My old blog Bayou Huguenot served its purpose, yet I was not pleased at its direction. My tone became angry and I realized whatever good I planned to do with my book on Orthodoxy would be negated by my tone and direction.
I began asking myself several questions:
Many of those who do leave for Orthodoxy haven't explored all the options. That is not necessarily their fault. One essay I planned to write was "The Zondervan Revolution." Evangelicalism became so successful that it failed to "nail down" key areas--areas which were then not under attack.
Then there are the problems of over reaction to Rome. This over-reaction meant, for example, "all icons are out," even if the icons weren't being worshiped. The problem was the same argument must also be applied to pictures of Calvin.
I could multiply examples, but it comes down to this: There is an avenue of thought that allows for the richness that Evangelicals are seeking without succumbing to what I believe are weaknesses in the Orthodox (and by extension, Roman) approach.
This blog will explore those areas.
I began asking myself several questions:
- What can I present that Reformed Protestants today are generally lacking in?
- Per number (1), is there an aspect in which I have read a lot and could contribute something on the popular level?
These answers are:
- The Eastern Fathers.
- Gregory Nazianzus
Other Reformed guys are good at the minutiae of Reformed distinctives. God bless them for it. I can hold my own in such a discussion, but I never see it advancing anywhere. I hope my understanding of the Eastern Fathers, particularly Gregory Nazianzus, can help inquirers into Orthodoxy from a Reformed perspective. My goal is no longer to "keep people from Orthodoxy at all costs." It's rather: to show where the two sides meet, where they diverge, and if any discussion possible.
Many of those who do leave for Orthodoxy haven't explored all the options. That is not necessarily their fault. One essay I planned to write was "The Zondervan Revolution." Evangelicalism became so successful that it failed to "nail down" key areas--areas which were then not under attack.
Then there are the problems of over reaction to Rome. This over-reaction meant, for example, "all icons are out," even if the icons weren't being worshiped. The problem was the same argument must also be applied to pictures of Calvin.
I could multiply examples, but it comes down to this: There is an avenue of thought that allows for the richness that Evangelicals are seeking without succumbing to what I believe are weaknesses in the Orthodox (and by extension, Roman) approach.
This blog will explore those areas.
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