Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy: Exploring Belief Systems through the Lens of the Ancient Christian Faith
Overview
Are you an Orthodox Christian who wonders how to explain to your Baptist grandmother, your Buddhist neighbor, or the Jehovah’s Witness at your door how your faith differs from theirs? Or are you a member of another faith, curious what Orthodoxy is all about? In Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick covers the gamut of ancient heresies, modern Christian denominations, fringe groups, and major world religions, highlighting the main points of each faith. This book is an invaluable reference for anyone who wants to understand the faiths of those they come in contact with—as well as their own.
- Provides an introduction to Orthodox Christianity
- Explores the difference between Orthodoxy and other religions
- Presents an Orthodox perspective on other common belief systems
- Introduction: Doctrine Matters
- Orthodoxy, Heterodoxy, and Heresy
- Roman Catholicism
- The Magisterial Reformation
- The Radical Reformation
- Revivalism
- Non-Mainstream Christians
- Non-Christian Religions
Top Highlights
“From the Christian point of view, what is lacking is purity of heart, as Jesus said: ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God’ (Matt. 5:8). What is also lacking is proper guidance on how to attain that purity from those who have seen God and passed on this experience to the next generation.” (Page 5)
“He had an essentially dualistic view of the universe, that material reality had no part to play in salvation” (Page 76)
“Students of church music history will recall that harmony was in fact canonically forbidden in the early Church, precisely because of its emotionally manipulative appeal.” (Page 32)
“Orthodox: ‘We know where the Church is; it is not for us to judge and say where the Church is not.’” (Page 16)
“The saints are the people we know made it. We all live in hope, not in absolute rational certainty.” (Page 17)
- Title: Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy: Exploring Belief Systems through the Lens of the Ancient Christian Faith
- Author: Andrew Stephen Damick
- Publisher: Ancient Faith
- Print Publication Date: 2011
- Logos Release Date: 2013
- Pages: 224
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Apologetics; Witness bearing (Christianity); Christianity and other religions
- Resource ID: LLS:RTHDXYHTRDXYXPL
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T20:48:37Z
Reviews
1 rating
Friedrich
9/20/2021
I've used this a few times. I find it a nice quick reference guide to quickly get a handle on how the author feels the subject matter (sola gratia, Restorationism, etc) either is in agreement with Eastern Orthodoxy or departs from it. Articles were brief, concise. For instance, regarding sola gratia, he writes: "Orthodox can agree with sola gratia if it is understood to mean that it is God’s grace that does the actual transforming work of salvation. However, Orthodoxy believes in synergy, that God and man are co-workers (2 Cor. 6:1), that man must “work out [his] own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12)." (p. 70) That introduces the reader to the notion of "synergy" and can lead to further study. Examples like this run throughout the book. However, because of his brevity and certainty, sometimes he'll make a (to the uninformed reader) a puzzling comment, such as saying, e.g. that the EO see grace as "uncreated" and "grace is God," distinguishing from the RC view that grace is a "favor," and this perspective, then "precludes union with God." Furthermore, he may make some simplistic overgeneralizations/assumptions, or get things flat out wrong, as he did when he wrote on "Restorationism" (known to many as the Stone-Campbell movement, denominational known through the Disciples of Christ, Churches of Christ and others). Some of what he said was was true (e.g., pointing out how a unity movement itself is divided) or painful (ie, regarding some beliefs and praxis) however made sweeping statements that failed to distinguish the broad differences between, say, the Disciples and the Churches of Christ. That led me to believe he likely has done that elsewhere. While I don't fault the difficulty of integrating nuance into a brief writeup, he says things with such certitude that many underinformed readers will walk away with erroneous caricatures of other Christian groups.
