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Through Western EyesEastern Orthodoxy: A Reformed Perspective
Please note that to view PDF files you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader -- click here to download now. |
The culture of the Eastern Church is alien to our experience. Yet the more we familiarize ourselves with the Eastern Church the more we recognize, for all the differences, the family resemblances. The family has been parted for a very long time. But chances have arisen to meet again and get to know one another. In recent years, Eastern Orthodoxy has emerged vividly on the radar of Western Christians - hitherto, it was largely ignored. The separation has been due to the long-term historical disruption caused by differences in language, outlook and theology and eventually by the depredations of Islam. Because of these East and West went their separate ways. As a result, the respective theologies appear at times to inhabit parallel universes. However, this ignorance is changing. Eastern Orthodoxy is increasingly popular in the Anglo-Saxon world. It conveys a sense of mystery, of continuity with the past, of dignified worship at a time when evangelical Protestantism is increasingly cheapened and trivialized. This book examines the history and theology of Orthodoxy from a Reformed perspective. There are clear and significant areas of agreement - a common allegiance to the triune God; the person of Christ; the authority of Scripture and the truth of the gospel. At the same time there are many areas of disagreement, where it seems that Orthodoxy and Protestantism are at odds. However, there are also misunderstandings on both sides, where proponents of either position are not normally dealing accurately with what the other holds to be true. In drawing attention to the agreements and misunderstandings Robert Letham trusts that readers may come to a better understanding of exactly where the real differences lie. We can learn from Orthodoxy - if our assumption is that the most important thing is to grow in our knowledge of Christ.
Robert Letham is the senior tutor in Systematic and Historical Theology at the Wales Evangelical School of Theology (formerly ECTW). Previously he was Pastor of Emmanuel Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Wilmington, Delaware. He has taught at London Bible College, is Adjunct Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia and Visiting Professor at Reformed Theological Seminary.
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“Nevertheless, conversations will continue and Dr Letham’s book is probably the best one there is from a reformed perspective. It should be in the library of every pastor and theologian and consulted whenever questions relating to the eastern church and our links with its tradition arise.”
Several years ago on one of my visits, to Eastern Europe countries, I was asked by local students to explain the difference between their local Orthodox Church and my own Baptist church. It would have been useful to read this book before then, even if my answer was basically correct...This book will be useful to those living and working (perhaps as missionaries) in countries where these churches are active. It will give a balanced insight into their beliefs – and challenge our thinking too!
J. H. John Peet, Grace Magazine
"The publication of Robert Letham's magnificient piece of work is deeply significant..It is essential reading for Chrsitian Ministers, theological students, schoolteacher/lecturers, and Christians who needs to informed."
Rt Revd Dr J Barry Shucksmith Royal Navy (Rtd)
This book is not an easy read. I confess that I had a hard time reading and understanding the content. It will certainly test your linguistic ability in English, Greek, Latin and German. It goes to the opposite extreme of "dumbing-down" and caters for the highly academic elite.
The intention of the book is to examine the history and theology of Orthodoxy from a Reformed perspective. It is divided into three parts with a very useful glossary of theological words and a bibliography at the end. An index is sadly lacking. Part I (consisting of 5 chapters) deals with the Ecumenical Councils, the Church "Fathers" and the Eastern Church from the 7th century to the present. Part 2 (another 5 chapters) examines the theology of prayer, icons, Scripture, tradition, the Trinity, salvation, justification, deification and synergism. Part 3 (consisting of 2 chapters) is a comparative evaluation looking at areas of agreement, misunderstanding and disagreement. Finally, Letham examines the prospect of unity of the different churches in the light of the Lord's Prayer in John 17.
One really needs good dictionaries to look up unfamiliar vocabulary which is not explained; e.g., concomitant, enervating, countervailing, perfunctory, entitative, dilettante, eremitic, insubsistence, condign, immanent, putative, gestalt, sitz im leben locus classicus, tertium quid, qua, ordo salutis, etc.
Many important features of Orthodoxy which are an integral part in the life of an Eastern Orthodox believer, are omitted; e.g. relics, votives (effegies of sick parts of the body which are hung in front of icons), holy water, kollyva (a special dish prepared by relatives of the deceased used in memorial services), exorcism in baptisms. Neither is there any mention of a dialogue between the reformers and the Patriarch of Constantinople in the 16th century. There is too little information on the enigmatic and intriguing Calvinistic Patriarch, Cyril Lukaris, who was murdered as a result of a Jesuit plot.
Letham gives the standard Orthodox explanations to justify prayers for the dead, the use of icons, the veneration of Mary and the saints, etc., without being sufficiently critical. He gives many wrong impressions to the reader about Orthodoxy because of his lack of knowledge and understanding. However, I commend the way he shows how the Orthodox misunderstand the Reformed faith. This and the glossary are insufficient to warrant buying the book. Quotes are from the ESV.
Posted by ðñþçí Ïñèüäïîïò at 22:07 on Tuesday 21 April 2009
