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In this weekend's edition of Anglicans Ablaze:
- Musings on Archbishop Wabukala's Easter Message to Confessing Anglicans
- Resurrection and Judgement
- ...crucified, dead, and buried, he descended into hell... [Video]
- 2 Barriers to Empowering Leaders
- Four Reminders for Those Who Might Be Unhappy in Their Present Places of Ministry
- Vital Signs: 3 Bad Tests Pastors Use to Measure Ministry
- 10 Areas of Training Pastors Need in the 21st Century - – Rainer on Leadership #051 [Podcast]
- The Easter Invitation: Calling People to Decide What to Do with Jesus
- 8 Ways our View of the Bible Impacts Preaching
- The Three days each Week the Pastor Should Turn off his Computer
- Worship Leaders, Lead In Awe This Easter!
- 15 Ideas for Songs this Easter [Video]
- Starting a women’s led women’s Bible study
- Why You Should Consider Offering a “NearlyWed” Class
- The First 7 Questions I Ask When Evaluating a Small Group Ministry
- Social Media and the Sufficiency of Scripture
- Free Ebook – Narrow-Minded Evangelism: ReThinking Evangelism ...& the Golden Rule
Robin,
ReplyDeleteI noticed that SF have listed a new "Eastern Orthodox" Blogroll. I have checked and not one of them are Orthodox by Canonical Orthodox standards, i.e. baptism. They use the typical modernist euphemisms of "received" or simply "chrismated". That doesn't surprise in the least. If something is labeled as Eastern Orthodox it should actually be Eastern Orthodox!
What you are describing may be a peculiarly American phenomena—churches that identify themselves as Eastern Orthodoxy but sit loosely to Eastern Orthodox doctrine and practice. They do not give the strict attention to doctrine and practice that the historic Eastern Orthodox churches give.
ReplyDeleteThese churches may be described as “syncretic” in that they incorporate beliefs and practices from other branches of Christianity, typically blending Western Catholic belief and practice with Eastern Orthodox belief and practice.
A more accurate descriptor for such churches might be “Eastern Catholic” or “independent Catholic.”
This phenomenon also affects Anglican churches in North America. In these churches the English Reformation and the Elizabethan Settlement that have shaped historic Anglicanism and given historic Anglicanism its distinctive Protestant, Reformed character are rejected and Anglicanism is redefined in a unreformed Catholic direction.
This revisionist redefinition of Anglicanism may be described by its adherents as “reformed catholicism” but what distinguishes genuine reformed catholicism from unreformed Catholicism is missing. What is offered is a revisionist definition of reformed catholism to go along with the revisionist redefinition of Anglicanism.
The kind of synecretism discernible in American Eastern Orthodox churches is also discernible in these churches and may be attributed to the influence of the convergence movement, as well as the Anglo-Catholic, ecumenical, and liturgical movements.
Here again a more accurate descriptor for such churches would be “independent Catholic.” They are unreformed Catholic in belief and practice but reject the claims of Papacy.