Welcome to the Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity
by Frederica Mathewes-Green, Paraclete Press, 2015
Introduction: How to Learn About Orthodoxy xi
A challenging faith xii
We learned by experience:
Examine liturgical elements xiii
New theological ideas, old ideas absent xiv
Not a perfect institution, but a Way to know Christ xviii
Part One: Inside the Temple Exploring the empty church
1 “Enter His Gates” 3 In the narthex, the church’s lobby or foyerAn arriving worshipper takes a candle and venerates an icon 4
Introduction to icons 4-7
Making the sign of the Cross 8-10
CS Lewis: Worshippers don’t monitor others’ behavior 9
2 “The House of God” 11 In the nave, the congregation’s worship space
Traditional church architecture, the basilica, adding a central dome 12-14
(aside: why so many ethnic varieties of Orthodox? 14-15)
The cross-in-square design 15-16
Icons cover everything 16
The iconostasis 16
No pews (no organ either) 17-18
The analogion with “today’s special” icon 18-19
The parish’s patron, St. Felicity of Carthage 19-20
3 “So Great a Cloud” 21 Still in the nave
Love of the Theotokos, the ever-virgin Mary 21-25
Whose interpretation of Scripture do you choose? 26-30
Worship language is exuberant 30-31
(aside: the early Christians’ Jewish Scriptures, the Septuagint 32)
Praying to saints, who are praying for us 33-37
4 “Upon This Rock” 38 A quick history lesson
The five great cities of the early church, the Pentarchy 39
Increasing disagreement on the role of the pope 39-46
Rome fell, but eastern Christianity was thriving 41-42
The filioque controversy 42-43
Conciliarity 43-35
Exoskeleton or endoskeleton? 45-46
5 “A Sacrifice of Praise” 47 Still in the nave
The baptismal font 47
High percentages of converts 47-48
The holy water dispenser 48
House blessings 49
12 icons for the Feasts of the year 49
Worship books; all prayers are hymns 50-51
Beauty in worship; fancy but not fussy 51-52
Old Testament precedent for beauty in worship 52-54
Early structure of worship: prayers and sacrifices 54
The St. John Chrysostom Divine Liturgy 55
The Western Rite 55
Beauty opens the heart to God 55-56
Chanters’ stand, troparia and kontakia 56-68
Paragraph-hymns and Byzantine tones 58-60
What do you mean, “It doesn’t change”? 61
Traditions (like Christmas traditions) that give life 61-2
Russian icons and music: one “worked,” the other didn’t 63-64
A central core that doesn’t change 64
Distinctives of American Orthodoxy 64-65
Similarity of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox 66
Orthodoxy “doesn’t change” because it “works” 67
6 “Partakers of the Divine Nature” 68 Theosis
The Transfiguration of Christ 68-69
“He was made man so that we might be made god” 68
As iron in a furnace takes on the properties of fire 70
Theosis in the Scriptures 70-72
We are “partakers”; assimilation 72
Direct experience of God 73-74
How it looks in practice (“He is at peace in himself…”) 75, 82
Skepticism, miracles 78-79
Not characteristics the world admires 80-81
The Uncreated Light 83
7 “Christ and Him Crucified” 85 Still in the nave
Images of the Crucifixion: suffering or victorious? 85
Freed from sin and death, or from the debt of sin? (Anselm and others) 86-89
Analogy: police officer who rescues kidnapped teens 89-90
Honoring Christ’s sacrifice, we look away 90-92
Liturgical chandelier; light as fire, love can burn 93-95
The dome, bishop’s chair, bier, epitaphion, the Lamentations 95-97
8 “Image of the Invisible God” 98 Still in the nave
Iconoclast controversy; St. John of Damascus, 7th Ecumenical Council 79-104
The iconostasis: Royal Doors, icon of Christ Pantocrator 104-105
(aside: women’s roles in the Orthodox Church 106-107)
Icons of the Theotokos, St. John the Forerunner, St. Felicity 106-109
How the saint looked when the light of Christ shone through them 109
Angel doors, lampada, candle stands, bema and solea 110-111
9 “Your Body Is a Temple” 112 Looking into the altar
Icons in the apse: Communion of the apostles, Virgin of the Sign 112-114
The altar table 114-115
Relics 115
God permeates the material world 115-116
Divine energies, energeia 117-119
The goodness of the human body 119
Flesh and spirit 119
“Passions,” asceticism 120
Use of matter for healing 122
Elisha’s grave 123
Relics, continued 123-124
10 “Into the Sanctuary” 125 Still in the altar
Gospel book, antimens, tabernacle 125-128
