Orthodoxy and Orthodox Christian morality for the win. Pay attention, Orthodox Christians. The author is talking about ‘orthodox’ Christianity, not Orthodoxy – as long as Orthodoxy remains orthodox (pardon the pun), there is no limit to our missionary potential in this century. We’re all that’s left.
Small wonder, given the harrowing times recently, that news about a long-running property fight over a picturesque church in Northern Virginia escaped most people’s notice. But the story of the struggle over historic Falls Church is nonetheless worth a closer look. It’s one more telling example of a little-acknowledged truth: though religious traditionalism may be losing today’s political and legal battles, it remains poised to win the wider war over what Christianity will look like tomorrow.
On April 18, the Virginia Supreme Court upheld an earlier court decision that a breakaway Episcopalian congregation (now called Falls Church Anglicans) did not have rights to the historic church there. Instead, the Court ruled, the property belongs to the same mainline denomination — the Episcopal Church — that the Falls Church Anglicans had voted to leave in 2006 and you can view online to know its present value. What’s striking here is not so much the legal outcome, for earlier cases involving other breakaway congregations had also ended without ant clear advantage to the rebels. It’s that this episode is exquisitely emblematic of today’s Christian moment.
First, there’s the fact of why the split occurred. Once upon a time, schism was the stuff of doctrinal issues – disputes over the sacraments, or grace vs. good works, and the theological like. Not anymore. The Falls Church dispute concerned something that neither Martin Luther nor John Calvin could have seen coming: sex. In particular, it was the elevation in 2003 of an openly gay bishop that was the last straw in what Falls Church traditionalists and others like them believe to be a re-writing of the Judeo-Christian rulebook. So they broke away to become the Falls Church Anglicans, and they lost their real estate in the process.
But their objections are being heard ‘round the religious world, not just in the global Anglican community but also the Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and other mainline Protestant churches. The sexual revolution has accomplished what even the fractious Reformation could not. It has divided Protestantism so deeply that traditionalist Anglicans now have more in common with traditionalist Lutherans or even Roman Catholics, say, than with the reformers in their own denominations. And as the proliferation of stricter Anglican churches of Africa go to show, this traditionalism has gone global.
A second fact embedded in this story also has worldwide repercussions. That traditionalist breakaway congregation in Virginia is larger than the one on the legally winning side – as in, much. Membership on the “losing” side, by one estimate, includes some 2,000 souls, as opposed to some 174 in the congregation moving in. And though exact numbers may not always be available, the larger trend is clear: this numerical division between traditionalists and reformers is also seen around the world. It’s the stricter Christian churches that typically have stronger and more vibrant congregations – as has been documented at least since Dean M. Kelley’s 1996 book, Why Conservative Churches are Growing.
So, for example, the reform-minded Church of England has closed over 1,000 churches since 1980, with some later becoming discos, spas, and mosques. The traditionalist Anglican churches of the “Global South,” on the other hand, are packed to overflowing and still growing fast. Within the Catholic Church, similarly, the most vibrant renewal movements — Comunio e Liberazione, Opus Dei, Juventutem — are also the most orthodox. Meanwhile, African missionaries from both Protestant and Catholic churches are being dispatched to the West in record numbers — in effect, re-evangelizing the very peoples who carried the cross to men and women of the sub-Continent in the first place.
One explanation for the resiliency of religious traditionalism in an age of secularization is demographic. As Jonathan Last shows in his recent book What to Expect When No One’s Expecting, if enough people over time decide not to be fruitful and multiply, eventually their churches will disappear. That’s because secular people have far fewer children than do believers. The flip side of that observation is equally suggestive. In the future, it is the believers of all faiths whose children will appear disproportionately in an otherwise increasingly childless world, as political scientist Eric Kaufmann showed in his 2010 book, Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?
As changing views of gay marriage, among others, go to show, secularization marches on. Traditionalists may be on the losing end of historic real estate, at least for now, as well as booed out of the public square for their views on sex. Down the road, though, they still look to possess something else critical — a growing congregation without which every church, after all, is just a bed and breakfast waiting to happen.
Father John, no one wins such a war between the Eastern and Western branches of the holy churches of Christ. The fact that there is such a war is a terrible sin against God and our Lorrd Jesus Christ who commanded us to love one another and prayed to His Father that “All May Be One, as He and The Father are One”. The schism of the holy churches that occurred in 1054 AD is a terrible sin which MUST BE ADJUDICATED among the leaders of our holy, apostolic churches.
Peter, I completely agree. Eastern Christianity has NEVER waged war on other Christians, looted their cities, burned them at the stake, or kept them from their own churches.
We do, however, preach the unvarished, unadulterated Truth in Christ Jesus – and that makes us both an intolerable target for most, and the staunchest of allies for some.
Great post. True from my personal observations as well. Wondering though what you think regarding the facts in your post as it applies to the end times & the preparation by our sovereign Lord to purify the church for a final revival before the rapture of the saints?
Recently my sister attended a workshop on diversity in public schools where she teaches. It was there that she discovered Christians, particularly European based Christians, were fast becoming a minority in her little geographic patch. I requested she ask when European Christmas songs would again be sung in schools as a part of learning about ‘diverse and/or minority’ cultures, because as a soon-to-be minority, truly faithful Christianity should be accorded such a right. The answer was that her question was ignored because Christianity is no longer on the menu, true Christian or the not so much true Christianity.
