POINTS OF CONTACT WITH THE CHRISTIAN ANTI-TRADITIONALIST LEFT, AND IN
PARTICULAR, EVANGELICAL
INQUIRERS

© 2002 by Orchid Land Publications

     Evangelicals on the anti-traditionalist left of Christianity no longer reject Crosses, pictures, and vestments (at least secular-academic gowns, choir robes) as idolatrous.  But many of them do reject doctrines and confuse conversion (which is sometimes instantaneous) with Salvation.  Emotion has largely replaced fixed belief, as the reports on born-again Christians (mostly Evangelicals) by the Barna Organization show.  Luther's fiducia "confidence, trust" has greatly  replaced fides "belief."  But the chief gulf between Evangelicals and traditional Eastern Christianity lies in their views of the role of creation--matter and time--in religion:

     The communication gulf cannot be easily overcome; but we can begin:

--Bible:  Show what the Greek means by the energy words, Logos, 'omoiosis [to be explained as uncreated Energy in Gen. 1:26; cf. the "waves" present before water or anything else was created]; that Jesus is YHWH (in John 8:58, he ascribes Exod. 3:14 to Himself; cf. the Semitic words behind Luke 1:43).  YOU NEED TO KNOW THE BIBLE--in Greek, if possible!
--The non-static (developmental) view of reality when Energy is a basic concept of reality--e.g. tradition is revelatory (doctrines evolve; but dogma/truth doesn't).

   The old arguments of tradition's existence before the Bible, it's codification by the Orthodox Church in the latter fourth century, etc. remain valid.  But get the Biblical verses against individualist interpretations--2 Pet. 1:20 and Col. 2:23 (against ethelothresk(e)ía "self-invented Worship/piety").  But all of that means nothing if you cannot get across the idea that creation plays a rôle in Worship and Salvation, that created matter and time are not evil or irrelevant, that Jesus emphasized the rôle of water (John 3) and bread and wine (John 6), and--ABOVE ALL--that Jesus became flesh and rose bodily--so that the flesh of His worshipers may rise again.  The centrality of material Resurrection in the New Testament has got to be the main talking point.  Arm yourself with relevant Bible passages.  For Salvation, get the real Greek (e.g. the Orthodox New Testament) of Philp. 2:13 and 2 Pet. l:20.  The energy passages are discussed HERE.
     Don't forget, the non-Catholics have a new world view invented in the late Middle Ages.  The tremendous gulf between today in the West and the Greek culture of the Eastern Mediterranean has got to be gotten across, or nothing else can be achieved.  Crossing that gulf cannot be easy.  You cannot argue from our assumptions--or let them argue against us from their assumptions.  Where creation, revelation, and Salvation are instantaneous-timeless for Protestants, they are energetic and on-going for the Orthodox.  Though Christ's Immolation cannot be repeated (it was once-for-all--ephapax), the offering up (sacrifice) of it can be repeated, as in His worshipers He offers His Body and Blood up at every Eucharistic Sacrifice.  This is true Worship--what is offered to God--not sermons directed to people.

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