Is there such a thing as an EO catechism?

[MarcoPolo]

Is there such a thing as an Eastern Orthodox catechism?

 

[josephdaniel29]

Is there such a thing as an Eastern Orthodox catechism?

If you are asking is there an official catechism in the sense of the Catechism of the Catholic Church then no, there is not. There have been a number of them written such as The Catechism of St. Philaret of Moscow and one by Apostolos Makrakis. There are also a few of them online such as this one from St Tikhon’s Monastery.

I think it’s important to remember that faith is primarily a life to be lived in communion with God and with each other, not a set of ideas to be gleaned from studying a book. You learn the faith by attending church, praying the prayers, singing the hymns, looking at the icons and partaking of the sacraments.

You can get a lot of knowledge about something by reading about it, you can only gain knowledge of something by experiencing it.

Yours in Christ
Joe

 

[MarcoPolo]

If you are asking is there an official catechism in the sense of the Catechism of the Catholic Church then no, there is not. There have been a number of them written such as The Catechism of St. Philaret of Moscow and one by Apostolos Makrakis. There are also a few of them online such as this one from St Tikhon’s Monastery.

I think it’s important to remember that faith is primarily a life to be lived in communion with God and with each other, not a set of ideas to be gleaned from studying a book. You learn the faith by attending church, praying the prayers, singing the hymns, looking at the icons and partaking of the sacraments.

You can get a lot of knowledge about something by reading about it, you can only gain knowledge of something by experiencing it.

Yours in Christ
Joe

Do the Orthodox have an “RCIA-like” program for those who wish to learn the faith?

 

[josephdaniel29]

Do the Orthodox have an “RCIA-like” program for those who wish to learn the faith?

Not exactly. Converts to Orthodoxy go through a period of instruction and integration know as the catechumenate that varies significantly in length and content. Some include formal classes and others informal, private meetings with the parish priest (or a combination of the two).

The length of time a person remains a catechumen can very from just a few minutes to a couple of years. In some parishes a person goes through a period of catechesis but isn’t formally made a catechumen until just before the baptism and/or chrismation ceremony. In other parishes (such as mine) a person is made a catechumen during a liturgy, usually fairly soon after their inquiry began. The person then goes through anywhere from six months to about a year and a half of instruction before being received into the Church.

Yours in Christ
Joe

 

[Hesychios]

Is there such a thing as an Eastern Orthodox catechism?

In addition to what JosephDaniel has posted (he is correct), I should point out that the liturgical cycle is catechetical.

If one attends as much liturgy as possible (including vespers, matins etc.) over the course of a year one will know one heck of a lot about what the church teaches. “Lex Orandi – Lex Credendi” is fully operative here. The prayers and hymns are very catechetical.

Just read the standard text of the Divine Liturgy for starters, it is loaded with basic Orthodox theology.

Orthodox books on the theology of the liturgy are very educational. Nicholas Cabasilas (fourteenth century) wrote a very good one still available in English translation.

Saint John of Damascus (eighth century) wrote “An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith” which would still be worthwhile reading today, if you can get it

"**Shine within our hearts, loving Master, the pure light of Your divine knowledge and open the eyes of our minds that we may comprehend the message of your Gospel. Instill in us, also, reverence for Your blessed commandments, so that having conquered sinful desires, we may pursue a spiritual life, thinking and doing all those things that are pleasing to You. For You, Christ our God, are the light of our souls and bodies, and to You we give glory together with Your Father who is without beginning and Your all holy, good, and life giving Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.

Amen**."
Prayer of the priest before the reading of the Gospel

 

[Harpazo]

If you are asking is there an official catechism in the sense of the Catechism of the Catholic Church then no, there is not. There have been a number of them written such as The Catechism of St. Philaret of Moscow and one by Apostolos Makrakis. There are also a few of them online such as this one from St Tikhon’s Monastery.

These Truths We Hold was an excellent primer for me into Orthodoxy. From my then Catholic viewpoint, I found it to be rather non-polemical and very informative.

In Christ,
Andrew