More Common Misconceptions about Eastern Orthodoxy

Deciding to become Orthodox in no small thing.  Though I had been a Christian for all of my life, Orthodoxy seemed quite foreign at first–older, more elaborate, more demanding, and just plain different than anything I had ever known.  However, as my soon-to-be husband and I began reading, researching, and eventually attending an Orthodox church, I became fully confident that God was leading me to this faith.

But, would my family agree?  I was afraid to find out.  A couple of weeks ago I shared about how my friends and family reacted when I became Orthodox.  The short version?  It was a mixed reaction.

On Wednesday I shared Common Misconceptions about Eastern Orthodoxy (and How to Respond to Them).

Today I would like to continue with more common misconceptions about Eastern Orthodoxy that many family members and friends have.  These are objections that I have heard personally, that friends of mine have experienced, and that other Orthodox Christians have told me they faced when converting.

First, a quick disclaimer.  I am (obviously) not a priest.  If you have questions about how to respond to the misconceptions and objections of others, your spiritual father or any Orthodox priest would be the best resource.  Because of this, I will link to many online articles that provide a more thorough theological response and may help you understand the issues better than I can do in a short post.

More Common Misconceptions about Eastern Orthodoxy

Misconception #4: “Why do you worship Mary?”

Many Protestants are quite uncomfortable with a high view of Mary.  Partly because of a distrust of Catholicism and partly from a deep-seeded (and honorable) desire to ascribe glory only to God, they often believe that Orthodox Christians hold a theologically incorrect view of Mary.  That we worship Mary.

And, this would be heresy and idolatry, if it were true.  However, Orthodox Christians do not worship Mary.  We honor her as the Theotokos, the God-bearer, as our highest exemplar of the faith, and as our most faithful intercessor.

Ways to Respond to this Objection:

1. The Theological Answer:  Orthodox Christians refer to Mary as the Theotokos, which in Greek means the “God-bearer.”  The term Theotokos has been used to describe the Virgin Mary since the earliest days of the Church.  In fact, the necessity of addressing the issue of the term Theotokos at the Third Ecumenical Council in 431 indicates that the term was wide-spread long before that time.

The Council decided that using the term Theotokos was in fact correct, especially as it demonstrated the reality of the Incarnation and the proper view of the Trinity.  Mary can truly be called the God-bearer because she literally bore God in the flesh.  Her body became the temple of the God who cannot be contained.  As such, she is worthy of respect and honor.

The Exemplar Argument:Mary is held up as the first Christian–the ideal Christian.  Her active obedience and submission led to the Incarnation.  She is the highest example of a Christian.  (On a side note: what dignity that gives to women!  For every Christian, even men, their highest model of the faith is a woman.)

The Intercessor Argument: Frequently in Orthodox hymnology, we sing that the Theotokos has “the boldness of a mother” before Christ.  She prays for us, the followers of her Son, with power.  There is no more powerful and dedicated intercessor for Christians.

This ancient hymn of the Church summarizes our view of Mary beautifully, “It is truly meet and right, to bless you.  O Theotokos, who are ever blessed and all-blameless, and the Mother of our God.  More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious, beyond compare than the Seraphim.  Thou who without defilement did bear God the Word.  True Theotokos, we magnify you!”

Related Links for Further Reading:

The Mother of God from Holy Ascension Orthodox Church

The Holy Tradition and The Veneration of Mary from the Antiochian Diocese website

The Ever-Virginity of the Mother of God by Fr. John Hainsworth from the Greek Archdiocese site

Why Evangelicals Need Mary from Orthodox-Reformed Bridge

Misconception #5: “Don’t you have to be Greek or Russian to be Orthodox?”

This misconception is quite understandable in the context of the United States.  Many people have not heard about the Orthodox Church at all.  And, if they have, it is likely within an ethnic context such as the Russian Orthodox Church or the Greek Orthodox Church.

To complicate matters further, many of these churches are heavily populated with people who identify strongly with their ethnic roots and language.  So, you may have an Antiochian Orthodox Church, a Ukranian Orthodox Church, and a Greek Orthodox Church all within the same town or county attended mainly by people of that ethnic background.  Therefore, Western Christians can be forgiven for assuming that cultural identity is tied up with Orthodoxy.

