“Eastern Orthodoxy is perceived as an exotic and picturesque remnant from an alien past”

-Bartholomew I (the 270th and current archbishop of Constantinople)

“It is the stability of thought in Orthodox theology that has generated the greatest interest from my Protestant students, primarily because of their often-new realization that there still exists a “predenominational” and Apostolic Christian worldview that is largely unaffected by the polemical debates of the Reformation. In fact, many of the doctrines and dogmas of Eastern Orthodoxy can certainly be embraced by those outside the Orthodox Church, such as its trinitarian theology and its conciliar approach to leadership and administration.”

-Eve Tibbs

Dr. Eve Tibbs (Affiliate Associate Professor of Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary) and author of “A Basic Guide to Eastern Orthodox Theology: Introducing Beliefs and Practices” (Baker Academic). Join us as we try to get a big picture of what Eastern Orthodoxy is, especially as it is contextualized to Protestants, Lutherans, Reformed, Kuyperians, etc. In this episode we ask Dr. Tibbs questions like:

- What is the chief end of man for Eastern Orthodoxy?

- Why didn’t Luther just become Eastern Orthodox since he thought they hadn’t veered like Roman Catholic? Was Eastern Orthodoxy an option for him?

- What steps did Melanchthon and other Lutherans take to discuss being united with East?

- Who/what defines orthodoxy? Creeds? Confession? What do Orthodox folks gather around?

- What does ultimate piety look like for Eastern Orthodoxy?

- Why the beards and black garb?

- What is the function of the sign of the cross?