do some Christians (orthodox) pray similar as Muslims do?

[Esdra]

Hi

I've read that oriental orthodox Christians also prostrate oneself when praying, just as Muslims do.
And that Muslims have copied that from Christians.

Is this true?
Does anyone have a video. ?

Thanks for your answers.

Esdra

 

[Cappadocious]

Prostration is done in the EO, OO and RC.

 

[Esdra]

Prostration is done in the EO, OO and RC.

I've never seen it in the rc so far... At least not like Muslims do.

 

[Cappadocious]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOOhdcThchU

 

[kellhus]

It seems that if anything, Christians should use prostrations more in worship. I admire that aspect of Islam, the physicality of their worship. I wonder if modern Christians in the USA would stop seeing Church and God as this casual pop-culture deal if it involved us kneeling and pressing their forehead to the ground in abjection as we prayed.

Just a thought. If prayer looked more like this

and less of this

we'd be better off.

 

[Esdra]

Yes, it would certainly make a difference.

I've seen clergy prostrate in the rcc, but not the laity.

Does the laity prostrate in the orthodox churches? (because that was actually the purpose of my op)

 

[justlikeThomas]

Yup, laity in the Orthodox Church prostrate also.


Side note.... There was an orthodox monk (a heretic who was excommunicated) involved in the institution of Islam. He was from an Orthodox Church. I think that it's the Muslims who pray by prostrating themselves like the Christians of the 7th century, not the other way around

 

[kellhus]

Yeah, I heard once from a monk that Mohammad adopted the practice of prostrations in worship because he saw some Christians praying and was really impressed by the attitude of submission it conveyed.

 

[Esdra]

Yup, laity in the Orthodox Church prostrate also.


Side note.... There was an orthodox monk (a heretic who was excommunicated) involved in the institution of Islam. He was from an Orthodox Church. I think that it's the Muslims who pray by prostrating themselves like the Christians of the 7th century, not the other way around

Yes it is clear to me that Christians prostrated themselves first when praying. if they did.
So actually my op is answered with your response, Kellhus. Thanks.

Why did this become that rare in Christianity?

 

[GreekOrthodox]

My own guess would be church architecture. Eastern churches typically do not have pews which make a full prostration impractical.

According to the all-knowing source, Wikipedia, "By the 13th century, backless stone benches began to appear in English churches. They moved from the walls to the nave, then became fixed to the floor. Wooden benches replaced the stone ones from the 14th century and became common in the 15th."

 

[Esdra]

Valid point indeed. Thank you.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

It seems that if anything, Christians should use prostrations more in worship. I admire that aspect of Islam, the physicality of their worship. I wonder if modern Christians in the USA would stop seeing Church and God as this casual pop-culture deal if it involved us kneeling and pressing their forehead to the ground in abjection as we prayed.

Just a thought. If prayer looked more like this

and less of this

we'd be better off.

Very true - and sadly, much history is forgotten when not remembering how those in the Muslim world often reversed engineered what was already present in the world of Oriental Orthodoxy. ..while others in the Western World often tend to look down upon what's done in the world of Muslims and Orthodox.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

We have a tendency to forget that there is a history behind the liturgy, the hierarchy, and everything else. Some things are now huge parts when initially they were simply practical solutions. For example, in the eastern liturgies, there are two processions, first where the priest takes the Book of the Gospels and processes, and a second where the bread and the wine are taken from the altar then processed. The first procession comes from early Christianity where someone would hide the Scriptures in their house during the week and then bring them in at that point in the service. The second procession comes from the Imperial liturgy in Constantinople where there were bakeries as part of the Hagia Sophia complex. The bread and wine would be brought in after the readings. Most parishes would do their best to mimic the Emperor and now today we have this procession which almost seems out of place in the rest of the service.

 

[Cappadocious]

Does the laity prostrate in the orthodox churches? (because that was actually the purpose of my op)

Yeah.

 

[Tallguy88]

In my Orthodox Church, the laity prostrates after the Consecration.

 

[Esdra]

In my Orthodox Church, the laity prostrates after the Consecration.

Cool.

 

[EnemyOfReason]

It seems that if anything, Christians should use prostrations more in worship. I admire that aspect of Islam, the physicality of their worship. I wonder if modern Christians in the USA would stop seeing Church and God as this casual pop-culture deal if it involved us kneeling and pressing their forehead to the ground in abjection as we prayed.

Just a thought. If prayer looked more like this

and less of this

we'd be better off.

I could not agree any more with what you just said . I just had to say this.

I as a non Christian and non Abrahamic altogether could not agree any more with the immature idiocy taking place in religious worship. You are either being serious or are at a U2 concert, take your pick.

 

[seashale76]

I found a youtube video that shows Orthodox prostrations.

Orthodox Prostration - YouTube

 

[Esdra]

I found a youtube video that shows Orthodox prostrations.

Orthodox Prostration - YouTube

Thank you very much for this video. That's very interesting.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

I found a youtube video that shows Orthodox prostrations.

Orthodox Prostration - YouTube

Wonderful video and many thanks for sharing it...