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 […]
Why Do the Orthodox Sometimes Celebrate Pascha (Easter) on a Different Day from Roman Catholics?
March 25, 2018 By
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 […]
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 […]
Is Speaking in Tongues THE evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
February 28, 2018 By
It has become increasingly common for Christians to suppose that the full gospel includes the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Thus the question: Is speaking in tongues the evidence of being baptized by the Holy Spirit? First, as the apostle Paul makes plain, believers are “all baptized by […]
The Continuing Validity of the Moral Law of the Old Testament
February 12, 2018 By
by Fr. John Whiteford One of the earliest heresies that the Church had to confront was the Marcionite heresy, which taught that the God of the Old Testament was not the God of the New Testament. The God of the Old Testament was evil, whereas the God of the New Testament was good. Consequently Marcion […]
Priestesses in the Church?
January 31, 2018 By
by C.S. Lewis “I should like Balls infinitely better,” said Caroline Bingley, “if they were carried on in a different manner … It would surely be much more rational if conversation instead of dancing made the order of the day.” “Much more rational, I dare say,” replied her brother, “but it would not be near […]
“What is the Best Teacher?” Wise Words from a Monk on Mt. Athos
January 18, 2018 By
The words of Monk Simeon of Athos. Wisdom. Which teacher is the best? Suffering. Which teacher is the worst? Pleasure. What is the most rare skill? Ability to give. What is the best skill? The ability to forgive. What is the most difficult skill? The ability to keep quiet. What is the most important skill? The […]
Eating Food that has Blood in it According to Canon Law
January 16, 2018 By
Q: I wonder if it is ok to eat food that has blood in it? What about Acts 15 where the Apostles forbid it and what about blood transfusions? A: Actually – and this is not well-known – the Orthodox position is that the Apostolic Council is still binding, and this includes the prohibition on […]
