On the State of Orthodox Theology in the West

The Characteristics of Good Argumentation Arranged in a Pyramid

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West)

Over the last ten years I have tried to write about real historical and theological issues faced by the Orthodox, centering my arguments on how politics and polemics have clouded the issues in the East, and scholasticism has redefined the definition of grace in the West. Rather than addressing the issues in my writing, to this day I have never had one of my central observations refuted or even questioned by my critics. Rather, several very aggressive campaigns have been waged upon me to marginalize and silence me, discrediting my writing based on name-calling or ad hominem critiques, and using my involvement in East Asian culture to try to paint me in a negative light. This is why I still believe the state of Orthodox theology in general to be in a state of disrepair and used primarily for the purposes of state or jurisdictional power, rather than being a search for truth. Aggressive Ad Hominem attacks reveal insecurity and mental dissonance, rather than inner peace, a reasonable faith and quiet assurance. 

Argument for the sake of making a political point, and excluding others from salvation, is not an exercise in God’s grace, but the practice of human pride. Churches based on excluding people from salvation are functionally anti-churches, and many fundamentalists see their primary function as declaring that (and helping along) others go to Hell. Most jurisdictions within Orthodoxy promote triumphalistic narratives to gain converts, but this conversion is shallow and tenuous when it is based on lies and propaganda, rather than on truth and simple lived holiness. We cannot allow the internet troll culture to determine Orthodoxy for future generations, but the most famous of our priests and bishops play to this demographic, making it a highly powerful subset and equivalent to the unruly and destructive roaming monastics of Byzantium’s early days. 

What we have to offer as a jurisdiction is a commitment to truthful scholarship and speaking truth to these powerful centers of ecclesial culture. We have no other advantages, but this is a huge contribution to Orthodoxy worldwide, if we can maintain this purpose and stay true to our commitments to deconstruct these false narratives. If Orthodoxy is a cultural tool of political power, it is not the Kingdom of God. Christ told Pilate that His kingdom was “not of this world.” We must maintain this divinely revealed truth or we risk losing the very definition of the Church.