Do the late 20th-century agreements between the Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox force the Oriental Orthodox today to embrace Chalcedonian Christology as Orthodox doctrine? 🧵

The difference between Orthodox spirituality and western one. Western theology is based on study, analysis, research, and criticism. I even found doctoral students critiquing Saint Paul’s writings about men and women in First Corinthians and criticizing the Gospel’s view on divorce. They justify their critiques as scientific studies of the cultural circumstances in which the Gospel was written, assuming these circumstances influenced the writers’ thinking, failing to recognize that what was written was inspired by the Holy Spirit. The methodology of the Orthodox Church is spiritual, ascetic, and experiential, while the Western approach is intellectual and analytical. The goal of spiritual life in the West is to make life on earth better for humans. They interpret the verse, “I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly” as referring to a more civilized and socially and culturally advanced earthly life. They do not consider that the “better life” refers to the eternal life present in the “now,” as the Lord intended. Orthodox spirituality, on the other hand, begins here and continues into eternity. For this reason, the Orthodox believer devotes all attention to it. Their prayers, ascetic practices, worship, and service are aimed at eternity, which they hope for through faith and await with patience. Westerners focus on the doctrine that God became man so that man may become god, leading to the deification of humanity and a competition to improve human happiness. Orthodox Christians emphasize the doctrine that God became man, was crucified, died, and rose again to liberate, justify, sanctify us, and open the gates of Paradise. It is very rare to encounter a single Western professor in theological universities who shows interest in asceticism, monasticism, or consecration. Most of them focus on humanity’s dialogue with God, with oneself, and with others. Orthodox spirituality emphasizes human struggle, while Western thought, influenced by Saint Augustine, emphasizes divine grace. However, the Orthodox believer does not ignore the role of grace in their struggle. They understand that there is no grace without struggle and no acceptable struggle without the work of grace. Western writings often speak of “Jesus,” with the name of the Lord Jesus in Western literature being treated almost like an ordinary name. In contrast, an Orthodox believer speaks of Christ as “Our Lord, our God, and our Savior Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” The Orthodox believer glorifies the Holy Trinity in all prayers, hymns, and teachings. They understand that before His incarnation, Christ was with the Father and the Holy Spirit in a communion of love, glory, and joy, and that after His ascension, He sat at the right hand of the Father in the glory He had before the world began. When you ask a theological professor in America, “Why don’t you focus on the Holy Trinity and instead simply say ‘God’ or ‘the Lord’? He replies, ’The subject of the persons of the Trinity is one of study, research, and debate. It’s easier to just say ‘God.’ Our spirituality is Trinitarian, encompassing the experience of the Father and His love, the grace of the Son and His salvation, and the fellowship, gift, and work of the Holy Spirit. Western society is highly individualistic, and this has influenced their spirituality. Westerners focus on their personal salvation, meditations, and studies, while Orthodox believers emphasize koinonia (communion). The Church’s functions—liturgy, diakonia, and koinonia—are communal, not individual. The Church’s sacraments integrate the individual into the fellowship of love and communal relationship with the household of God—the Church. Salvation is achieved through the Church, not outside it. #orthodoxy #Coptic #Ethiopian #Faith