Eastern take on charismatic renewal

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Do eastern Catholics/ accept charismatic renewal and their interpretation of the scripture or is it more a Roman Catholic thing?
 
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I’d be interested in knowing this too. I’m Orthodox, but I’m very wary of Charismatic anything specifically because I was raised Pentecostal. Spiritual deception and spiritual abuse is exceptionally easy in that world. This is one of the reasons why I am so drawn to the East and its liturgy. One knows exactly what to expect and it is safe and peaceful. There is neither craziness nor surprises to be found- nothing loosey goosey and ‘as the Spirit blows’. I don’t know how that plays out in the Catholic experience though. I once read a book called Father McCarthy Smokes a Pipe and Speaks in Tongues way back when about the Charismatic movement, but I was basically a child when I read it and recall approximately nothing of it at this point.
 
Most Syro Malabareans and Syro Malankarese (Keralite christians actually infact,which includes the Syriac Orthodox and Malankara Orthodox) adore the Charsmiatic renewal sadly
 
Sadly? We should be sad that people pray to and experience the Holy Spirit?

That is a new one.
 
Huh? I know of no “charismatic interpretation” of scripture? Please explain, if you would be so kind.

Fact is, there is far, far more misinformation bouncing around than actual truth about the charismatic renewal. Renewal. That is the crucial point. The Church is re-awakening to - taking back - what was hers all along, and what has been neglected in recent history.

What is it that so concerns, frightens even, most Catholics? Ever read Acts 2? The Pentecost - the real one. The Church does not teach cessationism - never has. Therefore, the charisms which we read about continue. We each possess charisms of the Holy Spirit and are expected to put them to use for the building up of the Church.

For those who do not know, the preacher to the Papal household, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, is a charismatic Franciscan. He was appointed preacher to the Papal household by Pope Saint John Paul II and has served both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis since. It’s all OK folks! The local Bishop oversees the movement and many participate in it.

For some odd reason, these thread all seem to become contentious when the Lord clearly desires no such thing. If you doubt, if you look upon the movement with disdain, or are simply wondering what it is all about - please just ask!
 
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Joel 3: 1-2 “The afterward I will pour out my spirit upon all mankind. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; even upon the servants and the handmaids, in those days I will pour out my spirit.”

Luke 24:49 "And [behold] I am sending the promise of my Father* upon you,… (*the Spirit)

Acts 2:17 (Peter repeats the passage from Joel, above)

John 15:26: “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, he will testify to me. And you will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.”

And multiple quotes from Paul.
 
I liken our charisms to the “Talents” Jesus spoke of in Matthew 25:14-30. We each have been gifted with “talents” (charisms) by the Holy Spirit. One day, we will be called to account for what we did with them. I know what my primary charism is, and goes generally unnoticed by those around me - God knows what is best for me.

What I do know is that my faith life absolutely came alive after a charismatic priest laid hands on me and prayed. Lost fear. Began evangelizing. Read scripture. The Rosary. Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Adoration - small miracles occurred there.
 
it often gets in the way of eastern practices and paves way for latinisation
 
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EVERYONE! Sometimes even hindus and rarely muslims about all christians
 
CoffeeFanatic said:
piritual deception and spiritual abuse is exceptionally easy in that world
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The Eastern Fathers will all tell you that spiritual deception and abuse is easy in any world. People have literally gone crazy practicing the “prayer of the heart” and/or the various psycho-somatic methods of prayer without (or contrary to) the guidance of a spiritual elder. I’ve recently read a story from Elder Paisios wherein he spoke of a brother on the Holy Mountain who was led to spiritual deception and was convinced by the devil that he was now the head of his monastery. The demon had to be driven out of the man, but he had to remain under psychological care in the infirmary for quite some time.

I also remember sitting in on a lecture by (former) Metropolitan Jonah of the OCA where he discussed a woman who was similarly led to prelest by practicing the prayer of the heart contrary to the advice of her spiritual elder.

The sayings and stories from the Desert Fathers are also chock-full of tales about hermits who were deceived by the devil and led into prelest. Some recovered, others didn’t.

The point is, spiritual deception is a possibility anywhere. Charismatics are no more prone to it than the rest of us.
 
Quite the contrary. I’ve known many Easterners (Catholics and Orthodox) who are quite supportive of it. Two prominent ones that come immediately to mind are Met. Kallistos Ware (who explicitly stated he considers himself charismatic in a talk he gave at an Orientale Lumen Conference) and Fr. George Maloney (who was widely known for his involvement in the Charismatic Renewal).
 
po18guy said:
For those who do not know, the preacher to the Papal household, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, is a charismatic Franciscan.
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From what I understand, he’s also quite the Syriac scholar.
Elvis_George said:
it often gets in the way of eastern practices and paves way for latinisation
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If properly embraced, I don’t think the Charismatic Renewal needs to lead away from Eastern practices. In fact, I think it should lead to a deeper embracing of the Eastern mystical tradition (it did for Fr. George Maloney, at least - who wrote extensively on Eastern [Byzantine] spirituality).

It’s interesting that the Renewal drew many of its leaders deeply into the Roman Catholic mystical tradition. Dr. Ralph Martin, for example, has researched and lectured extensively on the writings of Teresa of Avila, Francis De Sales, John of the Cross, Therese of Lisieux, et al. He was also one of the founding members of Christ the King Catholic Church, a charismatic parish in Ann Arbor, MI.

