Miscellaneous questions

[Alan Asquith]

I have several questions on various topics with (probably) short answers, so rather than start a new thread for each question I thought I would combine them in a single thread and see how we go.

(1) Does the EO church have its own official translation of the Bible in modern English, and if yes, is the text available online?

(2) Does the EO church regard the OO church to be on the path to salvation or to damnation?

(3) Are the numbers of adherents to the EO church rising or falling worldwide? I would guess numbers are rising in USA, UK, and Russia. What about Africa and the Middle East?

(4) Does the EO church have a governing council that issues rulings about official EO policy on novel ethical dilemmas such as trans-genderism, same sex marriage, embryonic stem cell research, etc.? If yes, what is this governing council called and who qualifies to become a member?

(5) Do you personally as an individual try to persuade non-Orthodox people to join your church? Or is proselytizing only done by a select few who have been commissioned by the church for the task? Or does the EO church take no initiatives to gain new recruits because you regard it as the sole work of the Holy Spirit to draw people to the truth?

(6) Does the EO church ever have non-liturgical worship where, for example, various lay people contribute spontaneously to the proceedings as in 1 Cor. 14:26?

Thank you for answering my questions.

 

[HTacianas]

I have several questions on various topics with (probably) short answers, so rather than start a new thread for each question I thought I would combine them in a single thread and see how we go.

(1) Does the EO church have its own official translation of the Bible in modern English, and if yes, is the text available online?

(2) Does the EO church regard the OO church to be on the path to salvation or to damnation?

(3) Are the numbers of adherents to the EO church rising or falling worldwide? I would guess numbers are rising in USA, UK, and Russia. What about Africa and the Middle East?

(4) Does the EO church have a governing council that issues rulings about official EO policy on novel ethical dilemmas such as trans-genderism, same sex marriage, embryonic stem cell research, etc.? If yes, what is this governing council called and who qualifies to become a member?

(5) Do you personally as an individual try to persuade non-Orthodox people to join your church? Or is proselytizing only done by a select few who have been commissioned by the church for the task? Or does the EO church take no initiatives to gain new recruits because you regard it as the sole work of the Holy Spirit to draw people to the truth?

(6) Does the EO church ever have non-liturgical worship where, for example, various lay people contribute spontaneously to the proceedings as in 1 Cor. 14:26?

Thank you for answering my questions.

Let's see.

(1) Does the EO church have its own official translation of the Bible in modern English, and if yes, is the text available online?

No. A number of people have worked on translations but there is no "official" translation. Probably mostly due to the fact that the Greek Church still, literally, speaks Greek. I have never heard of any particular bible being preferred, but everyone I suppose has their favorite. But Orthodox Christians do not read the bible in the way protestants do. The bible is read publicly at each liturgy.

(2) Does the EO church regard the OO church to be on the path to salvation or to damnation?

Yes. But dragging that out of an Orthodox priest is like pulling teeth. A short while back the Greek and Coptic Churches approved mixed marriages of members of their Churches. That was a great leap forward for the Churches. The schism between the EO and OO Churches is one of the great heartaches of history. It's sometimes called "the schism that never was".

(3) Are the numbers of adherents to the EO church rising or falling worldwide? I would guess numbers are rising in USA, UK, and Russia. What about Africa and the Middle East?

I'm sorry but I do not know the answer to that question. But I personally hope that the number of adherents reaches the entire population of the earth.

(4) Does the EO church have a governing council that issues rulings about official EO policy on novel ethical dilemmas such as trans-genderism, same sex marriage, embryonic stem cell research, etc.? If yes, what is this governing council called and who qualifies to become a member?

On some matters the Ecumenical Patriarch comments, but for the most part each Patriarch or Metropolitan guides his own Church on matters like that. If it were a serious enough matter there would be a Holy Synod composed of the Patriarchs who would discuss it and vote on it. As Jesus said, "if two of you agree as touching anything on earth..."

