New Skete

[rusmeister]

Can anyone give me a reliable skinny on these guys?
In what ways are they controversial among Orthodox Christians and who exactly approves of and supports them?

An unbeliever who probably rejoices in anything that would divide us posted:

the nave of their newer temple features iconographic portraits of prominent non-Orthodox such as Pope John XXIII, Archbishop Michael Ramsey, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta[1], and the communities celebrate the feast of the Roman Catholic saint Francis of Assisi.

New Skete Monastery Dog Trainers | Video - ABC News

(I have little doubt these guys do good work. I'm just asking about the controversial stuff...

 

[SeraphimSarov]

Oh dear...

 

[OuterWater]

To my knowledge, the are Orthodox. Their faith is Orthodox. Their practice is Orthodox. They also have some un-Orthodox icons in their church, which they were allowed to keep through Ekonomia since they converted and were formerly Catholic. That is all that I know.

 

[Damaris]

Can anyone give me a reliable skinny on these guys?
In what ways are they controversial among Orthodox Christians and who exactly approves of and supports them?

An unbeliever who probably rejoices in anything that would divide us posted:


New Skete Monastery Dog Trainers | Video - ABC News

(I have little doubt these guys do good work. I'm just asking about the controversial stuff...

New Skete is a group of stavropegial monasteries under the OCA - a group of monks, a group of nuns, and a group of married monastics. They were a Byzantine Catholic community, received into the OCA with the understanding that they would be able to keep some Western traditions. Everything that person posted about their practices is true. Also, their local typikon has a lot of variations on the liturgy to make it more similar to a modern Western liturgy, which I posted about in a little more detail here.

Metropolitan Jonah (their bishop) approves of them in the sense that he has not found any heresy in what they do. However, I doubt he would bless the spawning of another community like theirs. Metropolitan Jonah himself is a very traditionally-minded, Valaam-formed monastic, so I trust his judgment with regard to the pastoral care he gives to New Skete.

Bottom line: they're weird, but they are under their bishop's guidance to make sure they do not stray into heresy, and their influence in the wider OCA is minimal.

I would emphatically not recommend any of their publications or ideas (not even their cheesecake), but they are still within the boundaries of canonical Orthodoxy.

 

[Bessie]

Even their dog training books Damaris?

 

[Coralie]

Even their dog training books Damaris?

Good Lord, it sounds like this Skete is like a Walmart or something. Dog training books and cheesecake? And assorted Western traditions, theological musings, etc? lol

 

[Bessie]

Yeah, dog training is their big thing actually. In fact the link above is about that... I don't know where they stand on that issue nowadays, but a lot of their training philosophy is considered "old school"...whatever that means to the Orthodox.

 

[Damaris]

Even their dog training books Damaris?

Okay, you got me there; I can't imagine there would be anything particularly bad about their dog-training. I was thinking more along the lines of theological and liturgical publications.

 

[Monica child of God 1]

Their dog training stuff is really good. I have a 3 month old puppy and we have their puppy book and DVD set.

The cheesecake might be good too

M.

 

[Livindesert]

New Skete shows me that the Orthodox are not as rigid as internet Orthodoxy.

 

[buzuxi02]

I used to speak to an OCA monk and he never had anything good to say abbout New Skete. Ebven told me once that they will be out one day but will take time.

 

[OuterWater]

New Skete shows me that the Orthodox are not as rigid as internet Orthodoxy.

Well that kind of goes without saying because the Internet brings out the worst in everyone.

 

[ArmyMatt]

yeah, they are out there, but until they start preaching heresy, than nothing to worry about and life will go on.