Can Orthodox Learn from Protestant Theologians?

[ArmyMatt]

It would be literally the same exact thing played over again. No point.

again, fair enough

 

[All Becomes New]

again, fair enough

My curiosity about the Orthodox tradition has now been thoroughly quenched/destroyed.

 

[prodromos]

My curiosity about the Orthodox tradition has now been thoroughly quenched/destroyed.

You barely gave it the time of day.

 

[All Becomes New]

You barely gave it the time of day.

I know enough. I know that the Orthodox tradition is averse to anything new no matter how well it is reasoned out.

 

[prodromos]

I know enough. I know that the Orthodox tradition is averse to anything new no matter how well it is reasoned out.

We hold fast to what was handed down from the Apostles. There is nothing new under the sun.

 

[All Becomes New]

We hold fast to what was handed down from the Apostles. There is nothing new under the sun.

Which is why I would not do well in an Orthodox tradition. It would feel like a burden placed on me rather than being freeing.

 

[ArmyMatt]

My curiosity about the Orthodox tradition has now been thoroughly quenched/destroyed.

I am sorry to hear that.

I know enough. I know that the Orthodox tradition is averse to anything new no matter how well it is reasoned out.

Orthodoxy’s main point is that the initial deposit of faith by Christ to His Apostles has been maintained. new articulation to that has occurred has been to maintain that initial deposit. you probably should have known that prior to talking to us.

 

[All Becomes New]

you probably should have known that prior to talking to us.

Now I do.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Now I do.

good.

 

[prodromos]

Which is why I would not do well in an Orthodox tradition. It would feel like a burden placed on me rather than being freeing.

You want to rediscover the faith from the ground up, whereas we stand on the shoulders of theological giants. I honestly cannot comprehend how you would consider that a burden.

 

[All Becomes New]

You want to rediscover the faith from the ground up, whereas we stand on the shoulders of theological giants. I honestly cannot comprehend how you would consider that a burden.

The Chruch as you know it is silent on many things. Plus, your traditions are not immune to accretions. Which makes you hypocrites.

 

[prodromos]

The Chruch as you know it is silent on many things. Plus, your traditions are not immune to accretions. Which makes you hypocrites.

If you wish to continue like this the I recommend you take this to St Justin Martyr's forum. This forum is for asking questions.

 

[All Becomes New]

If you wish to continue like this the I recommend you take this to St Justin Martyr's forum. This forum is for asking questions.

Sorry for insulting your tradition of Christianity. Perhaps now you know how I felt, not like that makes it right.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Sorry for insulting your tradition of Christianity. Perhaps now you know how I felt, not like that makes it right.

my apologies again. I didn’t set out to insult you. I was only trying to, probably too bluntly, give an honest answer to your question particularly about the link that was shared.

 

[nutroll]

I know enough. I know that the Orthodox tradition is averse to anything new no matter how well it is reasoned out.

I would just draw your attention to an inconsistency. The criticism of Tradition tends to be that it introduces novelty that is not taught in Scripture -- the traditions of men that Christ warned about. And yet we are saying that tradition is what is handed down (albeit by word or epistle) without change or alteration and you are criticizing here that it is not open to new things that are well reasoned.

This gets to the essential problem -- we don't believe that reason gets us to the truth about God. It helps us to express what He has already revealed, but no amount of reasoning can get us to a truth beyond what He reveals. Even the things that you might disagree with in Tradition are not made up based on reason but are revealed truth preserved in the Church. They are not necessarily derived from Scripture, but are also not in any way opposed to the proper understanding of Scripture.

 

[The Liturgist]

Hey, just a simple question but I am wondering if priests and such ever read Protestant theologians at all or if it is all completely separate.

Thanks for any answer.

High church Protestant researchers, who are high church Anglican, or evangelical Catholic Lutheran, sometimes do valuable work in terms of recovering or translating manuscripts (I can’t recall if Sebastian Brock is Orthodox or a member of another church, but his translations of St. Ephraim and other Syriac Christians have been outstanding, and other Protestants in the field of liturgiology have helped us learn more about the history of, for example, the various ancient anaphorae, or Eucharistic Prayers, starting with the (now dated) work of an Anglican monk, Dom Gregory Dix), and CS Lewis is much loved.

However, as far as someone like Karl Barth or even NT Wright is concerned, their work is not particularly useful to the Orthodox church. Nor are many works of Roman Catholic theologians like Pope Benedict XVI particularly useful, except for his Patristic biographies, which I like (I actually have a complete collection of his theological writings, which was given to me as a gift, and I find it frustrating because he came so close to us, but then he resigned, and lately the prospects for reconciliation with the RC have been diminished due to the extreme liberalism promulgated by the RCC, and the fact that most of the people opposed to Pope Francis are also opposed to reunification with us.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I had a training session earlier today with an Orthodox rabbi and Protestant pastor, and learned quite a bit. especially from the rabbi who broke down Genesis in Hebrew in an awesome way.

just saying.

 

[All Becomes New]

I had a training session earlier today with an Orthodox rabbi and Protestant pastor, and learned quite a bit. especially from the rabbi who broke down Genesis in Hebrew in an awesome way.

just saying.

As long as they don't tell you what the text means.

 

[ArmyMatt]

As long as they don't tell you what the text means.

actually, the Jewish guy did as far as what it directly means in Hebrew, plus some nuance that I never considered that stuck with me that I am still chewing on. the Protestant gave me good tips for counseling my parishioners.

 

[All Becomes New]

actually, the Jewish guy did as far as what it directly means in Hebrew, plus some nuance that I never considered that stuck with me that I am still chewing on. the Protestant gave me good tips for counseling my parishioners.

Okay, so just when I do it. Thanks, real helpful.