(5) Do you personally as an individual try to persuade non-Orthodox people to join your church? Or is proselytizing only done by a select few who have been commissioned by the church for the task? Or does the EO church take no initiatives to gain new recruits because you regard it as the sole work of the Holy Spirit to draw people to the truth?

I personally do my best to convince anyone who'll listen to at least visit an Orthodox Church, but I don't claim to be an apostle or an evangelist. I leave the "official" proselytizing to those of the Great Commission. Most proselytizing within the EO is among the Orthodox diaspora.

(6) Does the EO church ever have non-liturgical worship where, for example, various lay people contribute spontaneously to the proceedings as in 1 Cor. 14:26?

No.

 

[ArmyMatt]

1. no. the closest you will find is the Orthodox study bible which is not online.

2. not our call. they are heretics but many are very pious and are incredibly long suffering.

3. Sub Saharan Africa, Guatemala, Indonesia Orthodoxy is exploding.

4. yes, it's the Synod of Bishops, when they gather in Council.

5. I do my best to missionize and try not to be obnoxious or pushy when doing it. we use what we can to bring people home to the Church.

6. St Paul I don't think is encouraging spontaneousness, only that everyone has a gift to bring when we worship. because a little later in that chapter he points out God is not the author of confusion

 

[~Anastasia~]

Only a moment, but as for 1 - there is also the EOB - Eastern Orthodox Bible - which is (I think NT only) put out by the Greek Church. It's not the "official Bible of Orthodoxy" ... just a translation produced by the Greek Church. I like it as the language is sometimes very simple and direct and can untangle things that seem unwieldy in other translations.

I would also agree for #6 that the sometimes modern understanding of the early Church service as being a series of spontaneous offerings is not correct. But we (variously) have other meetings, Bible studies, and so on and I believe I have seen the Holy Spirit active in such things, with the way things come together.

 

[Alan Asquith]

I like [the Eastern Orthodox Bible] as the language is sometimes very simple and direct and can untangle things that seem unwieldy in other translations.

I'm very interested in the subject of Bible translation. I would be very grateful if you would please quote me a verse from the EOB which in your opinion surpasses other translations in its clarity/accuracy/beauty. Thank you.

[The OO] are heretics but many are very pious and are incredibly long suffering.

Do you have any friends who are OO? Would you welcome an OO into your house? Does the OO regard the EO as heretics too?

Sub Saharan Africa, Guatemala, Indonesia Orthodoxy is exploding.

I meet a number of young people from Greece and I sometimes talk to them about church and religion. I think every one of them has told me he/she goes to a Greek Orthodox church a few times each year on special feast days but they only do it because it is part of their culture and it's a family activity. They stress to me they don't believe any 'religious stuff'. In contrast most of the older Greek people I have met (50 years old and upwards) seem sincerely religious. Presumably the statistics include both those who are merely nominal/cultural and those who are avid believers. If my local anecdotal observations reflect the broader picture, the number of EO adherents may start declining in about 30 years' time. In your estimate what is the average age of those who regularly attend your local church?

 

[ArmyMatt]

Do you have any friends who are OO? Would you welcome an OO into your house? Does the OO regard the EO as heretics too?

of course I have friends who are Oriental. I went out to dinner with three Coptic priests last week. I prefer the ones who consider me a heretic, because it's honest to our history and it means if we have a dialogue, there is the hope it will get somewhere.

I meet a number of young people from Greece and I sometimes talk to them about church and religion. I think every one of them has told me he/she goes to a Greek Orthodox church a few times each year on special feast days but they only do it because it is part of their culture and it's a family activity. They stress to me they don't believe any 'religious stuff'. In contrast most of the older Greek people I have met (50 years old and upwards) seem sincerely religious. Presumably the statistics include both those who are merely nominal/cultural and those who are avid believers. If my local anecdotal observations reflect the broader picture, the number of EO adherents may start declining in about 30 years' time. In your estimate what is the average age of those who regularly attend your local church?

my local Church is attached to a seminary, so I would put the average age at the mid 40s.