The Orthodoxy of tomorrow

Sunday September 21, 2008
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posted by Rod Dreher @ 5:44pm

This is massively strong reform stuff from a Greek Orthodox priest in Arizona, saying that the old ethnic model of Orthodoxy is on its deathbed, and laying out what the Orthodoxy of tomorrow will look like. Catholics will want to pay specific attention, for a reason I'll explain further down. Here's an excerpt:

The notion that traditionally Orthodox ethnic groups (the group of 'our people' we hear so much about from our primates and hierarchs) are going to populate the ranks of the clergy, and therefore, the Church in the future is, frankly, a pipe dream. Orthodoxy, despite the failings of its leadership, has actually lived up to its own press. The truth of the Orthodox faith, as presented on paper, is actually being believed - by those who have no familial or historical connection with the Orthodox. These poor deluded souls (of which I count myself) actually believe what they are reading about the Orthodox faith, and expect the Church to act like, well, the Church. They refuse to accept the Church as a club of any kind, or closed circle kaffeeklatsch. No old world embassies will be tolerated for much longer - they will go the way of the dodo. No one will have to work against them; they will simply die from atrophy and neglect. The passing away of the Orthodox Church as ethnic club is already taking place. It will come to fruition in a short 10 years, 15 years in larger parishes.

This is a well known problem. Statistical studies taken a mere seven years ago predicted that within 10 years the Orthodox Church in the United States would for all practical purposes, no longer be viable. If nothing was done within five years (that's two years ago) the decline would be irreversible. Demographics determine destiny, as they say. As you may have imagined, not only was "nothing done," such reports were surreptitiously filed away, while the calls for a solution from clergy and laity alike only increased. Larger jurisdictions will, of course, have a little more time, but not a different result.

What we are looking at, of course, is of the highest concern to the hierarchy. They know, in their heart of hearts, that they cannot reverse this trend. Yet they fight a rearguard action, hoping against hope to forestall the historically inevitable movement toward an American Orthodox Church.

Statistical studies taken a mere seven years ago predicted that within 10 years the Orthodox Church in the United States would for all practical purposes, no longer be viable.

The laity has already moved on. Americans, generally, don't fall for very much strong arm intimidation or brow beating, don't go for bullying by insecure leaders, and certainly don't see the value of taking on and promoting someone else's ethnic culture. They care about the Gospel, and the Gospel does not require Slavonic or Koine Greek, or even English for that matter. The Gospel requires context, which is why it cannot be transmitted in any language unknown to the listener.

When we look at our seminaries, we are looking at the Church of Tomorrow, the Church twenty years from now. Indeed, this is the Church we are building today.

Oh, but this priest is just getting started. Check out some of his predictions for the future. They remind me of some of the things Pope Benedict foresees for Catholicism of the future in the West -- but this Orthodox priest is far blunter than even Benedict has been:

Vastly diminished parishes, both in size and number. There will be a few exceptions, (and they will be exceptional!) but for the most part, most current Orthodox parishioners will age and die, and have no one to replace them. Why? Because as they have taught the context of their culture, instead teaching the context of their faith. Some parishes will simply be merged with others. Many will close outright. A few will change how they do ministry, with a new vision of parochial ecclesiology. These newer parishes will be lighthouses of genuine Orthodox piety and experience. Some parishes, I believe, will actually be formed specifically, in the old fashion, by purchasing land, building a chapel or Temple in the midst of it, and parishioners building or buying homes around it. The Church will be the center of their lives, and many will come from far and wide to experience their way of life.

Publicly renowned Orthodox media and apologetic ministries. These ministries are the ones providing a living and powerful apologetic for the Orthodox faith in our culture (that is, our 21st Century life in the United States), and actually providing the Gospel in its proper context - engaged in society and the public arena. These will succeed in visibility and public awareness more than all the speeches before the U.N. and odd newspaper stories about Orthodox Easter or Folk Dance Festivals could ever do. In other words, the Orthodox Christian faith will become that most dangerous of all things - relevant to the lives of Americans, and known to all Americans as a genuinely American Christian entity.

More (and younger) bishops. If our current slate of bishops has been mostly a disappointment, reducing their number will only tighten this closed circle, making the hierarchy less and less accessible, and more and more immune to things like, oh, the needs and concerns of their flock. The process of selection for the episcopacy will contain a far more thorough investigation, and men with active homosexual tendencies, psychological problems, insecurities, or addictions will simply not make the cut. We aren't far from open persecution of Christians by secularists in this country, and we need bishops who know the score. With better bishops, no one will be able to 'buy' a priest out of a parish with a gift of cash. Conversely, parish councils will no longer be able to bully priests into staying out of their affairs, and will be required to get out of the restaurant/festival business and get into the soul saving business.

Read the whole essay for more.

I keep hearing about the dying ethnic model of Orthodox parish life in the US, and I know it must exist, but my only experience of Orthodoxy is my own parish -- which continues to grow. It seems like every week we get new people, especially young families, who are interested in Orthodoxy. Our parish is made up of nearly entirely of Russian and Slavic reverts, and converts from Catholicism or Protestantism. This morning outside the liturgy I had a conversation with a middle-aged Catholic woman who is a catechumen now, and feels like she's finally found a church home. Later, I had a conversation with a young couple with children who have just begun the catechumenate, having come out of a Reformed tradition. Everybody's so excited about what they find at our parish. We're getting vocations out of the parish, and ... well, look, I don't intend for this to be a "Yay us!" post, but I do want to say that the future this Greek Orthodox priest sees for all of Orthodoxy in America is already happening in our parish. And it's a great thing to see; more to the point, it's a great thing to live.

So much of what this priest says will resonate with small-o orthodox American Catholics. Though there are structural, institutional reasons why the Orthodox vision laid out by this priest can't be realized in Catholicism, nevertheless I see parallels in Benedict's vision of the cultural Catholics being washed away by secularism, and those who remain being Catholic because they really believe the faith. This is much farther along in Europe, of course. I wonder if we'll see it in America?

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