it would be like me (a non engineer) writing a website about hydroelectric power in china. i know nothing about engineering or about china, but i could post my opinion anonymously and no one would check if it was true.
i know this forum here is also anonymous, but we have moderators, so if someone posts 'the orthodox church believes dinosaurs still exist in east london today', someone else would quickly correct this untrue opinion.
but on anonymous blogs, we don't know how seriously to take the opinion of the poster, especially if there are no patristic references given.
so please ask your friend to put some references or sources in or tell us about himself/herself. a full lifestory is not necessary (!), but something like 'i am a reader in a coptic orthodox church in australia and am studying a part time course in theology' would be useful.
Thank God Zoxasi, sadly the Greeks consider me a heretic. My hope is for an Australian Orthodox Church one day, with the depth and beauty of Orthodoxy, and Australian culture. One day, God willing.
Hi Jojo, in the same way the Greeks have an Orthodox Church in Greece with it's own unique culture, the Copts in Egypt with their own unique culture, and the Russians, Ethiopians, Syrians, Arminians, etc, in my opinion it would be amazing if one day Australia could have it's own Orthodox Church, as these countries do, with its own unique culture, but with the depth and beauty of Orthodox Christianity.
Of course this is not something that can just appear out of a vacuum. As all these other above mentioned Churches slowly evolved, from originally looking like the culture that first brought Orthodoxy to their lands, and then evolved over time to their unique expression of Orthodoxy, my hope is that in the coming generations 50-100 years from now, that the inevitable result of Orthdoxy being in Australia, and generation after generation being born into the Church identifying as Australian, that it will have it's own unique flavour, always with Orthodox depth of spirituality and theology, but with Australian culture, sanctified in Christ. Hope this makes sense.
These church bearing titles are all related to sees! Coptic, Ethiopian —> Alexandria Etc... where would the Australian originate from? The European See? :))
Ethiopia didnt begin as a see :) it became one after many years as a Church evangelised and established by the Copts. It slowly evolved it's own culture, after beginning with a Coptic flavour.
The Copts themselves were first evangelised by Jews residing in Egypt, returning from the feast of Pentecost, who had accepted Jesus as their Messiah (Acts 2:9, Acts 2:41), and then on a larger scale by St Mark himself who formalized and established the Church.
So the first Coptic Church was a mixture of Jewish and Gentile Christians, who would have most certainly had a Jewish flavoured style of worship, reading the Scriptures (OT at this stage), singing Psalms, and celebrating the Eucharist.
With time, this Jewish flavoured Christianity evolved and was influenced by the Egyptian culture as the centuries past, thus changing to a Church that expressed the culture of the majority if its adherents, Egyptians. The Holy Spirit sanctified what was good and holy in Egyptian Culture and thus the Christian Coptic culture was born.
My hope is that what happened to the Coptic Church, and every Church for that matter, that originated as a Jewish flavoured Church, to it's own unique cultural expression of Orthodoxy, will one day happen for the Australian people.
Except the Australian Orthodox Church, will be flavoured by the family of Orthodoxy that first is willing to support and assist such an endeavor.
If the Coptic Church works toward mission to the Australian peoples, then the Australian Orthodox Church will one day be able to trace its roots to the Coptic Church and thus have a Coptic flavour.
If other Orthodox families beat us to this task, then the Australian Orthdox Church will bear their flavour. Remember, this wont be seen by us in our lifetime. We can only spread the seeds. Such a Church will take generations to ever become a reality.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is not a SISTER church like others, rather a DAUGHTER church to the Coptic Orthodox Church. So they do pertain to the Alexandrian see.
I don’t think the world needs more Church groups. Australians and all other people are welcome to join and be part of the Coptic Orthodox Church, or any church for that matter!
Ethiopia didnt begin as a see it became one after many years as a Church evangelised and established by the Copts. It slowly evolved it's own culture, after beginning with a Coptic flavour.
With all due respect, this couldn't be any further from the truth. Agreed, we did not have our Holy See but our "culture" or rather Orthodox Tewahdo "tradition" stem from Judaic practices since many of us were Jews prior to being converted, not by Copts, but by different waves of missionary throughout history. Initially, by St. Matthew The Apostle (who was martyred there) and in the 4th century by Aba Salama (St. Frumentius) who was Assyrian. Our Miaphysite christology was actually spread by the 9 Saints from Syria, Anatolia and even Rome fleeing persecution. Us, along with Nubians, were under the Holy Coptic Synod because of the Holy See being established in Alexandria. We love our Coptic brothers and sisters but to make such remarks is disingenuous. God bless you.
Comments
Of course this is not something that can just appear out of a vacuum. As all these other above mentioned Churches slowly evolved, from originally looking like the culture that first brought Orthodoxy to their lands, and then evolved over time to their unique expression of Orthodoxy, my hope is that in the coming generations 50-100 years from now, that the inevitable result of Orthdoxy being in Australia, and generation after generation being born into the Church identifying as Australian, that it will have it's own unique flavour, always with Orthodox depth of spirituality and theology, but with Australian culture, sanctified in Christ. Hope this makes sense.
Coptic, Ethiopian —> Alexandria
Etc... where would the Australian originate from?
The European See? :))
The Copts themselves were first evangelised by Jews residing in Egypt, returning from the feast of Pentecost, who had accepted Jesus as their Messiah (Acts 2:9, Acts 2:41), and then on a larger scale by St Mark himself who formalized and established the Church.
So the first Coptic Church was a mixture of Jewish and Gentile Christians, who would have most certainly had a Jewish flavoured style of worship, reading the Scriptures (OT at this stage), singing Psalms, and celebrating the Eucharist.
With time, this Jewish flavoured Christianity evolved and was influenced by the Egyptian culture as the centuries past, thus changing to a Church that expressed the culture of the majority if its adherents, Egyptians. The Holy Spirit sanctified what was good and holy in Egyptian Culture and thus the Christian Coptic culture was born.
My hope is that what happened to the Coptic Church, and every Church for that matter, that originated as a Jewish flavoured Church, to it's own unique cultural expression of Orthodoxy, will one day happen for the Australian people.
Except the Australian Orthodox Church, will be flavoured by the family of Orthodoxy that first is willing to support and assist such an endeavor.
If the Coptic Church works toward mission to the Australian peoples, then the Australian Orthodox Church will one day be able to trace its roots to the Coptic Church and thus have a Coptic flavour.
If other Orthodox families beat us to this task, then the Australian Orthdox Church will bear their flavour. Remember, this wont be seen by us in our lifetime. We can only spread the seeds. Such a Church will take generations to ever become a reality.
So they do pertain to the Alexandrian see.
I don’t think the world needs more Church groups. Australians and all other people are welcome to join and be part of the Coptic Orthodox Church, or any church for that matter!
God Bless