Looking for a Catechism type document for Orthodox Teachings

[Gregory Thompson]

What is a good reference for Orthodox Teachings?

When I look up Catholic teachings, I use a link to the catechism on the Vatican website. Is there a similar link from an Orthodox authority that I can read through and make reference to when I encounter gross generalizations?

 

[~Anastasia~]

We don't have the same kind of catechism as the Catholics. But I read the catechism of St. Cyril of Jerusalem after asking here is that was a good thing to read. I don't have the link, but there is both the shorter and longer version online for free in PDF format, iirc.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev has an online catechism you can check out. we don't have an "official" one since the faith has to be lived.

the most comprehensive catechism we have though, in all honesty, is the services. you learn the faith by going to Church. are there any close to you?

 

[gzt]

There isn't such an official document (I mean, there wasn't one for Catholicism either until recently, you know?), but the OCA has a set of books by Fr Thomas Hopko of blessed memory available for free on the internet: https://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith

 

[Gregory Thompson]

We don't have the same kind of catechism as the Catholics. But I read the catechism of St. Cyril of Jerusalem after asking here is that was a good thing to read. I don't have the link, but there is both the shorter and longer version online for free in PDF format, iirc.

Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev has an online catechism you can check out. we don't have an "official" one since the faith has to be lived.

the most comprehensive catechism we have though, in all honesty, is the services. you learn the faith by going to Church. are there any close to you?

There isn't such an official document (I mean, there wasn't one for Catholicism either until recently, you know?), but the OCA has a set of books by Fr Thomas Hopko of blessed memory available for free on the internet: https://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith

I looked them up and bookmarked them. Thanks much.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/stmaryscopticorthodox/books/catechism.pdf
http://orthodoxeurope.org/page/10/1.aspx
https://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith

I like to understand more about a tradition before I visit, but I've seen some Orthodox churches in my city, so I might pay one a visit.

I think my main reason for wanting to understand is so when people use generalizations to illustrate their view, I'll have more information about what Orthodoxy is.

Main generalizations lately: 1) Orthodox and Catholic churches are basically the same. 2) The Orthodox Deify themselves with that theosis teaching. both of which I know differently from people I've spoken to, but then it becomes about what each person heard an Orthodox person say and the conversation becomes unproductive.

Unity is one of the things I have been looking into for a while now, and part of that is understanding, especially when dealing with the spiritual chasms between the traditions and denominations.

Thanks again.

 

[InnerPhyre]

If you line up all of the teachings of Orthodoxy with all of the teachings of Catholicism, it is true that you will have far more similarities than differences, but the huge differences you will start to see is in how the faiths are practiced both in terms of communal worship and spirituality. That's why so many Orthodox will just say "Come and see." The Orthodox Faith can't be understood outside of the communal worship of the Church and when you start to take part in that, you will begin to see the small differences when put into practice place a great divide between the two.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

If you line up all of the teachings of Orthodoxy with all of the teachings of Catholicism, it is true that you will have far more similarities than differences, but the huge differences you will start to see is in how the faiths are practiced both in terms of communal worship and spirituality. That's why so many Orthodox will just say "Come and see." The Orthodox Faith can't be understood outside of the communal worship of the Church and when you start to take part in that, you will begin to see the small differences when put into practice place a great divide between the two.

Yeah, I noticed. I think if more protestant type denominations would notice, it would transform how the faith worked together.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Deification is VERY easily misunderstood. And mischaracterized.

Btw, at least one of those appears to be Coptic Orthodox, which is not exactly the same as Eastern Orthodox (we are not in communion) but by the same token we are probably more similar in terms of theology than any other two you could possibly compare. You will find differences in how we talk about the divine/human nature of Christ.

Otherwise, feel free to ask. Or even feel free to ask about those.

And I am one that would agree that there are some foundational differences in how Catholics and Orthodox view a number of things. The similarities appear in some visible practices, and some points of theology, but not others. It takes a while to understand how we are alike and how we are different.

Like I said, feel free to ask, if you like.

 

[ArmyMatt]

1) Orthodox and Catholic churches are basically the same.

externally, yes. but when you get down to the important stuff, we are very different. and Rome's approach to the faith is much more like Protestantism than Orthodoxy.

2) The Orthodox Deify themselves with that theosis teaching. both of which I know differently from people I've spoken to, but then it becomes about what each person heard an Orthodox person say and the conversation becomes unproductive.

well, we don't/can't deify ourselves, but God can deify us. what He is by nature, we can become by grace. but since He is eternal and infinite and we are not, we can always become like Him without every becoming Him or equal to Him.

 

[E.C.]

Another, lesser known, catechism of sorts is a book called "The Law of God" written by a Russian exiled priest named Fr. Seraphim Slobodskoy. I was given a copy by my godparents. It reads well enough on the Faith, but in one or two spots it isn't hard to notice that English was not his first language. Because he was with ROCOR, which wasn't considered canonical until 2008, the book doesn't always get the credit it deserves.

externally, yes.

Gotta disagree on this. Externally, yes, in the sense of we both pray to saints, hold the Theotokos in a high regard, and have a clearly ordained priesthood. Unfortunately, with the way post-Vatican II Catholicism has gone, we could not be more different.

 

[Constantine the Sinner]

The closest thing we have to that is the Bible and all the canonical Liturgy (which includes all canonical hymns).

We do not have a codification of everything and never will. Orthodoxy is a mindset and way of looking at things, a way of living and experiencing things. Orthodoxy is synergism with the Holy Spirit. You find it over many years of being Orthodox and having and heeding many councils and confessions with your spiritual father, through practicing continual contrition and prayer, through fasting and doing good works. Orthodoxy is not really something you read out of a book, it's something cultivate. Books help, as with any endeavor that needs cultivation, but also like all endeavors that require cultivation, you don't actually begin to understand until you've put a lot of effort into practicing for a long, long time, and spirituality, the highest endeavor, is both more difficult and more rewarding than any other. Also the more you practice, the more you will understand the books.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Gotta disagree on this. Externally, yes, in the sense of we both pray to saints, hold the Theotokos in a high regard, and have a clearly ordained priesthood. Unfortunately, with the way post-Vatican II Catholicism has gone, we could not be more different.

disagree? we basically said the same thing....

 

[E.C.]

disagree? we basically said the same thing....

You know, one of these days I'll learn to like not post when having a night of insomnia!

Mea culpa.

 

[~Anastasia~]

You know, one of these days I'll learn to like not post when having a night of insomnia!

Mea culpa.

Lol sometimes I wake up the next day (after finally getting some sleep) and cringe ...

 

[ArmyMatt]

You know, one of these days I'll learn to like not post when having a night of insomnia!

Mea culpa.

we all have them days. it just stuck out since you and I are usually on the same page

 

[ikonographics]

This is from the books on theois by Elder George Kapsanis. http://www.greekorthodoxchurch.org/theosis_contents.html

 

[ikonographics]

You can download the pdf here: http://stmichaelshsv.org/files/Books/DeificationAsThePurposeOfMansLife.pdf

 

[ZaidaBoBaida]

There's a book called Catechetical Talks by Daniel Sysoev

 

[ArmyMatt]

there is also the Truth of our Faith Vol 1 and 2 by Elder Cleopa of Romania. it's a series of talks between him and a Protestant seeker (who eventually converted to Orthodoxy)

 

[prodromos]

there is also the Truth of our Faith Vol 1 and 2 by Elder Cleopa of Romania. it's a series of talks between him and a Protestant seeker (who eventually converted to Orthodoxy)

[shameless plug]
My wife did most of the translation of Vol 2 from Greek into English
[/shameless plug]