Why couldn’t the Charismatic Renewal lead to the same in the East?
 
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Yes bought people are rlly taught these stuff. If eastern theology was taught in seminaries,that would of been possible,but it rlly isn’s (at least for the syro malabar church)
 
Phillip_Rolfes said:
The point is, spiritual deception is a possibility anywhere . Charismatics are no more prone to it than the rest of us.
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I disagree to some extent as a former charismatic. Speaking in tongues especially in gibberish establishes this form of trance, that opens channels for spiritual attack. A catholic exorcist, mentions that most of the cases of exorcism that he had to deal with, were those in the the charismatic renewal movement or pentecostalism. The only demonic cry I ever heard in my life, was during a youth service in the pentecostal church where there was spiritual exorcism there. After moving on from that church, I haven’t experienced anything close to that before. It just goes to show the gravity of the situation and how real the spiritual realm is. Best to stay away from it.
 
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I certainly see your concern, however…

My wife grew up in the Charismatic Renewal (she was baptized into that charismatic parish in Ann Arbor I mentioned above), and I myself attended a university often associated with the Renewal (Franciscan U).

I agree that there are dangers in the Renewal. I know few people would deny that. But Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis have all spoken highly of it.

I’d question the exorcist further and find out if the exorcisms he dealt with were as a result of activities related to the practices going on within the Renewal (and which activities specifically), or if the person undergoing exorcism had been dealing in something else. And I would imagine there would be some sort of demonic outcry when those who have no authority to exorcise demons are attempting to do so (my wife witnessed something similar at a protestant-Pentecostal prayer meeting). But what we’re talking about is the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

Just so I lay all my cards on the table in this discussion, I’m neither for nor against the Renewal. I recognize that much good has come from with in the Church. But I also recognize that, like any movement, it has its weaknesses. However, insofar as it encourages people to pray regularly, read the Bible regularly, attend Liturgy, receive the Eucharist, go to Confession, and start engaging the mystical tradition of whatever particular Church sui iuris they belong to, then I’m all for it. One doesn’t have to speak in tongues to be charismatic (nor is that the summit of charismatic spirituality).
 
Sorry about your experience. However, tongues, whether glossolalia or other, are properly, only a tiny portion of the effect of the movement. I was never pressured or even encouraged to seek the gift of tongues - that is not what the Lord intended for me. I have never uttered a single syllable in a tongue.

Tongues is often noted as being flamboyant and thus attracts all of the attention. This is a fun-house mirror distortion of the goals of the renewal. Its purpose is not simply to gather and wave arms and roll on the floor. Another thing I have not witnessed.

We should always seek God’s will, but the quiet charisms are perhaps, as Saint Paul wrote, much more to be desired than tongues.
 
Phillip_Rolfes said:
I’d question the exorcist further and find out if the exorcisms he dealt with were as a result of activities related to the practices going on within the Renewal (and which activities specifically), or if the person undergoing exorcism had been dealing in something else. And I would imagine there would be some sort of demonic outcry when those who have no authority to exorcise demons are attempting to do so (my wife witnessed something similar at a protestant-Pentecostal prayer meeting). But what we’re talking about is the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.
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Yeah, exorcism could be a result of outside of the Renewal. I am not against people who have a genuine gift to speak in tongues, but against encouraging everyone to speak in tongues. This gift becomes more of the act of superstition for a number of people. Another issue is that going to church can become an interest for spiritual assent and not for God.

I agree with what you say, I believe that everyone should pray, read the Bible, observe the liturgy.
po18guy said:
Tongues is often noted as being flamboyant and thus attracts all of the attention. This is a fun-house mirror distortion of the goals of the renewal. Its purpose is not simply to gather and wave arms and roll on the floor. Another thing I have not witnessed.
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In that church I go, if one doesn’t speak tongues, one feels left-out. It becomes natural as a form of pride, to fit in to the culture to speak tongues.After leaving that church, I realised that it was rare for people to speak in tongues, but somehow in that church, each individual was encouraged to speak in tongues in a socially pressuring environment.
 
gohjedrek said:
In that church I go, if one doesn’t speak tongues, one feels left-out. It becomes natural as a form of pride, to fit in to the culture to speak tongues.
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I would distance myself from them and let them know why if they ask. Have they not read Paul?
 
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I believe there is the gift of tongues, but someone has to interpret it. No interpretation = confusion. And the tongues they speak is ironically hard to interpret as well. In the case of the tower of babel, those who spoke different tongues, end up splitting, so then in the case do these people who were encourage to speak in different tongues participating in the same movement. For the most part, people do it as a form of social validation to fit in to the church. In fact, I was a part of them. The pride that I have when I tried to fit in, was atrocious.

Another issue is that people in the church keep saying that the Holy Spirit tells me this or that. Strangely, for some they claimed they feel the Holy Spirit in church, but after leaving the church on weekdays, the Holy Spirit dissipates in their life. It reminds me of one thing: Emotion. Is it emotion or the Holy Spirit? Most of the cases again, fall into the former.

Due to the above two reasons, despite believing the gift of tongues and the Holy Spirit, I found attending the charismatic church hard to support. I am not against private prayers where people pray in tongues.
 
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To be clear, the charismatic church you’re talking about here was a protestant pentecostal church, right?
 
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