Orthodox Christianity

Getting to Know An Unknown God

OrthodoxyToday | by John Kapsalis | Oct. 2009

You could almost imagine Paul, with his battered and bruised legs, jumping with a happy ‘Eureka!’ This, finally, was the answer to everyone’s prayers. The unknown God of the Athenians was the one true God. And Paul preached this unknown God to the Athenians and to people everywhere he went. This same unknown God is the one that Christians believe, worship, proclaim and die for. Whew! That takes care of that. But wait a minute.

Who is this God? Who is this unknown God that has touched all of world history? Who is this being for whom so much ink has been spilled trying to understand? Well, the answer is (and must be) essentially unknown.

Yes I know, Scripture has revealed God to be the Lord of all creation, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I know that God IS. But there is still so much I don’t know. This unknown God also chose to become a man and live among us, only to be spit upon, punched, ridiculed and violently killed—all because He loves me. [Read more…]

When Bishops Disappoint


AFR | Fr. Thomas Hopko | Sep. 9, 2009

In this podcast Fr. Thomas Hopko addresses the key issue of “What do we do when those in leadership are not exercising their leadership properly?” Fr. Tom discusses corruption in the Orthodox Church and explains that these types of situations are nothing new. He references scriptures and explains that proper Christian leadership consists of servanthood (not overlordship) and exhorts the faithful to help the priests and bishops to “tend the flock of God that is in (their) charge.”

When Bishops Disappoint – 9/9/09 http://audio.ancientfaith.com/hopko/stt_2009-09-04.mp3|titles=When

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The Calling of a Bishop is to Preach the Gospel

OrthodoxyToday | Bradley Nassif | Aug. 13, 2009

The apostolic mission of a bishop in the Eastern Orthodox Church can be summarized in five points.

1. Preach the Gospel.
All bishops are to proclaim and interpret the gospel of Christ to the church and to the world. Bishops should be elected largely on the basis of their knowledge and ability to skillfully communicate the Holy Scriptures. St. John Chrysostom is the prime example of such a bishop. All bishops are to faithfully keep the gospel clear and central to their ministries. [Read more…]

Russian Archbishop Hilarion Calls Stalin “a Monster”

Presbyterian Outlook | Sophia Kishkovsky | Aug. 4, 2009

Comments by a senior official of the Russian Orthodox Church condemning Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, accusing him of genocide, shortly before a European security forum equated the crimes of Stalin and Hitler, have stirred heated debate in the Russian media and blogosphere.

“I think that Stalin was a spiritually-deformed monster, who created a horrific, inhuman system of ruling the country,” Archbishop Hilarion had said in a June interview with the news magazine Ekspert. “He unleashed a genocide against the people of his own country and bears personal responsibility for the death of millions of innocent people. In this respect Stalin is completely comparable to Hitler.” [Read more…]

Duty to Share the Truth

AFR | St. Ambrose | July 20, 2009

While listening to Ancient Faith Radio today I heard a really insightful quote from St. Ambrose. I don’t recall the exact wording, but here’s the gist of it.

St. Ambrose exhorted Christians to not only take care of the poor but also to share the truth with others. He said that those that know the truth and fail to share it are just as culpable, or more so, than those that do not do acts of charity for those in need. [Read more…]

Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayer?


AFR – The Illumined Heart | Kevin Allen | Jun 5, 2009

This is one of the most perplexing questions for all Christians. In this episode of The Illumined Heart, host Kevin Allen engages author and theologian Dr. Jerry Sittser, author of the book “When God Doesn’t Answer Your Prayer”, in an honest conversation about this often ignored question. His answers are not academic or simply formulaic and come from the deep and hard places.

Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayer? – 6/5/09 http://audio.ancientfaith.com/illuminedheart/ih_2009-06-05_pc.mp3|titles=Why

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Keeping Students Connected to the Orthodox Church

AOCA | Fr. Kevin Scherer | Summer 2009

“Keeping Our College Students Connected to the Church” is a tagline for Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF). You’ll find it throughout our literature and even on our stationery. It says concisely what we believe to be our primary mission. I’ve spent hours thinking about it, talking about it, and wrestling with it. To be honest, I think it needs some unpacking, some clarification.

When I see the word “keeping,” I wonder whether some people unconsciously expect OCF to handcuff students to the church pew—because we know what’s best for them! The word “keeping” conveys the idea of preservation. The question is: What are we preserving? It’s helpful, I think, to reflect on the why, what, how, and who of keeping students connected to the Church. [Read more…]

Orthodox Christianity and Capitalism Revisited


AFR – The Illumined Heart | Kevin Allen | Jun 26, 2009

The previous podcast on this subject with Chris Banescu stimulated comments about whether we covered the bases on this issue fully or dispassionately enough. In this conversation, Fr John Whiteford, (ROCOR) priest and frequent conservative commentator and blogger, and Dr. Amir Azarvan, (ROCOR) layman, political science lecturer, and self-described “social democrat,” talk about poverty, the welfare state, whether alms-giving is spiritually effective if government mandated, and the best way to live out the Orthodox Christian life in the world.

Orthodox Christianity and Capitalism Revisited – 6/26/09 http://audio.ancientfaith.com/illuminedheart/ih_2009-06-26_pc.mp3|titles=Orthodox

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Cowards, Sorcerers and Murderers

OrthodoxyToday.org | John Kapsalis | May 2009

If any of us ever found ourselves in a situation where we witnessed a car accident, I’d like to think that we would all stop and help, no matter how inconvenient. Or if we had to intervene to save someone from being assaulted, surely we would get involved no matter what the cost to us. It would be the right thing to do. After all, if we didn’t we would be wracked not only by guilt but also by shame. Who could live with themselves as a coward in such circumstances?

Yet everyday most of us act like cowards. Not because we don’t stop to help someone in need, but rather because we stand idly by while millions of people die moment by moment without knowing that God loves them. We are cowards because there is family and friends who have no relationship with Jesus Christ and we casually spend endless hours and years talking about everything under the sun, except telling them about the treasures of knowing Christ. [Read more…]