Hi everyone. For about 5 years I have been an (Eastern) Orthodox Christian. For a variety of reasons I am strongly considering making a change to the Episcopal Church and particularly one of several Anglo-Catholic parishes in my area. I have a great admiration for the Anglo-Catholic movement and some of its figures, such as John Mason Neale, Evelyn Underhill, and Arthur Machen. I look forward to some good discussions and learning a thing or two.
Welcome aboard Sir! God bless your time here. may i pry into what the reasons for joining the Episcopal church are. i know you'd be very welcome if you made the switch.
Thanks for the welcome and forgive my long delay in responding. I had a lengthy reply planned out but I won't have time to write it all. And honestly, I also dread being drawn into a polemic from all sides to defend my thoughts. I'll just briefly mention the main areas where my mind has changed. If anyone wants to express disagreements, that's fine, but I will do my best not to get into a debate: 1. Looking into the history of the Church, I am more inclined to see merit in the Anglican "branch theory," in light of various schisms of the church, such as the Chalcedonian/ Anti-Chalcedonian schism, the Old Rite schism in Russia, the schism of the Church of the East (despite which Isaac of Syria is revered as a saint by those who would otherwise label his church Nestorian), the Old rite schism, and the interactions between Orthodox and Catholics in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The claim that the Church is always united in a single visible communion does not hold up for me in light of such facts. 2. Many of the latter day Orthodox critiques of "the West" (a constant bogeyman in modern Orthodox apologetics) are built on strawmen arguments, misunderstandings, or even ignorance of Orthodox theology, spirituality, and history. The insularity and cultural chauvinism of the Eastern Orthodox world is a spiritual impoverishment in my view. 3. I am disheartened by the prevalence of nationalism, militarism, and reactionary politics in many Orthodox circles. Not that Orthodoxy is entirely infected by these, or that Anglicanism is free of them, but it seems less institutionalized in the Anglican communion. 4. I find the arguments advanced against women's ordination unconvincing and I also believe that the contemporary fixation on homosexuality and barring gays from marriage and orders is contrary to the gospel. (On the other hand, I am not especially comfortable with the "liberal" "social justice" trapped-in-the-70's wing which seems to have a big influence in TEC).
Thank you SirPalomides for sharing, and I appreciate your candor and goodwill. I can see the strength of the branch theory as well as the problem with nationalism in some Orthodox circles, but I feel that the arguments against WO & Gay marriage are compelling ones. Regardless, as you stated, it is best not to get into debate.
Hello. I myself am a member of a Syrian Orthodox Church and have attended a Bulgarian EO church for several years. I have recently started attending a REC church and I am really liking it. I'd like to hear more of your story.