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I'm also Presbyterian and thought it was interesting how the fascination in Eastern Orthodox was rising. I think there are a lot of people who grew up in the shallow big Eva world and want something more, and find the mystery and more "traditional" or "Orthodox" nature of Eastern Orthodox really appealing.
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freeborn | ἐλεύθερος | 8r0gwg 1y ago

I agree with that. I remember when Franky (son of Francis) Schaeffer made the move to EO many (~20?) years ago, there was a lot of discussion about the 'draw' of EO. I was a youth pastor in the early 2000s and saw a lot of the pomo types wanting the experience of and perceived connection to 'historic' worship or the 'ancient' church but without the doctrinal "baggage." The 'emergent' movement was all the rage then. Thankfully at that time I was listening to John Piper quite a bit, who--despite his other faults--emphasized the life of the mind, and the clarity of Scripture, which probably immunized me a bit against the pomo trend. The question behind the questions is almost always, "has God spoken to us, in a way that we can understand, such that we can _know_ ?"

I believe Scripture's answer to that question is 'yes, he has.'

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freeborn | ἐλεύθερος | 8r0gwg 1y ago

I have a suspicion, not yet confirmed (speaking somewhat academically), that the rise in EO interest maps to the general trend toward all things Eastern in the cultural West. I don't know how well equipped the EO is/are, given their decidedly mystical vs. doctrinal bent, to counter the meteoric rise in gnostic / theosophic interest--such that someone could hold some blend of EO and gnosticism/theosophy without too much cognitive dissonance. BUT I don't know, so if this is way off base and offends any of my EO brethren then I mean no offense.

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ecclesia.x 1y ago

I am from an EO background, and I am concerned about this trend. If a denomination cannot get the doctrines of Salvation and Justification, in addition to many others, right, all else falls apart.

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daomah 1y ago

Have you read Fr. Seraphim Rose's "Orthodoxy and The Religion of the Future?"