The Orthodox Situation

The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and the Antiochian Church in America (the Arabs) have become an Evangelical sect. How this happened is interesting and complicated. But the Russians are largely responsible and, at this point, it is probably impossible to undo. Right now, the Orthodox Church is where “serious” Evangelicals go, and the Greek Church (the biggest) will soon be identified as “ethnic” in the worst way.

Mostly by the Evangelicals who have taken over the rest. By “Evangelicalism” I mean that idea that arose from the Second Great Awakening that God—completely separate from us—occupied a human body about two millennia ago, did some magic tricks to prove it was really him, then seemed to die but didn’t really (that the accounts varied wildly they just ignored). And then if you believe in him the right way, you’re saved from the death/punishment you so plainly deserve.

The truth, as the Fathers taught, is more complicated than that. Just study the Ecumenical Councils. The above is an ancient heresy that made it to America and became the status quo, especially in the South. But elsewhere too. It is what Christianity is thought to “be,” like it or not. Frs. Schmemann and Meyendorff, themselves Russians, did not understand themselves to be the big fish in small ponds that they were. And they took the Evangelicals to be innocent reformers.

As anyone who knows them can verify, they are NOT innocent. No more than any of us. And they also wanted the Church to grow. And they didn’t care how that happened. I think the Evangelicals and movement conservatives now finding their roots in Orthodoxy are attracted by the physicality of it, and the fasting, finding the “industrial strength” Christianity they were always looking for, though it was always just right under their noses. In Orthodoxy it just never got reformed out. And now the Evangelicals have taken over the main seminary. Which Frs. Schmemann and Meyendorff would no longer recognize. And the few “theologians” remaining are mostly wringing their hands.

Trying to find common ground with the Evangelicals instead of taking St. Mark of Ephesus as their model and crying “heresy.” But they are afraid of the Evangelicals! Because Evangelicalism is, like all heresies, just another attempt to make God understandable. It’s ancient. Here’s my prediction: a certain number of Evangelicals will return to their non-churches of origin when they discover the Orthodox Church isn’t conservative enough. Another portion will take whole parishes with them (Trenham and Whiteford are probably strong enough to do this). And the rest will stay in the Orthodox Church, stubbornly claiming to have found their “roots” here. Only when two or more males, in seminary, from Evangelical backgrounds, declare themselves to be heretics will anyone listen. But I’m not holding my breath. What will more likely happen: the Church will go underground.

It will exist outside the institution, which will be taken over by heretics. It will exist in garages, living rooms, and buses. It was what Christ originally intended. We Orthodox Christians will be weird, we may “practice” other faiths, but we have as models our heroes, among them Isaac of Syria, Gregory Palamas, and Mother Maria Skobstova.