What Do Orthodox Christians Believe? (And Why I Care) 

Hi Matt, My name is Fr. Moses, I am a priest in the Orthodox Church in America. I was raised Protestant(evangelical free) and converted to Orthodoxy in my early 20s. I want you to know that I appreciate your approach and sincerity to all these questions. You are honest and willing to listen, and yet still ask the difficult questions. God bless you and your family, may He grant you many blessed years!

The Orthodox emphasis of sin as sickness and Christ as healer has always held great appeal for me.

“It’s not my place to judge where you are in your relationship with Christ.” What a breath of fresh air to hear such humility!

I was brought up protestant and have been researching the Orthodox Church and I am thinking of converting. Please keep me in your prayers.

I’m Ethiopian Orthodox living in the United States. Nothing makes me happier than seeing Americans come to Orthodoxy!

I’m starting my catechism in the Orthodox Church tomorrow, I’m so excited to begin my journey in the one true church! The people of this church are so welcoming and kind, the church was there when I was at a very low point in my life and I will forever be grateful ❤️☦️

I remember the second time going to the Divine Liturgy, thinking to myself “why am I going back? This is so weird” and now the Divine Liturgy gets more and more beautiful every time I go

“Acquire the spirit of peace, and thousands around you will be saved” - St. Seraphim of Sarov.

I converted to Orthodoxy a few years ago from the Protestant faith of my youth. I am grateful for the many wonderful Protestant people and all that they gave me, but I am now home.

I am a former Baptist minister, seminary trained and the whole nine yards. I became an Orthodox Christian 17 years ago. The longer I am Orthodox the more I see how beautiful and holy and right is the original, true Church is and how - in spite of my appreciation for my upbringing - the myriad of man-made attempts at re-inventing the church fall short. I don't mean this in any disrespectful way. I say it from a desire to witness to the truth. Thank you for these videos. I have thoroughly enjoyed them. May I recommend to you the Bible Study podcasts "The Whole Council of God" by Father Stephen De Young? He is a former pastor from the Reformed tradition who is now an Orthodox priest and a true biblical scholar, holding a PhD in Biblical Studies. His Bible studies are outstanding and are helpful in understanding many of the differences between Orthodox and western beliefs (although this is not their main purpose).

Thank you for this interview. As a Protestant oriented (American) Christian, who has spent most of the last 30 years in Orthodox Christian Eastern European countries, this was very interesting. One thing I admire about the Orthodox Church in this part of the world: How they helped keep faith alive during persecution and the repressive atheistic regimes for 40 to 70 years of 20th century (depending on the particular country).

Hi, as a Protestant considering Orthodoxy, both of you did an amazing job at explaining all of this stuff, and having honest conversation. Thank you both!

I’m actually inquiring into the Orthodox Church currently! I feel so welcome there that I’ve never felt in a Catholic or Protestant church!

This has been a great series. As an Orthodox Christian I'm always looking for good accessible resources that explain what we believe, and the overall quality of this one, and the great questions you've brought, has made it my new favorite. Keep it up! Here's an idea: visit an Orthodox monastery! You'd be surprised how many there are in the US. St. Anthony's in Arizona and Holy Cross in West Virginia would be great places to visit.

I’m a cradle Orthodox Christian and this is AMAZING. It’s so difficult to “translate” our position to a western minded Christian and he did a great job! This is now on my permanent playlist in order to spread the depth of the Faith. Thanks for doing this video!

As an Orthodox Christian who used to be Protestant, I get the best and the worst of it from both sides. Thank you for being fair, for being charitable, for treating us as real people and fellow Christians rather than... some of the rest of what I see both online and irl... it’s refreshing, so thank you. Another really good place to learn about Orthodoxy and especially the way we interpret and read scripture, would be the Orthodox Study Bible, tons of notes and cross references and articles in there that gives you basically a crash course of how we comprehend the same scripture we all read and love. Thank you again for this, this interview helped me learn maybe how to articulate my own faith better and again I really appreciate the fair approach. You’re awesome, God bless.

I’m not Orthodox but this is one of my favorite videos of yours. The father here is really intelligent and well educated. I bet it was hard to end the convo and not go on forever. Thanks for the video.

