http://www.cleveland.com/
Seminary dean sees American Orthodoxy evolving
Saturday, May 17, 2008
David Briggs
Plain Dealer Religion Re****ter
Eastern Orthodoxy in the United States has long faced challenges in moving
beyond ethnic politics to enter the mainstream of American religious life.
St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, N.Y., which has
trained several Northeast Ohio clergy, has been a leading institution
working toward an Orthodox Church in the United States that can transcend
historic ties to mother churches in Greece, Serbia, Russia and other
nations. The Rev. John Behr, the new dean of the seminary, says developing
an American Orthodoxy is essential to foster growth and to reach out to
younger generations and their non-Orthodox spouses. He discussed issues
facing the church in the United States during a recent visit to alumni in
Cleveland. When the average American thinks of Orthodox Christianity, what
do you think is the first thing that comes to mind?
Probably nothing much. Or if anything, it's going to be something very
exotic, something romantic, Eastern, Oriental, something you might have
heard about or seen glimpses of, "The Deer Hunter," or whatever it might
be.
If there was one thing you would like to come to mind, what would it be?
I would say what I think is particular about the Orthodox church is its
wor****p. . . . We have this wor****p and this continuity of wor****p from
before there even was a New Testament. In contrast to some other religious
groups, why do many Orthodox churches in the United States continue to
emphasize their ethnic backgrounds?
What is very particular about the immigration patterns of Eastern Europe
is
the different waves that happened. Nobody in 1970 ever imagined that there
would be another wave of Russian immigration. There have been many waves
of
immigration with the Slavics, Greeks and people from the Middle East. This
immigration has tended to reinforce the connections with the mother
country
at periodic intervals, and that's kind of kept that going.
But it's also been very, very intrinsic to Orthodoxy from the beginning
that
it becomes inculturated in the country in which it finds itself. It takes
time, and it will take time for a fully, really indigenous Orthodox Church
in America to find its full expression gathering together all those from
all
the different ethnic traditions over generations.
How do you prepare people for change?
You've got evangelism within the ethnic church, and that's to get people
to
think about their religion more than simply in ethnic terms -- this is
what
we do as Serbian, as Greek, as Russian -- but to actually begin to
understand what particular witness to Christianity and the Christian faith
the Orthodox Church is to preserve and to proclaim.
Are St. Vladimir seminarians today more open to an American church? Even
within my time [15 years], it's changed dramatically. Until 20,
30 years ago, almost all our students were what we would call cradle
Orthodox, born in the church, brought up in the church. Now, I would say
that well over half . . . [maybe] two-thirds of our students, are
converts.
Will the presence of more clergy raised outside the ethnic traditions lead
to an Orthodox Church more at home in America?
Absolutely. Going back to the question of immigration, what is very
striking
is that the more recent immigrants tend to become Americanized much more
quickly than previous immigrants in the 19th and early 20th century. So
they're already speaking English, their children are born and brought up
here, going to school here. It's already happening very, very quickly.
With
regard to the students that we are training and forming as priests to go
out
and serve, it is striking how many of them come from a very strong
missionary- minded type of Christianity. So they've got much more concern
about going out and spreading the word about Orthodoxy.
Throughout Eastern Europe, but particularly in Russia, there are concerns
over religious freedom as governments and Orthodox leaders seek to form
alliances. What do you think of these efforts to give the Orthodox Church
a
privileged position?
It's a major issue in Orthodox countries like Greece. In Russia, it's one
of
the most significant developments in the world religious scene, what will
happen between the Russian church and state leader****p. . . . It seems to
me
that once you have established the principle of the separation of church
and
state, there's no going back on it. And I think that is for the good.
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