Protestantism in search of Orthodoxy

[SedesDomi]

In the 5 centuries that have passed from the time of Luther to this day, the Orthodox Church has been vindicated. Protestantism disintegrated, into thousands of **different and often (dogmatically) opposite [groups]: **each group separately insists that it has not strayed from the dogma of the Holy Bible, and that it accepts only whatever the Holy Bible says - nothing less and nothing more – denominations within itself. And yet,

This reveals two things:

The first is that Protestantism lacks the unifying power of the Holy Spirit.

 The second is that the Holy Bible was never a "statute of the faith" as the Protestants wanted it, and consequently it cannot be -on its own- a sure guide for the correct and complete understanding of the Gospel.   This is why it is necessary for the Church Herself to interpret it; not only because She was the divinely-inspired author, but also because She  compiled it, into one, uniform book, under the divinely-inspired suggestion of the Bishop, Saint Athanasius, in the 4th century.

  It was precisely these deficiencies of the Holy Bible (that were the result of its severing from is natural environment - the life of the Church) that rendered it so unintelligible.   Thus, those who had regarded the Bible as an all-encompassing guide, now strived to fill its "gaps" with their own traditions - both arbitrary ones and often contrary to the traditions of others (also Protestants). As a natural consequence, they began to disagree among themselves and a series of [consecutive disintegrations ensued](http://www.impantokratoros.gr/954E759E.en.aspx).

 

[jhcooper]

Well stated!

 

[JonNC]

SedesDomi:
From your same article:

For 5 centuries, Franks and Latins managed to boost their authority by using that false Pope as an instrument in their political schemes. And while in the East the people of the Orthodox Church struggled against the Ottoman Empire, which was continuously expanding, in the West the Orthodox faith was slowly being extinguished by the schemes and the persecutions of the Papists.
However, it was not only the Orthodox, but also the people of the papist “Church” who were being plagued by the oppression of the pope’s Holy Inquisition. Soon, Europe sank into spiritual darkness, having lost a vital teaching and method of the Orthodox Church for mankind’s salvation: the teaching on purification of the heart, enlightenment of the nous and participation, by Grace, in the uncreated Divine Energy. The natural outcome of this loss was, what came to be known as the “Dark Ages”.
The peoples of Western Europe needed a solution, a means of breaking away from the insufferable rule of their lords. And then, 5 centuries after the ousting of the heretic Papists from the Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church of the Lord, they sought to find a solution, by following three main religious reformers: Luther, Zwiggle, and Calvin.

Attempts to break free

 Luther made the first move. His exasperation peaked, as he watched the Pope accumulating personal wealth by selling indulgences for the forgiveness of the sins of the deceased. Very soon, he openly displayed his disagreement with the Pope, and this disagreement of his also received the support of the oppressed people of his land. This new faith spread throughout Europe with the speed of lightning. The Holy Inquisition was unable to react effectively in time. A large part of Europe had managed to break the chains of Papal authority.
 **However, in their struggles for a more pure faith, the Reformers committed a grave error. By believing that the Orthodox Church was similar to the Papist one, they did not ask for Her help.**

Yes, they did. Melancton and the Tübingen Lutherans made overtures to the Patriarch Jeremias II.
angelfire.com/ny4/djw/lutheran-orthodox.html
That said, I found the articvle and invitation interesting and thought-provoking.
Thanks,
Jon

 

[mark_a]

Yes, they did. Melancton and the Tübingen Lutherans made overtures to the Patriarch Jeremias II.

And were told “thanks but no thanks”.

 

[Hesychios]

From your same article:

Yes, they did. Melancton and the Tübingen Lutherans made overtures to the Patriarch Jeremias II.
angelfire.com/ny4/djw/lutheran-orthodox.html
That said, I found the articvle and invitation interesting and thought-provoking.
Thanks,
Jon

More precisely, the theologians were hoping for some agreement or confirmation with their own position. They were not seeking advice or help.

Patriarch Jeremiah finally became frustrated with them and asked them not to write again “except for friendships sake” if they were going to pursue the same arguments.

 

[Peter_J]

In the 5 centuries that have passed from the time of Luther to this day, the Orthodox Church has been vindicated.
…

I don’t disagree, but I would have said “The Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church have been vindicated.”

 

[Peter_J]

More precisely, the theologians were hoping for some agreement or confirmation with their own position. They were not seeking advice or help.

Patriarch Jeremiah finally became frustrated with them and asked them not to write again “except for friendships sake” if they were going to pursue the same arguments.

On a positive note, I find these recent joint statements between Lutherans and Orthodox to be pretty awesome. (I read about half of them several months ago; then I guess I got side-tracked by other things, but on and off the internet. Hopefully now I will go back and read the rest of them.)

 

[JonNC]

On a positive note, I find these recent joint statements between Lutherans and Orthodox to be pretty awesome. (I read about half of them several months ago; then I guess I got side-tracked by other things, but on and off the internet. Hopefully now I will go back and read the rest of them.)

Peter,
I, too, have read some of them, and was struck by the postive tone, and level of agreement, particularly in the areas of justification, and the early councils.

mark a -
And were told “thanks but no thanks”.

Hesychios -
More precisely, the theologians were hoping for some agreement or confirmation with their own position. They were not seeking advice or help.

Patriarch Jeremiah finally became frustrated with them and asked them not to write again “except for friendships sake” if they were going to pursue the same arguments.

You’re both right, but I was responding to the implication that the reformers made no attempt to seek out the Orthodox. As Peter’s link points out, thank God it is happening now.

Jon