I grew up Jehovah's Witness and after leaving that found my way to Orthodoxy. One thing I appreciated coming into the Orthodox church was it's emphasis on We don't do this to get to heaven, to get something for me out of it. We do this to attain theosis or to become like Christ, spiritual healing, to imitate Him (love in all we think and do) and to become one with Him. As such the result will be going to heaven but it's not THE point. One awesome book I love that deeply explains the way Orthodox think and how it's unique (and some the same) than the rest of Christianity is Thinking Orthodox by Dr Constantiniou. Mind blowing. BTW LOVE your series. SO interesting and enlightening to see how other branches of Christianity and other religions think and believe. Keep up the awesome work you do! Thank you!!

As an Orthodox Christian who converted from Protestantism about nine years ago, I want to just say thank you for putting so much time and energy into honestly trying to make sense out of the Orthodox faith. I’ve been watching your videos since before you began doing anything about Orthodoxy, and have always appreciated how you always try to do justice to everyone’s beliefs. May God bless your efforts, and thanks for all your hard work on these videos!

I'm not Orthodox, but there's something to be said about the traditions and formality they hold to. I was raised in the laid back southern California surfer culture, where even our pastors wore shorts and sandals to church on Sunday. When I was growing up this was "normal", but as an adult it just seems out of place. Why do we take worshiping our Lord and Savior so casually? If I were meeting the President, I would wear my best clothes... why is it different when I go to church and worship the Creator of the universe?

0:35 Heterodox 2:13 The Tragedy of Christianity: Core Agreement, Disagreements in Profession 4:01 Salvation 7:31 God and Man, Divine and Human 9:14 Sin and Healing 24:07 11:16 Repentance, Grace, Faith 13:00 Scripture 17:44 Trust 21:04 St Maximus The Confessor 22:32 Can The Church Be Wrong? No, can members be wrong, yes. 24:58 Prophecies and errors 26:20 Inquirers 28:00 Catechuman (commitment) 28:47 29:31 Baptism 31:40 Working through Ideas 33:10 It was not a debate, it was a learning session 37:55 Tension and Release

I don't normally write comments on the Internet and usually avoid reading them because they are nearly always a sinkhole of complaint and accusation; however, I feel compelled to leave a comment for you Matt. Your gracious attitude and that of so many of the people you've interviewed, including Father Paul, have filled me with hope for for the Church in America. What you are doing is healing for all of us. It is so rare to listen to understand, to not feel the need to push one's own opinions and disagreements. What you display in your videos and particularly in this series is beautiful. It shows us how we ought to be with our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as with the world at large. Thank you for bringing light into the darkness of our polarized world, for engaging with humility and gentleness where these values seem to have been lost in our society, and for being real and at times vulnerable about your own perspective and feelings. You are accomplishing exactly what you set out to do and I for one am thankful for it. Keep up the great work Matt! Also, I appreciate you going into depth on some of these interviews, as a superficial overview isn't nearly as helpful as indepth discussions on issues of importance, though you may need to change the title of your podcast. :D

As a Protestant I didn’t know how much I was missing in my faith, until I started researching Eastern Orthodoxy. Orthodoxy is not easy, but it is true. The fullness of Orthodoxy can only be realized by experiencing it…reading about it and watching RU-vid videos will never compare to living the Orthodox life. God bless y’all!

This was THE best interview. As a Roman Catholic, we are sitting on the fence for each tradition. If anyone did not have a open mind to this, They should question their own faith. God bless you and Fr. Paul.

Hey Matt! I'm another Orthodox Priest, and I just wanted to say that I really appreciated this series of videos you did with Father Paul, and also your videos in general. It's really refreshing to see someone like you interested in exploring how other Churches teach the faith and worship God and approaching everything from an honest and friendly angle.

Thank you for these videos. My journey in Christ began in Lutheranism, and with my mom teaching me to pray each night as a child. I honor that beginning. We all gotta start somewhere. I'm Orthodox 3 years now, and my elderly mom (my first teacher in the faith) joined me last August. Life in the world is tough, but life in Christ and in His Church is awesome. Best wishes to you and all people who seek to love and follow the Lord.

You don't just believe the tenants of Eastern Orthodoxy you have to live Eastern Orthodoxy. It is a way of life that teaches you how to be a citizen of heaven.

"Too often modern Christians forget that the Church is not just an institution, but the Kingdom of God that is here but is still to come. The Church is described as the Bride of Christ. We are betrothed to Christ. The second coming is the wedding day and the final consummation. Therefore, we live this present life in two dimensions: as saved and yet hoping for salvation; as betrothed to Christ and yet in anticipation and anxiety for the consummation of the marriage; as joyful and yet penitent; as having everything and yet possessing nothing; as living in this world and yet “having here no continuing city”; as in the world yet not of the world; as being members of Christ’s Church, receiving the new life of baptism and eternal life in the Eucharist; and yet as striving to be made worthy of the Kingdom to come. This double character of Christian life is absolutely essential to the Church’s spirituality and role within society. " - Fr. Vassilios Papavassiliou

As a Pentecostal who continues to learn about the various facets of faith, this interview was amazing. So much to grapple with.

You should visit an Orthodox monastery. 👍☦️

Thanks for this. I've recently become Orthodox from being a Baptist, and I never looked back. It's so fulfilling. It's such a rich Tradition and it's so in depth. Something lacked in Protestantism is how shallow it is (no offense, I respect you a lot, just speaking from personal experience.) But there's just so much wisdom and depth.. it just makes so much sense. God bless you

The absolutely most succinct and comprehensive delineation of Orthodoxy I’ve ever heard. Also, the civility and mutual respect of each speaker is refreshing.

It's really cool seeing other people take an interest in Orthodoxy, was an incredibly respectful and peaceful talk and it's wonderful hearing such respect for other Christian beliefs, we're all brothers and sisters in Christ and we all have much to learn, God bless you!

I've contributed more than enough mess between my fellow Catholics, of different political persuasions. I appreciate your efforts to breed understanding between Christians. This channel is severely underrated, and I hope you get hundreds of thousands of more of viewers.

As an Orthodox Christian, I appreciate your honest approach to understanding.

Christ is Risen! I've watched several episodes of your show and truly enjoyed them all. I am another convert to EO from Protestantism and I so appreciate what I term "The Margaret Mead" approach to each different tradition. You are not trying to debate or change (ie evangelize) them, but learn from each one. I wish more people were as respectful.

So nice to hear mention of the great St Maximus the Confessor, my patron Saint.

As a Protestant, I was thoroughly captivated by this Interview from beginning to end. I am learning as much as I can about Orthodoxy and Catholicism because I want to understand my brothers and sisters in Christ and just love on them. Father Paul was just amazing! Matt, you did pretty well too! 😊

Matt, I love the whole 'Protestant learns about...' series, but this is the best one so far. Thanks for bringing us with you

It is so nice to see a Protestant having an open discussion about the Orthodox Church instead of attacking it like so many Protestants do. Thanks for these videos. I was Roman Catholic and converted to the Orthodox faith. The church started with Jesus and not Martin Luther. Even if you don't agree with Orthodox theology at least try and understand it as you do. It is the history of the Christian faith.

Thanks a million!! I’ve chosen Orthodoxy a short while ago but learning more of it through your videos just helps to cement my choice even more!! I’m attending the Greek Orthodox Church in Singapore. Thanks for sharing!!

Orthodox Christian here your energy and openness to seek out our faith in depth is a beautiful thing. Definitely will be subscribing

Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox: three siblings pitted against each other in the past by Satan, united only by Christ. May His Bride march on towards Christ. Perhaps the Bride may never see complete unity on this Earth, but videos and efforts like this can certainly make unity in our HEARTS possible. That is to say, practically, the three of us may never see eye to eye and resolve our differences, but the more we love Christ, and love each other in our hearts, that is unity in the heart. Where Satan would rather sew seeds of hatred, and even war between Christians in the past, we can instead say, "this is my brother. This is my sister. We may never agree completely, but we are one in Christ, and I will love them as my brother, as my sister." Blessings to you folks, I can't wait for the day when we no longer see through the glass darkly, but see Him and worship Him face to face, and welcome each other face to face.

This is one of the most eye opening discussions I’ve ever seen, this and part 1. I’m from a non-denominational church and I’ve been feeling as though (for me) it’s not enough. It is good. And the people are good. They do have the Holy Spirit with them. But some of us need more theology, hierarchy, very specific agreed upon truth and deeper knowledge. So far it sounds like Orthodoxy could be for me. I must learn more.

I am an atheist. I love this channel and these discussions. Keep it up!

Circumventing rome,I think protestant and evangelicals, should talk with eastern orthodoxy more often!wow!

Hi Matt. Orthodox Christian here. I was going to tell you how wonderful you are and how much I appreciate your kindness and inquisitiveness in your videos, but I see a zillion people already have. God bless you.

As an Antiochian Orthodox lady from a Protestant background, I've found these videos quite delightful. I appreciate your respectful approach and thoughtful questions. On behalf of whomever commented caustically on the previous videos, I extend an apology for their words and pray that you might forgive them. May God bless you.

This video series is amazing. Lifelong Catholic who loves learning about the first schism in the church and of course the reformation. As Christians we all hunger for the love of Christ in this life. We come from so many backgrounds - but are united in Him!

I’m an Orthodox Christian, and I absolutely LOVE your channel! God bless you!

It was lovely to see a rigorous discussion of Orthodoxy in these five parts from an outside perspective, as someone who had grown up in it and only really knows about it from an inside perspective

I see people are recommending you visit an Orthodox monastery, I cannot agree more! The monastery is where Holy Tradition is given life in its purest form, a well of living water for the faithful.

This is the best video series on RU-vid, I'm just so incredibly touched by the presentation. So much grace and patience and open-heartedness from Matt, I will beg in prayer that he joins the Church, I am so blessed by his grace. Spiritual journey in a nutshell: Raised by holy Catholic women, but my Mom herself wasn't religious. So I wasn't religious growing up. Got to know demons first with some really serious Ouija board experiences. Realized if demons are real, then for sure God is real. Lived on the dark side for years, got into Eastern traditions and philosophies. Became a Master of a Lodge and resigned halfway through my second year of serving as Master when I realized Jesus was who said He was. But I still had this New Age idea of Christ. Ended up leaving Paleo Hebrew and became a Messianic Jew. That was a beautiful couple of years. Never learned about the Gospel there though, it was more about Ha'Shem (His Name) and the Torah. So I left that eventually. Through an amazing story, I ended up hearing the Gospel of a Jesus Christ, and that day my wife and I, and our two kids all accepted Jesus. That very Sunday we were all baptized as Southern Baptists. I played guitar and was super Protestant man. Lol Eventually my wife had bad experiences there and found a non denominational church down the road. After a few months I followed her there but didn't really like it. Did lazy protestant church for awhile, went to Cowboy churches where you can wear your Cowboy hats the whole service. Lol Went to all these churches. My wife and daughter started going to this STRANGE church that was Orthodox. I was so against it at first. But their baptisms were so amazing, I couldn't believe how beautiful they were. I love the reverence that the Orthodox church allows for. I was cathecised and then baptized about a year after they were. Now I've been Orthodox for a year and a few months. I was baptized on Pascha. I am so blessed to be home after such a long journey. Being protestant always assured that I had one foot in the world and one foot in the church. But the orthodox life so quickly eroded away any desires for worldly things. I learned to love Church so much that all I want is Church. Learn more Greek, learn more prayers. Learn the Psalms we pray everyday. If we are to be careful of what comes out of our mouths, then at least pray so much everyday that you've definitely said more words in prayer than you did in idle talk. If the Kingdom is upon you, why are you not bowing and in prayer? It's here. "For we have the mind of Christ." Blessings to you Matt. I've never been more touched by any videos than these Orthodox videos you made. I learned SO MUCH about my own faith by watching this, it's such a gem to me. Thank you, thank you. God grant you many years my brother, I'm truly in tears right now.

Enjoying the frequency of these uploads! Father Paul has blown me away, what a great representative of the orthodox church. I would honestly listen to a regular podcast with you two haha

More orthodox content!! Love to see it!

Your videos on Orthodoxy have been so helpful for me as my husband and I prepare to become catechumens this Sunday. I've been a protestant for 15 years and don't think this journey will be easy but I think it is the path forward to understand God and the church more. Thank you so much for the work you put into these videos!

Thank you so much for doing this Matt. It feels like I've picked up a bachelor's degree worth of theology just passively observing these episodes and then doing my own research/going down rabbit holes but all the while feeling like we're somehow on a mutual journey. Your channel has tremendously enriched my Christian faith and understanding.

These have been excellent videos and I really do hope to see this priest back on this channel again. I’m agnostic and in search of “is there a God?” I really do wish I could see God in my life if he does exist.

As a convert to Orthodoxy of some 23 years, I feel compelled to say thank you for making such a fine video. I love the questions, and the answers, all so clear and honest, unafraid to broach things that might be sensitive, and handled with gentleness but also with probing. I am refreshed, encouraged, and joyous in my heart from having viewed it. But your last 10-minute soliloquy so impresses me also! Your heartfelt expression of the anguish of these past couple of years and desire to make a constructive response, your struggle with the temptations to argue and win points over others, and your struggle to find a better understanding in a deep and meaningful way win me over in themselves. To me you are describing the Christian life, that effort to remain true to Christ and be unwavering and forthright, while holding on to His grace, kindness, and lovingkindness. The failures. The corrections. The journey through discovery. The drawing closer to Christ-likeness. This is repentance. And I recognize it clearly because I recognize myself in so much of what you say. I think you have a very Orthodox approach to Orthodoxy, and likewise to living as a Christian. May God bless you on your life journey and grant you His grace to find the place where He would lead you. Let not only your mind direct you, for there is much truth in your heart and soul already. When we are saved, we are saved in all our faculties and all our being and all our humanity, even our bodies. God wants the "all" of us - all our heart, and all our mind, and all our soul - and our understanding needs therefore to be in "all".

Thank you for another fascinating video, it's wonderful to see Christians from different traditions discussing their faith with such courtesy and openness. For those wanting to learn more about the Orthodox Church there are two excellent books by Bishop Kallistos Ware, the first, 'The Orthodox Church' has been for fifty years the best introduction to the history and practice of the Orthodox Church. His other book is 'The Orthodox Way' looks at the spirituality of the Orthodox Church.

Wow. Fantastic answer. Much respect, father.

As an orthodox christian, I appreciate your open-mindedness as well as the hard questions you ask. I hope you re-visit orthodoxy again and I will be looking forward to take part of your future content!

Really enjoyed this series. I am gradually approaching Orthodoxy myself. You seem to be a genuine truth seeker. It's so refreshing to see two very intelligent men discussing Christian faith!

i was raised as a non denominational christian and i love this conversation! my husband's family came out of orthodoxy in eastern europe, and i think it's so interesting to learn about!

This is so good! I'm a committed LCMS Lutheran, but investigating the Orthodox Church. Very helpful. Thank you.

Thank you 🙏 I love to learn more about Orthodoxy! It is really awesome.

... And they'll know we are Christians by our love.

I've really been struggling with the issue of sin and how it came to be. The was this Fr. explained it really makes it clear to me. Sin was not created by God as a punishment for us turning our backs on him, sin is a natural occurrence that happens when we "unplug" ourselves from God, our life source. He made it so very clear. I'm going to have to try out an Orthodox Church.

Best series yet. Do more with him if you get a chance.

Catholic here. Enjoy these videos very much. That was a great interview.

Father Paul is absolutely correct in that Orthodoxy does not (and cannot) narrow the work of Christ in our salvation down to a single, simple paradigm as is too often tried in the West. One paradigm simply cannot account for it all. That said, it should be clear the Orthodoxy does have _a_ view of "substitutionary atonement" that sits comfortably among all the rest. It is far from representative of that view which was later formulated by Anselm and adopted and changed by yet later Reformed theologians, but it is there nevertheless. But Father Paul is absolutely right in pointing out that it is only one facet of God's salvific work among a whole host of others, and no one facet outshines all the rest in brilliance and beauty. Here is an Orthodox view of "substitutionary atonement" as presented by St. Athanasius of Alexandria: "But beyond all this, there was a debt owing which must needs be paid; for, as I said before, all men were due to die. Here, then, is the second reason why the Word dwelt among us, namely that having proved His Godhead by His works, He might offer the sacrifice on behalf of all, surrendering His own temple to death in place of all, to settle man’s account with death and free him from the primal transgression. In the same act also He showed Himself mightier than death, displaying His own body incorruptible as the first-fruits of the resurrection." ( _On the Incarnation_ 4.20) The Orthodox understanding is different in that it is not so much a "penal" or "judicial" substitution, but simply a substitution. No adjectives necessary, except perhaps for the word "willing," as Christ did this gladly of his own will for our sakes. "Thus it happened that two opposite marvels took place at once: the death of all was consummated in the Lord’s body; yet, because the Word was in it, death and corruption were in the same act utterly abolished. Death there had to be, and death for all, so that the due of all might be paid. Wherefore, the Word, as I said, being Himself incapable of death, assumed a mortal body, that He might offer it as His own in place of all, and suffering for the sake of all through His union with it 'might bring to nought Him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver them who all their lifetime were enslaved by the fear of death' (Heb. 2:14-15)." ( _ibid._ )

Thank you, Father Paul, very natural and pure speech. From Russia with love.

