Theology

Scholars Hope for Thaw in Evangelical-Orthodox Relations

A group of American theologians and pastors, hoping to warm relations between evangelicals and Eastern Orthodox leaders, is seeking to open in Moscow a chapter of the U.S.-based Society for the Study of Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism.

Bradley Nassif, president of the society and a lay theologian in the Orthodox church, said at the group’s annual meeting in September that he has personally initiated contact with leaders in the Russian Orthodox Church in an attempt to spark talks between evangelicals and Orthodox clergy in Russia.

Recently, religious tensions have risen after Orthodox leaders pressed the Russian Parliament to enact restrictions on Western religious organizations.

Although President Yeltsin has resisted the proposed laws and has called for new elections this year, there continues to be profound uneasiness among many Russians regarding the rapid influx of Western mission groups. There are now about 700 Christian groups active in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union in addition to many other religious groups.

At Wheaton College in Illinois, the fledgling society held its third annual meeting and focused discussion on “Salvation by Grace.” Leonid Kishkovsky, a priest in the Orthodox Church of America and an official in the World Council of Churches, described for the 50 people in attendance the theological concepts that shape the Orthodox understanding of salvation by grace, including the idea that “the best and truest icon of God is man” and that “salvation is personal and always involves community.”

Despite Kishkovsky’s careful presentation, the conference attendees quickly discovered that even though both evangelical and orthodox theologians use the same terms, such as sanctification and justification, they do not always define those terms in the same way.

Grant Osborne, a professor from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois, highlighted one of these difficulties by spelling out how Orthodox and evangelical theologians approach the Bible from different perspectives. He said the Orthodox approach Scripture from a “transhistorical” and worship-oriented point of view, while evangelicals approach Scripture from a historical and meaning-oriented perspective.

Thomas Finger of Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Harrisonburg, Virginia, pointed out in another paper several “unexpected similarities” between Anabaptism and Eastern Orthodoxy. He said the two traditions share a resistance to personal autonomy and secularization and favor commitments to a communal identity and the life-transforming power of the gospel.

At the end of the daylong session, Nassif said he was encouraged by a Russian Orthodox bishop’s response to his inquiry about opening a society office in Moscow, yet cautioned that “making progress is very slow.”

Our Latest

Latino Churches’ Vibrant Testimony

Hispanic American congregations tend to be young, vibrant, and intergenerational. The wider church has much to learn with and from them.

Review

Modern ‘Technoculture’ Makes the World Feel Unnaturally Godless

By changing our experience of reality, it tempts those who don’t perceive God to conclude that he doesn’t exist.

The Bulletin

A Brief Word from Our Sponsor

The Bulletin recaps the 2024 vice presidential debate, discusses global religious persecution, and explores the dynamics of celebrity Christianity.

News

Evangelicals Struggle to Preach Life in the Top Country for Assisted Death

Canadian pastors are lagging behind a national push to expand MAID to those with disabilities and mental health conditions.

Excerpt

The Chinese Christian Who Helped Overcome Illiteracy in Asia

Yan Yangchu taught thousands of peasants to read and write in the early 20th century.

What Would Lecrae Do?

Why Kendrick Lamar’s question matters.

No More Sundays on the Couch

COVID got us used to staying home. But it’s the work of God’s people to lift up the name of Christ and receive God’s Word—together.

Review

Safety Shouldn’t Come First

A theologian questions our habit of elevating this goal above all others.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube