There are two great challenges facing the Orthodox Church as it seeks to be faithful to the life and witness of the Holy Spirit and the Gospel of Christ in the 21st century. These challenges are the influence of both Protestantism and Materialism within the cultures of the modern Western world. We cannot avoid these […]
I am often engaged in conversation with Protestants and Evangelicals of various different backgrounds, and almost invariably the discussion will come down to a difference of opinion about authority. In one form of words or another we will be asking each other – on what basis do you believe what you say you believe? With […]
There are those who consider that Protestantism is simply a less complete form of Orthodoxy, while others take the view that Protestantism as a system of doctrine and spiritual practice is certainly not Orthodox, and can even be considered as not being properly Christian. Who is correct? It is not a question that can be […]
Everyone keeps saying that we are baptised into a faith. That makes things easy when we are considering if we can recognise the baptism of the Catholic Church. They clearly believe some things that are different, therefore they have a different set of teachings, and therefore they must baptise people into a different faith than […]
The Orthodox Church considers each controversial issue in the light of the witness of the Scriptures, the Liturgical, Spiritual and Canonical Tradition, and with the writings of the God-Approved Fathers as the standard by which all actions and understandings are measured. It is the case that few situations which arise in any generation have not […]
I am convinced that the Christian life is an increasing experience of union with God in Christ by the indwelling Holy Spirit. That we are not called to be doing Christian things for God, but to be participating in the life of God by his grace. In the Gospel we find that our Lord Jesus […]
Introduction It might seem that the Orthodox Church must have entirely closed all discussion of the intermediate state of the soul after death. Surely the patristic and liturgical texts are so filled with settled opinion that there is no scope for confusion or controversy? Nevertheless, from time to time, there are variant teachings which become […]
I want to write a little about my experience of Holy Week while it is still fresh for me. Not simply to describe the things I found myself doing, but to reflect on what it has meant to me, and the aspects of our Orthodox Christian faith which have come into greater focus. As far […]
It is easy to mistake moralism, the practice of moral behaviour, for Christianity. Sometimes they look the same from the outside. Both are concerned with human behaviour. But moralism is not Christianity at all, and will not lead to an authentic spiritual life. It is a way of life based on doing things, and that […]
I am often in contact with people who have sadly faced the experience of loss of a child through miscarriage or still-birth. Indeed, it is an experience which many people have shared, and bear silently. As many as 1 in 6 pregnancies end in miscarriage, among those women who are aware they are pregnant. While […]