What is the proper name for the Orthodox Church?
What is the proper name for the Orthodox Church? One sees so many, and of such different variety!
Teachings of Orthodoxy
Unity in the truth and love of God
You talk about the Church as unity in the truth and love of God. What do you mean by this?
Two Christmas Days
I have a question regarding the celebration of Christmas. I am Orthodox, and my husband comes from a family in which one parent is Jewish and the other Protestant. Their family has always celebrated Christmas on December 25....
The Trinity
You have mentioned Christ, the Holy Spirit and God the Father. Can you say something more about the Trinity?
Terminology: Services / Absolution / Cremation
Where can one obtain the names of the many orthodox devotional service—I’m not speaking of the Divine Liturgy or the Hours—in parallel columns with greek terms and slavic terms co-ordinated?
parastasa, pannychis,...
St. Augustine & Original Sin
Can you comment on this: “Blessed Augustine is respected in the Orthodox Church as a teacher, because of his wonderful defense of the Church’s teachings against the various heresies of his time, but because of his errors in...
St. Augustine & Original Sin
Is it true, as I have been told, that the Orthodox Church does not celebrate Augustine of Hippo as a Saint and has no doctrine of original sin.
Surely human sufficience is at the root of secularism.
Speaking in Tongues / Miracles
I am president of a motorcycle ministry, most likely not compatible with orthodoxy? I am a former Roman Catholic, presently worshiping in a Pentecostal church. What is the position of the Orthodox church on the full gifts of...
Sign of the Cross Direction
Is there an explanation for why Eastern Christians make the sign of the cross from the right should to the left, while Western Christians make the sign of the cross from the left shoulder to the right.
Sabbath
I was wondering why—and I assume this came before the Catholic/Greek split—the church changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday.
I never realized it until a Jewish friend mentioned that their Sabbath was Saturday....
Original Sin
I would like to know what is the orthodox canon regarding the “original sin.” The following confuse me:
Father Michael Azkoul states that God punished man only once for the original sin by introducing death, and the...
Mary / Prayer / Death
What are your beliefs about the Virgin Mary—most particularly do you pray to her?
Why do you pray for the departed? The Bible clearly says it is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgement. Recall the rich...
Life in this world
If this is so, how do you understand life in this world right now? What is it that men should do?
Kingdom of God
You talk about the Kingdom of God continually. What is this Kingdom of God?
How is the Orthodox Church organized and held together as one worldwide Church?
This leads one to think of Orthodoxy as a very loosely organized body. How is the Orthodox Church organized and how is it held together as one worldwide Church?
Grace and Salvation
I was reading your answers about faith and life. I have been raised to believe that grace is all that is necessary for salvation… no works. But having read the verse from James that you quoted about faith without works being...
Faith and Works
A Protestant told me that just believing in Jesus is enough to get one into heaven. This isn’t what I was taught, or is my memory incorrect? Please clarify this. These born-again Christians can be very insulting to us.
Experience of God and Communion with God
You also keep speaking about the experience of God and communion with God. Do you really believe that these things are possible for men?
Circumcision
What is the Orthodox attitude toward circumcision?
Chrysostom and the Wise Stewardship of Our Money
Recently I came across some quotes from St. John Chrysostom concerning wealth which I find disturbing. First, he writes, “our money is the Lord’s, however we may have gathered it.” Second, God allows us wealth “not for you...
Christ, the Son of God
You will have to be more specific than. You called Christ the Son of God. This is a common phrase. What do you actually mean by it?