Christianity: A Faith Like None Other

 

My passions are studying theology, reading history and literature, writing, and watching movies. The latter four interest me because I enjoy them. Theology, though, is essential for knowing how God views view, how I should view Him, and what my purpose is within His glorious creation. I've often said that even people not aspiring to become theologians or pastors should study theology. In general, theology should concern every Christian, as what we believe about eternity, salvation, and sin will affect our everyday life and whether or not we are conforming to the image of Christ. 

Recently, I have been investigating the claims of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Eastern Orthodox Christianity retains many aspects of the ancient church lost in Western Christianity. For example, the Orthodox Church doesn't have many of the liberal ''woke'' issues of the Western church. Likewise, the Orthodox Christian emphasis on Christ as the great physician (Mark 2: 17) is a Biblical one, though often forgotten by Westerners. Perhaps most importantly, I am drawn to the Eastern understanding of salvation, that salvation is not simply about God rescuing us from damnation but saving us from sin, even from ourselves, as we become more like His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Tragically, many Christians need to become more familiar with their distinct traditions. Many Roman Catholics tend to be unaware of John Wycliffe's attempt to translate the Bible for the common man. Likewise, many Evangelicals know nothing about the church fathers and the early church councils. 

Not knowing church history has led to further ignorance of theology. Meanwhile, the grand divisions of Christendom still continue. Protestants and Evangelicals now comprise 38,000 denominations in the United States. Evangelicals add more denominations every year due to their frequent splits over doctrine. Perhaps most worrying is of the 38,000 Evangelical denominations, whether Reformed Baptist, Presbyterian, or Church of the Brethren, each thinks they are right (even though they never existed before the sixteenth century). Considering that there was essentially only one church before 1054, it's hard to believe the many existing barriers that prevent Christians from visible unity (and formal communion). And while some of the blame is on Evangelicals and Protestants for adding to current divisions, some of it is also on Catholics and Orthodox for ever having split the church in the Middle Ages. 

Still, despite all the theological differences between Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox, C. S. Lewis was right about the importance of Mere Christianity. Although theological differences are often prioritized between Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox, the three traditions of Christianity agree more than they disagree. Whereas Western Christians occasionally disagree when discussing topics like Purgatory and justification, they agree that Jesus was Incarnate, that God is eternal, that there are Three Persons of God, and that Christ saves man from his sins (and eternal damnation). Although there are significant differences between mainstream Evangelicals (especially Baptists) and Eastern Orthodox on topics ranging from baptism to the Eucharist, both uphold belief in the Heavenly realm that someday, God will make all things new. 

Often, we hear more about the differences in Christendom than where the great traditions of Christianity agree. We should emphasize the differences and challenge each other in light of Scripture. However, it is unfortunate that many forget there is more that the three traditions agree on than where they disagree. 

For context, I am not speaking about ''liberal Christians'' in this post who deny the Virgin birth, defend homosexuality and abortion, and claim that Christ was not incarnate. Instead, I wish the reader to be reminded that the traditional Protestants, Orthodox, and Catholics agree with the teachings of the Nicene Creed. I am also not speaking of Independent Baptists and various fundamentalist and restorationist sects, who preach heresy by asserting that the creeds have no purpose, that the church held heresy for two thousand years, and accuse our Lord of lying when Jesus said in Matthew 16 that the gates of hell would never overtake the church.