This was a fascinating series, I am glad I found your channel a few months back. I think the biggest misconception that this video cleared up is that each of these churches understands and accepts other Christians as Christians.

These videos have been a pure joy. Before your series, I knew next to nothing about Eastern Orthodox beliefs. I tend more and more towards a progressive-reformed viewpoint, and that has helped me to appreciate how much our interpretation of faith expression differs based on cultural and personal experiences. Give me the Nicene Creed and lets build from there.

Fascinating videos, Matt. All 5 of them! I've never heard the Orthodox perspective so clearly taught with regards to tradition/scripture, salvation, icons (the kids kissing the window, but really kissing their papa - wow), and even history. This was so good. I'm literally moved spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually by all of this.

A great and edifying video, as always! I have some suggestions for future videos: - An Assyrian Church of the East - An Ethiopian Tewahedo Orthodox Church - An Armenian Apostolic Church - An Orthodox monastery - A Catholic monastery But I am Orthodox myself and I learned the most from your tours of Protestant churches. So in spite of what I just said, I would especially love to see more Protestant churches of various kinds.

I remember the first time my family and i attended the liturgy for a "visit". It was our first and last visit. A year later me my wife and our 7 children were all received into the Holy Orthodox Church. It is the best move weve ever made. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Love you videos of Orthodoxy. Reminds me a lot of myself when I first started learning about it. 👌☦

My priest says that Orthodoxy is like the sun. If you fly too close to it, you will be consumed before you realize what's happened. God bless you on your journey, Matt!

As an Ethiopian Orthodox I listen Fr. Paul as I am listening to one of the best preachers in my language Thank you for showing what we have in the language many can understand. God blessings to you and your family!

My first experience with Orthodoxy was at a re-opened church in Harbin, China. Everything was in Church Slavonic. I persisted. Some things were tough for me to understand because I was looking at Orthodoxy through my Evangelical eyes. When I realized that, it became easier. If you are curious, go to a church, experience the liturgy and other services and ask questions. I have a Fuller M.Div., by the way.

Father Paul needs to start an Orthodox Podcast👍

These discussions are soooo helpful. I like the way BOTH of you think. I'm a new Orthodox convert and truly appreciate your efforts!

Matt you should really look into the Mirracle of Holy Light at every Easter in Jerusalem.

Again, a great video and the best video of "protestant visits an Orthodox Church" No need to debate but learn, I appreciate your approach on others with different views. I would echo another's comment in that the Orthodox Church saved my faith. I came in during Lent and went to as many services as I could. After Lent, I was ready to become a catechumen. It took some time to go through the journey to become Orthodox but so glad I have. I would recommend attending the Church during Lent to experience it. It is something experienced as well and intellectualized.

Hi Matt. There's so much good to say about this video...too much for this space, but what I will say is that I really appreciate this work you are doing. This is just the kind of channel i have wanted for many years...to learn about different denominations and Christian churches. I recently became aware of Orthodoxy and I'm falling in love with it. I have been Protestant for 24 years and never knew a thing about Orthodoxy. These videos have been SO helpful and enjoyable in so many ways. You are a natural and a pro at this. Obviously I am a subscriber now and I want to thank you for this work. God bless you and us all.

Matt, I just want to say how much I appreciate your approach! Debates are for making feel good about how right I am and how the other side is so dumb, or misunderstands. But this approach shows how the other side, whether or not we identify with them, is full of people who love Jesus and are not dumb but have a different set of beliefs. We need more people like you to approach different traditions with open minds. Thank you!

Great interview. You lucked out with Fr.. Paul.not every Orthodox roes is so thoughtful or articulate. The next time you're. together talk with him about prayer. It is key to the Orthodox life. When Covid is over see if you can get yourself onto Mt. Athos for a week. more easily said than done. Ask Fr Paul about how to go about it--especially for a non-Orthodox.Your soul will be rewarded. But you need to know about prayer first.

I recently found orthodoxy and have been attending our local parish for about a month and even now this video has been so eye opening and absolutely informative! Thank you so much for delving into the different branches of Christianity and really getting the hard answers on hot topics from these different denominations. I can’t tell you how helpful these two videos were! Especially for someone who is so convicted to orthodoxy but struggling to understand it all, this was beyond anything I have found thus far and I feel like I have such a better understanding of it as someone who was raised southern Baptist. A LOT of my questions were answered and this just pushed me full throttle into it! Seriously God bless, this was an absolutely amazing video!