Hand-held blessing crosses of different designs 128-129
(aside: less of a barrier between clergy and laity 129-130)
Menorah, processional cross, candles, and fans, censer 130-131
Prothesis table and liturgical implements, cross with corpus of Christ 132-133
Part Two: Inside the Liturgy Participating in worship
11 “Reconciling the World” 137 Vespers
(Saturday, December 8)
Entering the church for Vespers 137
“Immaculate Conception” and “Original Sin” 138-139
The Orthodox view: Ancestral Sin 140
How do we inherit fallen human nature? 142-143
Sin is all-pervading, yet we don’t “just accept it” 142-143
Not payable by a third party; not a mere penalty (parking ticket) 143
Sin as sickness: Infection, not infraction 143
Christ begins our healing when he enters the human race 143-146
Three directions: humans and God, God and the evil one, Father and Son 146
12 “Not Counting Their Trespasses” 147 Still exploring salvation
Christ heals us, rescues us—and also makes a sacrifice to the Father 147-148
Scriptures about blood and sacrifice in the Epistle to the Hebrews 148
An offering, not a payment 148
God doesn’t need our offering; we need to make it 150-151
The police officer again: an offering to honor the Chief? 152-153
The “Ransom” or “Rescue” theory 153-155
St. Gregory of Nazianzus: “Reverenced with silence” 156
13 “The Lord Is King” 157 Vespers begins
Confession 158-159
New and Old Calendar, finding the date of Pascha 159-161
Metania and prostration 161-162
Opening hymns, prayers, psalms 164-165
Ongoing repentance 165-167
(aside: terms for the presbytera 168)
Procession, stichera, hymns for St Anna and the Theotokos 168-173
14 “Lord, Have Mercy” 174 Still in Vespers
The ancient hymn “Joyous Light” 174
Antiphonal and responsorial singing 175-176
“Lord have mercy” in a very wide range of languages 176-177
“Looking confidently” rather than “Assurance of salvation” 178-181
Asking for mercy; repenting with joy (charmolypi) 179-181
God forgives for his own reasons, not because he was paid 181
Our debt not payable by a third party (restaurant manager) 182
Forgiveness must be free or it is not forgiveness 182
Should we forgive each other freely, or require payment? 182-183
The demands of honor 183-184
St. Isaac, “Do not call God just” 184
Fatherly love does not count the cost; the Prodigal 185-186
Sin: deliberate action, or a general condition (air pollution)? 187-190
Spills a bowl of gravy 187
Involuntary and unknown sin 188-189
Christ takes away, not just the penalty for sin, but sin itself 189
“Whether I desire it or not, save me” 189-90
15 “Awake, Sleeper” 191 Still in Vespers
The problem of evil—not as tormenting in the East 191
The evil one and suffering 192-193
Keeping in touch with reality—Christ’s victory 193-194
“Heart” and “Mind” in Scripture; reason and emotion not opposites 195-196
The nous, the receptive mind 196
Two gears, forward (dianoia) and reverse (nous) 196-197
St. Paul’s use of “nous” 198
My experience; the “little radio” 198-199
Experience of God can be authentic, not merely emotional 199-200
Why don’t we hear God’s voice? The nous is broken 200-203
Sin starts with a thought, James 1:14-15 201
“Thinking” is often aimless and reactive 201-207
Cultivating watchfulness 200-207
St. Paul’s scriptures about watchful prayer 201
Hesychasm 203-204
Drawing the mind into the heart (kardia) 204-205
The Desert Fathers, the Jesus Prayer 205-206
St. Macarius, “The heart is a small vessel” 206-207
The Prodigal needed time to heal 207
Song of Simeon, Trisagion prayers, closing troparia 208-211
Being precise: Hades and Hell, Paradise and Heaven 209
The limits of reason (Hopko, Bradshaw, St Maximos, Aquinas) 211-215
We can only use one gear at a time 214
16 “Time for the Lord to Act” 216 The Divine Liturgy
(Sunday, February 17)
Call to battle, the evil one 216-217
Kairos and chronos 217
Matins 217-219
Opening prayers, antiphons, “Only Begotten” 219-221
“Unchanging”: Accumulating, not increasing in detail or updating 221-222
Little Entrance, Troparia and Kontakia, Trisagion hymn 223-225
Epistle and Gospel readings 225-227
(aside: “hilastheti” mercy versus “propitiate”/”expiate” 227-228)
17 “Choose This Day” 229 Still in the Liturgy
Homily, Catechumens, Cherubic Hymn 229-231
Koliva and grieving 230-231
(aside: ordination to the priesthood 232-233)
Censing the altar and iconostasis 233
