Eastern Orthodox Christianity: A Western Perspective

Eastern Orthodox Christianity: A Western Perspective. By Daniel B. Clendenin. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994,176 pp., n.p.

Clendenin has written a provocative introduction to Eastern Orthodoxy aimed specifically at a western audience. We western Christians have recently grown in appreciation for a tradition that at first glance seems to be totally foreign to American culture. Part of the interest has come from a desire for many Protestants to return to their apostolic roots. Since the fall of the Soviets from power, eastern Europe has opened up to western missionaries, a development that has led to an increased level of interaction.

Clendenin, who spent several years as a visiting professor at Moscow State University, provides personal insights as one who has gained a firsthand introduction to Orthodoxy. He notes significant aspects of affinity between evangelicalism and Orthodoxy. Both groups are avid defenders of the apostolic faith as exhibited in the early ecumenical councils, and both have historically been staunch opponents of liberalism and pluralism. In fact many evangelicals, most prominently former Campus Crusade staff member P. Gillquist and F. Schaeffer, son of the late Francis Schaeffer, have moved into the Orthodox camp.

Clendenin provides a brief overview of the history of Orthodoxy, noting the gradual stages of split with the Roman church leading up to the Great Schism of 1054. He includes discussion of the early Cappadocian fathers, the Orthodox objection to the Roman notion of papal supremacy, the debate over insertion of the filioque into the Nicene Creed, and the sack of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204. Clendenin also points out that the history of Orthodoxy is a history of persecution, the most recent being sufferings at the hands of Communist regimes. The Orthodox have learned to survive as persecuted minorities.

In his analysis of the contemporary scene, Clendenin observes that the Orthodox movement includes thirteen autonomous churches who share a common doctrine and worship. Each church is headed by its own patriarch, archbishop or metropolitan, and although the most ancient sees (such as Constantinople) carry the most prestige, they do not rule as does Rome.

Clendenin spends considerable time explaining the Orthodox notion of religious authority, an issue that was a major factor in the cleavage between Roman Catholicism and the sixteenth-century Reformers. The Orthodox see Scripture and tradition as one organic whole guided by the Holy Spirit, whose witness is the real guarantee of religious truth. They reject the Protestant elevation of Scripture over tradition. They likewise reject the Roman concept of the plenitude of papal power. For the Orthodox, the first seven ecumenical councils are infallible and the testimony of the early Church fathers is essential for interpreting the Bible. The latter point seems to me very helpful for many evangelicals, who tend to be ignorant of the tradition of the early fathers. The Orthodox emphasis upon history and tradition displays the rich depository of those who have gone before us.

One of the most important concepts within Orthodox theology is theosis. The term literally means "to become god or to gain union with God." Clendenin realizes the difficulty in providing a precise definition of this term because in Orthodoxy theosis is ultimately a mystery beyond our ability fully to understand. Orthodox theology is quick to dispel any accusations of pantheism by arguing that the distinction between Creator and created is always maintained. Theosis is the transformation from a state of mortality to a state of immortality in which we transition from being created in God's image to being transformed into God's likeness. This process requires us to cooperate with God's grace. Although we begin our journey on the road to this state of immortality in this life, we cannot fully realize it until the end of time.

Clendenin correctly notes the importance of the Philokalia, a collection of Orthodox writings on spirituality written between the fourth and fifteenth centuries. The Philokalia provides important clues for attaining theosis. Although these texts point to a cooperation between human effort and God's grace, it is clear that one does not attain theosis through works. These works also point to the apophatic character of Orthodoxy, which directs us to contemplation and adoration of God.

Clendenin by no means is uncritical of Orthodoxy. He notes its problems of ethnicity and its tendency to look backward rather than forward. Second, he notes the aesthetic beauty of icons but argues that we must not require their use for proper worship. Furthermore, he doubts that icons are the best representation of the gospel message. Third, while Clendenin appreciates the emphasis upon tradition in Orthodoxy and notes that evangelicals often employ an ahistorical approach to Scripture, he points out that the relationship between Scripture and tradition is inconsistent and sometimes unclear in Orthodoxy. Fourth, he appreciates the Orthodox notion of theosis but argues that this concept can potentially confuse justification and sanctification and that it receives a greater emphasis in Orthodoxy than Scripture warrants.