the growth of these isolated church populations has been slower than in other parts of the world, these congregations have remained steadfast and powerful. Even after many years of increased communication between the Christian community and the Russian government, the differences between the Orthodox Church and the Russian government’s ideology still exist.

Matthew 24:1-3 exhortation for the Russian Orthodox Church reads: “The kingdom of God is near to every house, and the voice of the Lord is unto all people, and they can enter into their houses and dwell there.” While there is certainly potential for conflict between faith and government, these tensions will subside as time goes on. It is hoped that the day-to-day lives of Russian-Orthodox Christians will continue to improve, not worsen, due to economic pressure from neighbors, the possibility of greater governmental scrutiny of their bodies of worship, and increased pressure from the police and state security agencies to close down illegal churches. Those who love Christ and want to help persecuted Christians are urged to support local Russian Orthodox churches and participate in their programs so that they can grow in numbers and provide sanctuary for persecuted religious minorities.