This is a short post on changes in the book “The Orthodox Church” by Kallistos Timothy Ware regarding the Orthodox teaching about contraception. Natural family planning is acceptable, because it simply involves abstinence from sex during times when fertility is likely. Such is the teaching of the Church of Greece as expressed in her encyclical […]
About Fr. John A. Peck
Does the Orthodox Church have a Pope?
June 5, 2018 By
by St. Nikolai Velimorivich Well, oh yes! It has its own Pope, greater than all popes and patriarch in the world. It has had and will have from the beginning to the end of the ages. This is the same pope invoked by all Christ’s Apostles, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom and reason, […]
The Ancient Western Way of Making the Sign of the Cross
April 17, 2018 By
The sign of the cross is a beautiful gesture which reminds the faithful of both the cross of salvation while invoking the Holy Trinity. The early Church Fathers attested to the use of the sign of the cross. Tertullian (d. 250) described the exceptional frequency of the sign of the cross being made: “In all […]
The Sacrifice to End All Sacrifices
April 6, 2018 By
by Fr. Stephen DeYoung As mentioned previously, the fact that the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament are no longer observed within Christian communities, beginning with the apostolic community, has been used to marginalize the commandments of the Law regarding worship in toto. While the idea that Christ’s offering of himself as a pleasing sacrifice […]
Why Do the Orthodox Sometimes Celebrate Pascha (Easter) on a Different Day from Roman Catholics?
March 25, 2018 By
by Fr. Basil Biberdorf Sigh. It’s time for that annual round of ABSOLUTELY WRONG “Why Orthodox Pascha [Easter] doesn’t line up with Western Easter every year” articles. It’s very simple. The basic principle is: Pascha happens the first Sunday following the first full moon following the vernal (spring) equinox, which is assumed as the invariant […]
Stump the Priest: Raising Hands at the Liturgy
March 23, 2018 By
by Fr. John Whiteford Question: “Is it proper for laymen to raise their hands in prayer during the consecration of the Eucharist and the Lord’s Prayer?” No. Raising hands in prayer is a very ancient practice, and following this practice is private prayer is certainly acceptable. However, even among the clergy, only the presiding clergyman […]
Antiochian Church Adds Preaching Resource
March 20, 2018 By
Bravo! We salute the Missions and Evangelism department of the Antiochian Archdiocese for stepping forward to do something distinct, and progressive, to improve homiletics in Orthodox parishes! The Department of Missions and Evangelism of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese has, since its inception, been devoted primarily to the establishment of new mission parishes, and training for […]
Heirs of Salvation: An Answer to Penal Substitution
March 10, 2018 By
By Andrew Hopkins A common view of atonement in Protestant theology is substitutionary atonement. This belief has its roots in the writings of some early church fathers, though many would claim it began with the apostles. In this paper we consider one form of substitutionary atonement know as penal substitution. With this view it is […]
