This article is for those who have found our parish website after encountering Orthodox Christianity through one of the many online personalities now popular on the Web. If your interest in Orthodoxy came through contact with a friend or family member, this article is not for you.

COME AND SEE! This is the invitation that Jesus Christ made to those who were curious about His way of life (John 1:39). “Come and see” is also the invitation that we make to those who wish to learn more about Orthodox Christianity.

“Come and see.” The true Faith is not acquired through books and articles, and even less so through podcasts and videos. If you want to understand Orthodox Christianity, you must first of all come and be present with us, seeing us face to face, week by week. While we are grateful for the bloggers and podcasters who sparked your interest in our Church, the path into Orthodoxy requires you to walk with us on our journey to the Kingdom of God. Others may have brought you to the door of the house of God, but it is in person, through the family, that one is invited in.

The process of becoming an Orthodox Christian (called “catechesis”) is not a short one, and it is different for each person. We do not view new members as a number or a “notch on the belt.” It takes several months (at a minimum!) for you to get to know us and for us to get to know you. You will need to demonstrate your resolve to be a disciple by regular attendance and participation in the life of the community. A major part of the process is identifying someone who is already a member of the Orthodox Church who will stand as your sponsor, to vouch for your sincerity in adopting the Faith. There are many things to learn … and to unlearn … especially for Christians whose spiritual background is in the Protestant Reformation.

There may also be things to unlearn from your initial contact with online representatives of Orthodox Christianity. In social media and the blogosphere there are many voices who claim to be speaking for genuine Orthodoxy, but who are in fact fringe personalities. Their rhetoric can be refreshing and their passion can be persuasive; but few of them are properly trained in Orthodox theology. And they often fail to exhibit the royal virtues of διάκρισις and ἐπιείκεια (discernment and moderation).

A bona fide Orthodox theologian does NOT:

· Equate Orthodox Christianity with a particular political movement

· Elevate any one ethnicity of historic Orthodoxy above the others

· Speak disrespectfully about sincere Christians of other traditions

· Elevate matters of opinion (theologoumena) to the status of dogma

· Jump from church to church or from bishop to bishop

· Assume the role of teacher after being Orthodox only a few years himself

· Advocate rigorous asceticism for those not in the monastic life

· Offer second-hand modern scholarship as patristic teaching

Above all, a bona fide theologian knows the value of silence and the wisdom of words that are well-chosen and few. Unfortunately, many voices for Orthodoxy have climbed on to the “content treadmill,” and in order to satisfy the spiritual gluttony of their followers, they push out new material faster than they have time to weigh words carefully. In a society where every influencer is elbowing every other in hopes of winning the most Likes, true and sober theology often gets discounted in the marketplace of ideas.

We learn how to be Orthodox from living people, not from faces on a screen. Electronic media can be wonderful tools, but they have severe limitations. The great Apostle Paul, in his last letter to his disciple Timothy, reminds his spiritual son that the truth of his Christian faith is vouchsafed by the lives of the people by whom Timothy was instructed: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it” (2 Timothy 3:14). Timothy did not learn to be a Christian from a pile of scrolls and codices: he learned from his grandmother and his mother (2 Timothy 1:5) and from a living Apostle. This is precisely what the local Orthodox Church offers you: a personal encounter with spiritual fathers and mothers; godfathers and godmothers; and the living successors to the Apostles, our bishops.

If you are interested in Orthodox Christianity but not yet ready to “come and see” in person, do the following.

1. Get off Reddit or Substack or whatever blogger, podcaster, webforum, or YouTube channel brought Orthodox Christianity to your attention.

2. Spend some time with a highly respected Orthodox theologian, Fr. Thomas Hopko of blessed memory. Start with his talks on YouTube entitled “Advice for Beginners in Orthodox Christianity,” Parts 1 and 2. You can find other talks by Fr. Hopko on the website of Ancient Faith Radio.

3. Stick to reading books from mainstream Orthodox seminary presses. These books have been edited, reviewed, and deemed worthy of publication by a team of qualified people. Whereas, a blogger, podcaster, or self-published author can say anything he or she wants without the benefit of critical review by those who might correct them. Here are a few suggestions:

Clendenin, D. B. (1994). Eastern Orthodox Christianity: A Western perspective. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

Clendenin, D. B. (2003). Eastern Orthodox theology: A contemporary reader (2nd Ed). Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Academic.

Coniaris, Anthony M. (1977). Making God real in the Orthodox Christian home (2nd Ed). Minneapolis, MN: Light and Life Publishing Company.

Constantelos, Demetrios J. (1998). Understanding the Greek Orthodox Church: Its faith, history, and life (3rd Edition). Brookline, MA: Hellenic College Press.

Gillquist, Peter E. (1992). Becoming Orthodox: A journal to the ancient Christian Church Rev. Ed). Ben Lomond, CA: Conciliar Press.

Harakas, S. S. (1974). Living the Liturgy: A practical guide for participating in the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Light and Life Publishing Company.

Harakas, Stanley S. (1974). Living the Liturgy: A practical guide for participating in the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Light and Life Publishing Company.

Harakas, Stanley S. (1982). Contemporary moral issues facing the Orthodox Christian. Minneapolis, MN: Light and Life Publishing Company.

Koulomzin, Sofia (1968). Heroes for truth: The Orthodox Christian Church through the ages (Vol 1). New York, NY: Metropolitan Council Publication Committee.

Nicozisin, G. (1974). A history of the Church: The one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America.

Nicozisin, G. & Upson, F. (1985). The Sacraments of the Orthodox Church. Brookline, MA: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America.

Schmemann, A. (1963). The historical road of Eastern Orthodoxy (trans. L. W. Kesich). New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Ware, Kallistos (1969). The Orthodox Church. Middlesex, UK: Penguin Books.

Ware, Kallistos (2001). The Inner Kingdom: Vol. 1 of the collected works., Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press.

Ware, Kallistos (2002). The Orthodox Way (Rev. Ed.). Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press.

Credit to Hiram Fitzgerald, Ph.D. for drawing together the list above.