This disturbed me on many fronts, but mostly because these 21t Century reformers have altered what was a Biblical faith into something supposedly ‘relevant’ to the masses, which makes it so watered down that Christians now appear to stand for anything goes, just so long as you can say you are ‘born again,’ whatever that might mean. Declare belief, then sin to your heart’s content, for all is forgiven if you believed even for just one moment, no matter what comes afterward. Repentance? Changed lives? Only that one moment of faith matters as it wipes out all that follows. Full stop. (Yikes!)
What churches do when they amend themselves for the purpose of appealing to people that want an easy way, and without any change from prior sin-filled acts, or avoiding future sin, is a cheap grace without value and without foundation in the very Bible claimed by these ‘amenders.’ It is making Christian faith no more demanding than joining that frequent coffee buyer club at the corner shop. No constant striving to be perfect as He was perfect. It saddens me that churches are willing to chase the faithful out for the sake of welcoming those that don’t believe in, well, anything, except that you can sin all you want so long as you claim to believe, at least once in life, Jesus is the Son of God. I’ve firmly and finally left the Presbyterians behind, just as I left the Episcopal church, because of the last straw effect of their recent ‘reforms.’ It wasn’t one issue, but a bunch of them that got me out of the pew and standing. Literally.
What I’ve found in discussing my shift to Orthodoxy is that the Orthodox are too often thought to be an ethnic religion, brought to the US by Russians and Greeks, or former citizens of those movable bordered Baltic nations. I grew up in Minn. where ethnic meant someone with brown hair, but with very few Orthodox churches. There wasn’t the option, except for the one Greek and one Russian church that really did services in the mother tongue because the members were fresh off the boat or bilingual. That has changed recently, and even the Russians and Greeks are admitting the current crop of faithful might not be fully conversant in a second language. The openness and welcoming of Orthodoxy is not well known, nor is the reality of English spoken from those pulpits. This is not a war, and ought never be a war between Orthodox or other Christians. Rather, it should be better known that on one side is truth, and on the other, not so much. Only living faith can win the battle no matter what brand of Christianity one embraces. Living the faith means the only thing that happens is one’s heart is clear, head is clear and truth is obvious. And, for those seeking truth in faith, the Orthodox appears the only remaining option.
SMHoney,
There is no rapture. See these articles for more:
Rapture Theology’s Ominous Origin
The Rapture: Indisputable Christian Heresy
As far as a pruning of the world, it seems to be very clear that a great Apostasy has fallen upon the world, and that the wheat is being separated from the chaff. May God have mercy on us all!
Fr John thank you for the links. I’ve often thought the teaching of a pre-trib rapture was hooey and was a cop-out. Just couldn’t put my fingers on any other point of view. So far have only had a minute to read 1 of the 2 links. I will definitely circle round & read the other as well as careful prayerfully consider the orthodox view. Very provocative for me to consider the alternate & the scriptural interpretation of this teaching. Thank you again.
smhoney,
I did a study that I personally found to be interesting. I own a two volume Baptist Encyclopedia set that was published in the mid 1800’s. When reading the statements of faith proposed in the encyclopedias, I found absolutely no mention or even hints toward a belief in the rapture. In fact, with notable exceptions regarding the Eucharist and the doctrine of original sin, most of their beliefs were in line with the Orthodox Church.
Protestant thinking and beliefs have evolved significantly over the past 100 years.
Jeremy, I found myself in a lecture hall, and learned Margaret Mcdonald recanted her statements regarding the Rapture. Much later, she remembered it all as a bad dream and she regretted its misuse to bolster something that was, to her, very dark and frightening. It seemed that her dreams were misused to bolster something that is not at all correct. As a result, you are right, things have changed a lot in 100 years.
There is also the view, fitted up with dark humor, that when the rapture is declared, a lot of those espousing the theory would disappear themselves to some isolated wilderness area, so as not to suffer the indignation of the public they’ve so studiously misled. How embarrassing for them to have everyone know they were left on the launch pad of the Rapture Rocket Outta Here. At least exile would avoid them suffering a hit to their reputations of being left here with the rest of us mere mortals. The ‘good news’ is such a moment would clear out a bunch of the theological riff-raff. Or so the very small joke goes.
Then again, it is also very bad news — for the misled, the mis-leaders and the long campaign of foisting mistake on others, and themselves.
I’m Catholic–and have studied Orthodoxy for not quite two years. With the exception of two Churches in my area, The Orthodox Churches have studiously ignored me, not returned phone calls and to some extent have bordered if not exceeded being rude because I was NOT of that particular ethnicity! I have, however, found an Orthodox Church which is the complete opposite and for that I’m grateful. The Priest has welcomed me, answered e-mails , given links and I’m not rushing but studying ever so carefully. The Prayer which stirs my soul the most is the Prayer of the Faithful before Receiving the Eucharist! It is indeed the Lord’s Body and Blood and the prayer shakes me to the core.
What I see happening from Parish to Parish is a variety of things from the Pious to the Militant. Political correctness and inclusive language complete with entertainment style Churches. Orthodoxy has kept its roots, its Divine Liturgy, its direction while never swaying under immense persecution from Communists and Islamic fascists! Churches that claim to be so liberated unfortunately I believe will lose their numbers because their congregations can find the same kind of talk in the local gay bar, street corner protests and whatever any other whim comes along with the sweeping tide. I have not seen Conservative Churches be it Roman or others get swept by this tide–and Orthodoxy has NEVER –in my estimation swung this way. Pray for me good folks that I may do the will of our Lord and God Jesus Christ in this chapter of my journey. I ‘m learning much from so many of you. Thank you-and respectfully submitted to all. Christ is Risen, Christ is Risen Indeed!