Eating His Flesh and Drinking His Blood – Sounds Tough, Doesn't It?

First published @ http://radio-awakening.com/index.php/114-solascriptura-2

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

John 6:53-58 (KJV)

This is the third article of the series devoted to answering Protestants from the point of view of an Orthodox Christian. I hope we will be able to draw a quick sketch of a very complex Orthodox doctrine – the reality of the Eucharist and the theological implications it has for faith and practice. Without looking at this very important point, it is virtually impossible to get through to the point of the unity of the visible Church we've been talking about for so long already.

What's Wrong with the Sola Scriptura?

First published @ http://radio-awakening.com/index.php/96-solascriptura

I was asked by a friend of mine to write an article on the controversial Protestant doctrine of the “Invisible Church” some time ago. I must admit that this turned out to be an immensely difficult task for me because the topic is so broad and embraces so many sub-topics that it is really worth a book of a thousand pages [1]. That was why I decided to devote a series of articles, rather than just a single article, to cover all those sub-topics. The article you are reading right now is the first of this series, and it deals with one of the main pillars of the Protestant beliefs – the Sola Scriptura doctrine - utilising scientific method and common sense. In the forthcoming weeks, I plan to write more articles of the series, which will include:

1. Differences in the Protestant and the Orthodox understanding of salvation. “Once Saved, Always Saved "?
2. Theological implications of the reality of the Eucharist. “Eating His Flesh and Drinking His Blood – Sounds Tough, Isn't It?”
3. and finally, Structure and Management of the Church. “Unity in Diversity or Diversity without Unity?”

Hopefully, all these articles will serve to outline the major differences of Protestant versus Orthodox views and give a start for a friendly and thoughtful exchange of opinions.

Light from the East: Is There A Different Solution for Traditional Anglicans?

First published @ http://radio-awakening.com/index.php/73-light-from-the-east-orthodoxy-for-traditional-anglicans-2

When I read the news about traditional Anglicans who become more and more disillusioned with the liberal direction that the Anglican Communion has chosen in the recent decades and thus decide to become Catholic converts and about the plans of the Roman curia to accommodate them within a special Ordinariate, I have dual feelings: on the one hand, I'm happy that there are so many Christians who genuinely wish to follow the Biblical teaching on morality and ecclesiastic issues and remain unscathed in the face of aggressive secularism; but on the other hand, I cannot approve of the way they have chosen, bearing in mind the history of Orthodox-Anglican dialogue in the past centuries and the perspectives it has opened for both parties.

Hopefully, this article will find an answer in the hearts of both the Orthodox and the members of the Anglican community who are considering their next steps. It wasn't my aim to write another polemical anti-Catholic pamphlet (there are already tons of them in circulation nowadays) – and I will be really sorry if anyone considers this article to be one.