I consider myself blessed for I was born in Russia where Orthodox Christianity is the main religion. Being a part of the Church founded by apostles themselves is so righteous and good.. You should come to Russian monasteries like Optina or Valaam and there you will feel it.

As a Southern Baptist, I have been thinking a lot about the differences in theological methodology in the broad umbrellas of evangelicalism and fundamentalism. Matt, you embody the best of the evangelical theological method and your videos have been really helpful for me especially as I have been thinking through some recent controversies within my own "camp."

Thank you! This series on Orthodox Christianity was so well done and helped me immensely in my recent inquiry into the faith. Keep doing what you're doing just the way you're doing it, through respect and seeking to understand. This is how we heal, not through tribalism and hurling stones at each other.

Thank you so much for these videos, Matt. The genuine goodness of your intentions and fellowship shine through your presentation. I appreciate all of your videos and always look forward to them. As we Greeks always say to those who have attended church, βοηθεια σου! (May it help you)

Orthodoxy is the true church and only church with theology that genuinely makes sense

Regarding your monologue there at the end about learning to respectfully talk with one another: This is exactly what I needed to learn to do with Political and Theological Liberals. There was an old saying in my Protestant circles that the only thing worse than an Atheist was a Liberal. And I believed that myself. I spent most of my teenage years posting Facebook posts just slandering the Left, endless. I believe God used my wife to radically change my approach. My wife shifted from Conservative to Liberal, and while it was very painful for me (and us; we fought a lot) in the beginning, eventually it FORCED me to have to shut my mouth and just *listen* to her, because (obviously) we lived together, so we HAD to find a way to work it out. So I really finally listened. Listened to her concerns. Her traumas. Her story for what brought her to where she was. And it was through her that I learned how incredibly valuable it is to, sometimes, just ask questions, and listen (with intent to actually understand). My wife showed me an incredible love and patience that I believe only someone who really knows Christ could. And she helped me to learn to show that same level of patience to others with whom I disagree. And it does NOT mean that I have to "compromise" any of my beliefs. That's what too many people seem to think. That showing compassion to your "enemies" is equal to compromising your beliefs and convictions. Friends... it's not. Believe me... it's not. You can do both. Six years later, some of my dearest friends are across the political spectrum (instead of just one side as used to be the case). Amazing friendships that I've been missing out on were finally able to flourish once I stopped demonizing my political-opposite acquaintances. (And I've learned to take a MUCH more nuanced approach to Politics, because you CANNOT fit Jesus into either a Republican box or a Democrat box). All of this because I learned the "power" dialoguing. Instead of arguing, and constantly and fruitlessly debating. And that's a big reason why I really appreciated this video series, even despite the fact that I know the two of you don't see eye-to-eye on a number of things. It was so refreshing to see a genuine conversation unfold. On a personal note: I am not officially Orthodox, but I have been inching closer to her doors for the last 12 years. I keep trying to flee back into the familiar arms of Protestantism, but as others have said in these comments, once I experienced Orthodoxy the first time I feel like it grabbed a hold of me and hasn't let me go since, and so it's just a matter of time before I join.

Super helpful interview series. I grew up in a Calvinist-Augustinian-Reformed-type church but these interviews (as well as the previous Anglican series) has been affirming to me why I have recently rejected the limited and semi-gnostic view of Calvinistic soteriology and view of God. Thanks so much, Matt, and keep up the great work!

I'm so glad you eschewed the confrontational debate - those so rarely actually change minds, instead devolving into playing to one's own side to score points. It's far far better to just sit and exchange ideas and listen to each other.

I was raised a secular Godless home in the UK. I encountered scripture and became a christian in the evangelical church in my early 20s. I thought I was ‘born again’. Having studied religion and philosophy at university I became less convinced of the evangelical claims and their attempt to return to the apostolic church. By the grace of God I was baptised into the Holy Orthodox Church, the apostolic Church when I was 37. That is when I became a Christian, when I received baptism into the true Church of Christ. That is when I was indeed born again. I am now 62 and thank God daily for his mercy and for leading me to the truth. I pray daily for His mercy and that one day I will actually live as a Christian. ☦️☦️☦️

The Tradition of the Orthodox Church gave us the Bible we have. If the Orthodox Church had different teachings and tradition, then fathers of the Church Councils of 5th-7th century should choose different books for our 76book Bible. Very good work Matt!

I've been curious about Orthodoxy for a while, and I've found this series of videos fascinating. Thank you for doing them.