(aside: Forgiveness Vespers 234)
Forgiveness, non-judgement, Prayer of St Ephraim 235-237
The Great Entrance 238-239
“Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” versus challenge and growth 240-242
(“God hates sin like the parents of a leukemia victim hate cancer” 240)
Danger of self-directed spirituality; delusion 241-242
We keep returning to slavery 242
The paradox of free will—Augustine and Pelagius 242-243
We are God’s synergoi 243-245
Bradshaw: the word “synergy” differentiates East from West 244
Cassian’s “Conferences,” Paphnutius and the “middle in between” 245-246
Isaac of Syria—the mother who calls her toddler 246
Another view of “Rescue” salvation: the fireman rescues a child 246-247
Reluctance to be rescued, Romans 7 247-248
St. Paisios: the “power” that stops us from resisting sin is love 248
Sheep and goats—like judging a livestock show 248
St. Herman of Alaska: “Do you love God?” 248-249
18 “Where Two or Three Are Gathered” 250 Still in the Liturgy
Kiss of Peace 250-251
The Nicene Creed and the Arian controversy 251-253
Anaphora and Eucharistic prayers, the Epiclesis 253-255
Receiving communion; antidoron 257-258
(aside: How do you get a patron saint? 257)
Closed communion protects both the people and the Holy Gifts 258-262
“I will not speak of your mystery to your enemies” 262
“Mysteries” and sacraments 263
Memorial prayers, “time is the tricky factor here” 264-266
Part Three: Inside the Community Gatherings and prayers
19 “When You Fast” 271 Coffee hour during Lent
(Sunday, March 30)
Fasting primarily means keeping a vegan diet 271-275
Local variations; “When in Rome” 272
Fasting strengthens all aspects of self-control 272-273
Oikonomia (economy) and health needs 274
Orthodox harmony across centuries and cultures; expecting to agree 276-277
Authority: central ruler or community memory? 277-278
Role of the laity in preserving the faith; “they changed the locks” 278
Spiritual father-child relationship; managing long-term temptation 280-281
Surprising monastics 281-282
20 “Each Person Is Tempted” 283 Guidance for habitual temptation
(Sunday, April 12)
Late-night phone call, managing long-term temptation 283-287
St. Conon, “I thought you wanted the crown” 285-286
21 “Make Disciples … Baptizing Them” 288 Baptism & Chrismation
(Saturday, April 26)
Overview of St Lazarus services, Palm Sunday, and Holy Week 288-290
Glimpse of Pascha, with the Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom 290-294
Six candidates for chrismation 294-297
Opening prayers and exorcism 297-299
Baptism in the “horse trough” font 299-300
Absolution for a “life confession” 301
Chrismation; the making of Holy Myron 302-303
(aside: Apostolic Succession 302-303)
“Arise, O God, judge the earth” 305
22 “A Great Mystery” 307 Wedding / Crowning
(Sunday, June 1)
Initial questions, Litany 308-309
Betrothal, exchange of rings 309-310
First and Second prayer of marriage 311-313
Crowning 312-313
Eternal union 313-315
Epistle, “refers to Christ and the Church” 315-316
Gospel, homily, Common Cup 316-317
Dance of Isaiah 317
Removal of Crowns 318
23 “Built His House upon a Rock” 319 Houseblessing
(Sunday, July 6)
The icon corner; how icons are arranged 320-323
(aside: why use formal rather than spontaneous prayers? 323-325)
In the icon corner: books, candle sandbox, incense, prayer rope 325-327
Orienting the home 327
Psalm 90/91, prayers; first procession, with holy water 327-328
Second procession, with blessed oil, third procession, with censing 328
Blessing before and after a meal 329
24 “Those Who Have Fallen Asleep” 330 Funeral
(Monday, August 4)
Story of St. Tasia 330-331
Trisagion prayers for the departed, in Kate’s home 331
Washing, clothing, and anointing the body 332-333
Dormition of the Theotokos, Paraklesis service 334-335
Coffin brought into the church, Trisagion prayers repeated 334-335
Vigil through the night, reading Psalms 335
(Next: Mercy Meal and Liturgy for the Feast of the Transfiguration 335-336)
Funeral hymns 336-339
Epistle, Gospel 339-340
The Last Kiss 341
Graveside service with Trisagion prayers 341-342
Conclusion: “Go and Do Likewise” 343 Next
You can benefits from taking up any of these aspects of Orthodox practice 344
Three reasons to keep it intact:
Choosing what you like won’t change you 344
Early-church authenticity is lost when it’s curated 344-345
Dynamism of the whole 345