Ways to Respond to this Objection:

1. The Short Answer:  No.  Anyone can be Eastern Orthodox regardless of their ethnic background.  When people immigrated to the United States, they formed churches under the jurisdictions of their home countries.  They naturally wanted to worship together and they maintained pride in their culture and heritage.  However, it is a church and not a club.  There is no cultural requirement for membership.

2. The Answer from Church History:  In the Orthodox Church, there has always been an emphasis on local governance.  The Gospel spread throughout the world and churches took on slightly different flavors based on the area.  However, the Liturgy is the same (though it has always been in the local language), the doctrine and theology are the same, and members can receive the Eucharist and fully participate in any church anywhere.

We have far more in common than we have differences.  Personally, I love being able to attend any Orthodox Church around the country (and we have moved and traveled a lot!) and still feel at home.

Related Links for Further Reading:

Differences Between Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches from the Orthodox Church of America site

Orthodox Unity in North America from the OCA website

Is Orthodoxy Ethnically Exclusive by Fr. Ernesto Obregon on Orthodox Christian Network

Misconception #6: “Do Orthodox Christians believe in the Bible?”

Finally, because of the strong emphasis on Sola Scriptura, most Protestants want to know if Orthodox Christians believe in the Bible.   I remember my first time visiting an Orthodox Church.  Like the good evangelical I was, I brought along my Bible so that I could follow along during the sermon.  I quickly noticed that this was not the norm.  I wondered about the place of Scripture in the Orthodox Church–was it respected, believed, studied?

The answer to all of these is yes.  Yes, Orthodox Christians believe in, respect, and read the Bible.  It just looks a bit different from the way I was used to as a Protestant.

Ways to Respond to this Objection:

1. The Answer from Liturgy: The Orthodox Divine Liturgy is literally overflowing with Scripture.  If you listen carefully to the prayers and hymns, you will hear references and passages straight from the Psalms, and other books of the Old and New Testament.  In addition, each Sunday an Epistle is read.  The reading is prescribed based on the Church calendar and the liturgical season.  Finally, the high point of the first portion of the Liturgy is the reading of the Gospel.  Each Sunday a reading is taken from one of the Gospels, also prescribed by the Church calendar.  The Orthodox Liturgy looks dramatically different from the worship service of an evangelical church, but Holy Scripture undergirds the entire thing.

2. The Answer from Church History: Orthodox Christians have a high view of the Holy Scriptures in part because they have a high view of tradition and history.  The Orthodox Church believes that the Holy Scriptures are a part of Holy Tradition.

I remember being deeply unsettled my freshman year of college while taking a biblical studies class.  Before that class I had always thought that the Bible somehow appeared and was accepted in its full form since, well, forever.  I hadn’t really thought about who did the forming and accepting.  As Orthodox Christians, we understand and respect the role of the early Church, through the influence of the Holy Spirit, in the formation of the Holy Scriptures.

3. The Personal Answer:  I’ve come to learn that when most Protestants ask if Orthodox Christians believe in the Bible, they aren’t asking from a liturgical or historical framework.  They are asking about personal conviction.  It is important to note, however, that for an Orthodox Christian these are all interrelated.  The liturgical, historical, and personal all intertwine together in our view of Scripture.

To answer the personal element of the question, though, yes.  Yes, Orthodox Christians personally believe in the Bible.  We believe that it is the Word of God, given to the Church, interpreted by the Fathers, and lived out in the world by the people.  You see, when Orthodox Christians read the Bible, we approach it a bit differently.  It isn’t so much of a “my Bible and me” mentality.  We read the Bible through the interpretive lens of two thousand years of Church history.  We look and see how the Church fathers read the passages, how the Church integrated the passage into the liturgical calendar and services, and we look at what that all means for us.  We believe that by so doing, we are better able to guard against heresies and misinterpretations.

Related Links for Further Reading:

Holy Tradition from Holy Ascension Church

Holy Scripture in the Orthodox Church by Fr. Demetrios Serfes

How to Read the Bible by Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia

If you are interested in learning more about the Orthodox Church, I highly recommend this thorough book by Timothy (Bishop Kallistos) Ware:

The Orthodox Church by Timothy Ware

I would love to hear thoughts from you.  If you are Protestant or Catholic, do you have any questions or feel I have mischaracterized anything?  If you are Eastern Orthodox or an inquirer, what objections or misconceptions have you faced?

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