Philomath
Sadhaka
So God consumes you in a non-literal fire?
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Questions about the Eastern Orthodox faith
- Thread starter James the Persian
- Start date
So God consumes you in a non-literal fire?
Yes, we do. It's derived from the Jewish understanding of Sheol, for which the word "Hades" was used as a Greek equivalent. From Wikipedia:
The teaching of the Eastern Orthodox Church is that, "after the soul leaves the body, it journeys to the abode of the dead (Hades). There are exceptions, such as the Theotokos, who was borne by the angels directly into heaven. As for the rest, we must remain in this condition of waiting. Because some have a prevision of the glory to come and others foretaste their suffering, the state of waiting is called "Particular Judgment" . . .
"The Assyrian Church of the East, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, hold that a final Universal Judgment will be pronounced on all human beings when soul and body are reunited in the resurrection of the dead. They also believe that the fate of those in the abode of the dead differs, even while awaiting resurrection: "The souls of the righteous are in light and rest, with a foretaste of eternal happiness; but the souls of the wicked are in a state the reverse of this."[12]
"The Assyrian Church of the East, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, hold that a final Universal Judgment will be pronounced on all human beings when soul and body are reunited in the resurrection of the dead. They also believe that the fate of those in the abode of the dead differs, even while awaiting resurrection: "The souls of the righteous are in light and rest, with a foretaste of eternal happiness; but the souls of the wicked are in a state the reverse of this."[12]
I don't know whether the fire is literal or metaphorical. But yes, we are consumed (not destroyed or obliterated, mind you, but rather enveloped) in the fire of God's love.
Philomath
Sadhaka
Karolina
Member
I have a few questions about Christian Orthodoxy that I haven't found elsewhere. I appreciate anyone willing to take the time to answer!
1. I understand that the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is treated differently than in Catholicism, as far as there not being an exact moment that can be said to be "the" moment of Jesus's entering the bread and wine, and that there is no Eucharistic Adoration. With that said, does this mean that the church sanctuary is seen more "neutrally" (for lack of a better term) outside of Divine Liturgy? I've noticed several YouTube videos seem to be taped with the altar in the background and I just wonder if it's because Jesus's real presence only comes into play during actual Divine Liturgy?
2. I also wonder if there is some uniformity regarding headcovering (especially for women) during Divine Liturgy? Is the headcovering only relevant during actual services, and not when just visiting the church? In the pre-Vatican II Catholic view, the headcovering was worn to acknowledge Jesus's presence in the Eucharist in the Tabernacle, which was always there. So I'm not sure how it relates if the Eucharist is not kept in a tabernacle in between services.
3. I saw that some of the Orthodox churches rebaptise anyone who was not baptised by immersion, while others do not. Is it ever a matter of the convert requesting a rebaptism even if one is not deemed necessary?
4. I seem to have gotten conflicting information about marriage. I understand that technically there's no divorce, but there are some exceptions and remarriage is allowed. But can a widow/widower remarry? I have read somewhere that marriage is not just "till death do us part" but forever, even though Jesus said there was no marriage in heaven... so I'm not sure what exactly the teaching is.
5. Regarding confession, I saw on one Orthodox church's website regarding confession: "all can, some should, none must". Does this mean that regularly confessing sins to a priest is not required in Orthodoxy the way it is in Catholicism?
6. Is the expectation for Orthodox to attend both Vespers on Saturday and Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning?
Thank you!
1. I understand that the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is treated differently than in Catholicism, as far as there not being an exact moment that can be said to be "the" moment of Jesus's entering the bread and wine, and that there is no Eucharistic Adoration. With that said, does this mean that the church sanctuary is seen more "neutrally" (for lack of a better term) outside of Divine Liturgy? I've noticed several YouTube videos seem to be taped with the altar in the background and I just wonder if it's because Jesus's real presence only comes into play during actual Divine Liturgy?
2. I also wonder if there is some uniformity regarding headcovering (especially for women) during Divine Liturgy? Is the headcovering only relevant during actual services, and not when just visiting the church? In the pre-Vatican II Catholic view, the headcovering was worn to acknowledge Jesus's presence in the Eucharist in the Tabernacle, which was always there. So I'm not sure how it relates if the Eucharist is not kept in a tabernacle in between services.
3. I saw that some of the Orthodox churches rebaptise anyone who was not baptised by immersion, while others do not. Is it ever a matter of the convert requesting a rebaptism even if one is not deemed necessary?
4. I seem to have gotten conflicting information about marriage. I understand that technically there's no divorce, but there are some exceptions and remarriage is allowed. But can a widow/widower remarry? I have read somewhere that marriage is not just "till death do us part" but forever, even though Jesus said there was no marriage in heaven... so I'm not sure what exactly the teaching is.
5. Regarding confession, I saw on one Orthodox church's website regarding confession: "all can, some should, none must". Does this mean that regularly confessing sins to a priest is not required in Orthodoxy the way it is in Catholicism?
6. Is the expectation for Orthodox to attend both Vespers on Saturday and Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning?
Thank you!
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