Question

[All Englands Skies]

Ive looked into Eastern Orthodoxy (honesltly, mainly to reading about the Byzantine Empire)

But i mean, the unity with God and closeness to Jesus seems amazing.

But isnt it mainly sidelined for Ethnicity? Russian, Greek, Serbian, etc?

 

[-Kyriaki-]

Nope. Historically, it has been a part of culture, because the way we work religiously affects our everyday life and therefore our culture and way of life. So Orthodoxy has been preserved through various cultures. But the beliefs and practices (and the Church itself) transcend those cultural groups, and with time the new culture that they are presented to adapts to them. In the meantime we have a lot of fun learning the customs and traditions of the 'old country', but we aren't expected to actually BE Greek or Russian or Arabic. The basic practices and beliefs are not limited to any one culture

Does that help?

 

[All Englands Skies]

Yeah, I mean I understand the how its above all cultures and its united in its theology and doctrine.

But i mean, it still seems a weird thing, i mean, How would somebody be "English Orthodox" or "French Orthodox" or "South African Orthodox", I mean, do such things even exist?

 

[Kristos]

They are many Orthodox in England.

 

[seashale76]

I'm American and I'm Orthodox. I have no family from any historically Orthodox countries. I refer to myself as Orthodox. My fellow parishioners don't place their country of origin or their ancestors countries of origin in front of it either.

 

[Kristos]

Check out GK Chesterton Now that's English Orthodoxy!

 

[-Kyriaki-]

And I'm Australian, and I'm Orthodox We exist!

 

[TheCunctator]

Ive looked into Eastern Orthodoxy (honesltly, mainly to reading about the Byzantine Empire)

But i mean, the unity with God and closeness to Jesus seems amazing.

But isnt it mainly sidelined for Ethnicity? Russian, Greek, Serbian, etc?

No. I attended a few times an Orthodox church near my home, everything is in English. The people there are your regular average Americans. Good people.

I imagine the misconception is there because Orthodoxy has not been so paramount in Western life, and is only now beginning to make major inroads.

 

[ArmyMatt]

yep, I am American Orthodox as well

 

[HandmaidenOfGod]

Metropolitan Kallistos (Timothy) Ware is British!

 

[Kvikklunsj]

Yeah, I mean I understand the how its above all cultures and its united in its theology and doctrine.

But i mean, it still seems a weird thing, i mean, How would somebody be "English Orthodox" or "French Orthodox" or "South African Orthodox", I mean, do such things even exist?

I'm another American convert and about as far from Serbian as you could get (try Scandinvian )...to me, the cultural aspects have more to do with where Orthodoxy has historically been the most prominent and little to do with the essence of the faith itself. Terms like "Russian Orthodox", "Greek Orthodox", etc., though common, aren't exactly the best way to put it. I think terms like that tend to give people the wrong impression - that the Orthodox faith is tied to the cultures of the countries it has traditionally existed in more than it really is. A better way to put it would probably be Orthodox Church of Russia, Orthodox Church of Greece, and so on.

For an example of how Orthodoxy works within the cultures it encounters, take a look at the recent growth of Orthodoxy in Indonesia, which has largely been through the work of a convert priest (from here: Incarnational Approach to Orthodoxy in Indonesia)

In term of Orthodox religious practices, there are religious practices that cannot be described as belonging to any particular religion in Indonesian culture. They are practiced all over Indonesia, and although they have many different names and some slight variations in practice, they basically have the same pattern. These practices include fasting, ascetic labor, communal meals, prayer for the dead, and the keeping of relics. Archimandrite Daniel Byantoro had to deal with these cultural religious practices carefully, in order that Orthodoxy be acceptable to the Indonesian people.

For example, the practice of sitting on the floor for religious purposes is adopted in the worship of the Church in Indonesia. "Coned rice" instead of kolyva is used for commemorating the dead, since Indonesians do not eat bread as their main staple and do not grow wheat. The prayer of the Trisagion is used to replace the traditional Indonesian practice of honoring departed ancestors. Women wear veils in the Church, as was traditionally done by Orthodox people, but also conforms to the idea of the pious woman in the Indonesian culture. Icons and relics, with a right Orthodox and biblical understanding, have replaced amulets and heirlooms. Communal meals are usually done during festivities in the Church, as well as during Lent, where everybody breaks their fast together in the Church after Pre-Sanctified Liturgy. Some cultural symbolism has been adopted as well for the usage of the Church, such as the usage of young coconut leaves for decorating the Church building during festivals and feasts.

 

[ikonographics]

I'm South African and I'm Orthodox...I guess that makes me South African Orthodox

 

[SeraphimSarov]

I ain't Russian Orthodox, I ain't American Orthodox, I ain't even American Orthodox... just an Orthodox Christian here. I go to a "Russian" Orthodox parish, and I'm about as Sicilian as they come.

 

[Coralie]

I'm South African and Orthodox too... from the garden-variety mixed-European ancestors of most ex-colonies

My parish is officially Greek Orthodox, but there are all sorts of people there.. French, Afrikaans, Russian, Serbian, Eritrean, Egyptian... also, we have a lot of black ex-Rastafarian converts in our parish. And so-called "coloured" people--mixed-race people descended partly from ex-slaves. Our main deacon is coloured, in fact. (sorry, I know that word--"coloured"--sounds dreadful, but I promise it's not a racist term in this country.)

Our services are in a mixture of English, Afrikaans, Greek, and Church Slavonic.

I believe there is a Church in Johannesburg-- St Nicholas of Japan, if I remember correctly-- that refers to itself as "South African Orthodox".

There are ideas in most Western minds about the Church being purely ethnic, but that's not a reflection of reality. I guess there must be churches that are very committed to their ethnicity, but I haven't come across one myself.

 

[Blackknight]

The church typika usually reflects the culture of the members or their ancestry, some more than others but we are still all united as one church.

 

[E.C.]

My ancestors were Bavarian, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, French and Spanish. I'm about as much as an American mutt as you can find and I am Orthodox.

Does one need to be Greek, Russian, Arabic, Romanian, Serbian, Georgian, etc; to be Orthodox? No.

 

[Anhelyna]

I have to say that in the UK it is different .

OK yes - I'm Greek Catholic - but the UGCC Parishes are very Ukrainian over here - the Ukrainian language is used in all services and the people do speak it among themselves . The same also applies to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in London . Yes it's cultural , the people wish to preserve their country's traditions .

The same also applies to the Greek Orthodox Church here as well , and the Russians [ though I believe more English is used there ] and the Romanian Orthodox [ I've been to their Services in London but not yet up here ]

I have the feeling that this is a 'slavic' thing

 

[Kristos]

I'm Icelandic.

Iceland was uninhabited until settled by Orthodox monks in the late eighth century.

Anyone who tries to tell you that Orthodoxy is just an eastern thing is misinformed.

 

[Joshua G.]

I come from a very german-american family... very Lutheran. But I'm 100% Orthodox (well, as much as any average Orthodox Joe)

 

[JohntheTheologian]

Check out GK Chesterton Now that's English Orthodoxy!

Chesterton was Roman Catholic...