Definition of "innovation"

[EIF5A]

What exactly constitutes an innovation in the eyes of the Orthodox Church?

 

[edwest2]

What exactly constitutes an innovation in the eyes of the Orthodox Church?

Can you provide some kind of example?

Peace,
Ed

 

[Peter_J]

I don’t know if this will get this thread going or not, but perhaps a Catholic might want to post a definition of innovation, and then see whether the Orthodox agree with it or not.

 

[EIF5A]

I have a feeling this thread will get closed…

I just wanted to know why the Orthodox think the Roman Catholic Church “made things up” that are heretical/heterodox…

e.g., Immaculate Conception, unleavened bread, laity being involved in the Eucharist, papal infallibility, etc

All this time, I was under the impression that the Holy Spirit guides and reveals things to the Church and the rest of humanity that were not known at the time of the Apostles.

At what point in time do the Orthodox say, “This is our faith and practice. Nothing from here on must be changed or altered”?

 

[Peter_J]

All this time, I was under the impression that the Holy Spirit guides and reveals things to the Church and the rest of humanity that were not known at the time of the Apostles.

I’m not a mind reader, but you may possibly have misunderstood.

“the proposition defined will be without any claim to be considered binding on the belief of Catholics, unless it is referable to the Apostolic depositum”

• Cardinal Newman

 

[Cavaradossi]

I have a feeling this thread will get closed…

I just wanted to know why the Orthodox think the Roman Catholic Church “made things up” that are heretical/heterodox…

e.g., Immaculate Conception, unleavened bread, laity being involved in the Eucharist, papal infallibility, etc

All this time, I was under the impression that the Holy Spirit guides and reveals things to the Church and the rest of humanity that were not known at the time of the Apostles.

I don’t think that even Roman Catholics would say this. The Spirit does not guide us in the sense of continuing revelation (though perhaps some like Soloviev believed this, but then that is why Soloviev apostatized from Orthodoxy in the middle of his life), as all public revelation ended with the Apostles, and in particular with the Apocalypse of John (at least if we accept the chronology which has it that this book was written last of the 27 New Testament books). We can reflect upon the content of what was revealed, just as scholars can reflect upon the works of Shakespeare, but we can never expand revelation, just as the works of Shakespeare can never be added to.

At what point in time do the Orthodox say, “This is our faith and practice. Nothing from here on must be changed or altered”?

There is no one particular time. This is why the faith is called ‘Catholic,’ because it is not circumscribed by any one time or place. The experience of the Catholic faith is singular and unified throughout space and time, even though its expression among theologians reflects the differing circumstances under which they experience the faith.