Religious Bodies 12 PDF

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Notes on Religious Bodies/Denominations in America....

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Religious Bodies in America: A Personal Research Journal Eastern Orthodoxy I.

Key Figures in the Tradition Historical European Leader(s): [Write NA if not applicable.] Orthodox Church in America: NA Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America: NA Albanian Orthodox Diocese in America: NA

American Representative(s) of the tradition: [Give their full names, dates, and where they did most of their activity] Orthodox Church in America: Saint Innocent of Alaska- Though he is not directly related to the establishment of the Orthodox Church in America, Saint Innocent of Alaska, who could also be considered a European leader of the Orthodox tradition, had major fingerprints on Orthodoxy and its move to America. Saint Innocent of Alaska was born Ivan Evseyevich Popov in 1797 in Russia. After finishing his education in 1818, Saint Innocent was ordained as a priest in the Church of the Annunciation in Irkutsk, Russia. He then volunteered to venture to Alaska to spread the ministry in 1823. It was a long, rigorous journey, but he finally arrived a year later in 1824. Around 1840 Saint Innocent was elected to the episcopacy which, in turn, is when he took the name “Innocent”. The Church continued to grow among the native Alaskans, but Saint Innocent also visited California and the Orthodox community in San Francisco, specifically. His influence in the beginnings of Orthodoxy in the United States greatly impacted where it stands today.

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America: Athenagoras I of Constantinople- Much like the other figures deemed as America Representatives in this section, Athenagoras could also be seen as a European leader of the tradition. However, in 1938 he became naturalized as a U.S. citizen. He was born in 1886 in Greece as Artistocles Matthew Spyrou. He devoted himself to religion at a fairly young age and eventually entered the Holy Trinity Theological School in 1910, where he was ordained as a deacon. From this time until about 1930, he served several different church positions. Later in 1930, he was appointed to archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America. He consecrated the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City in 1933. Because he was such a well-respected character, he was elected to Patriarch of Constantinople in 1948. Interestingly, a year later he was flown in the personal airplane of President Harry Truman to Istanbul to assume his position. He left an impressionable legacy on the Greek Orthodox tradition in America.

Albanian Orthodox Diocese in America: Fan S. Noli- A respected figure for his time as Prime Minister in Albania, Fan S. Noli is also known for starting Albanian Orthodoxy in America. He was born in 1882 in modern-day Albania. He moved to America in 1906 and was educated at both Harvard and Boston University. He is revered for his contributions to literature, history, and diplomacy, just as much as those in theology. He was involved in the Hudson Incident, which involved the death of a young Albanian man who emigrated to Hudson, Massachusetts. The young man had been excommunicated from the Greek Church and, in turn, no other Orthodox Church would perform his funeral rites. Noli heard about this and the difficulties Albanians were facing in America, and he decided to become ordained and help the religious cause. His was ordained as a priest of a church in New York City in 1908, and a week later he was appointed the position of administer of the Albanian Orthodox Mission in America.

II.

Church Body or Association: [List the church or group here and give a brief history of the church body or group in America (one short paragraph)] Orthodox Church in America: The Orthodox Church in America finds its roots in Kodiak, Alaska. Eight Orthodox missionaries arrived to Kodiak 1794 after leaving the Valaamo Monatery in Russia. The missionaries made an immediate impact on the native Alaskans and brought many of them to the Orthodox Christian faith. While Orthodoxy in Alaska kept growing, immigrants also began flourishing and arriving in the “lower 48”. Originally, the church was known as the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of America. After the Russian Revolution of 1917 and much turmoil thereafter, the church wanted to move into the direction of unity and decided to change its name to what it is known as today: The Orthodox Church in America. Over the past two decades the Orthodox Church in America has has established over 220 new parishes, employing only English in worship. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America: The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America began with the founding of the first Greek Orthodox community in the Americas in 1864. The first permanent settlement was laid in New York City in 1892, which is known today as the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and the See of the Archbishop of America. It wasn’t until 1922 that the Church was officially recognized by the state of New York. Until 1996, the Archdiocese united amongst the continents of North and South America. Thereafter, the Archdiocese split

into administration divided into four parts throughout the two continents. The United States became the territory of the Archdiocese of America.

Albanian Orthodox Diocese in America: The Albanian Orthodox Diocese in America, as previously mentioned, began to formulate in 1908 with the priesthood of Fan S. Noli. The Albanians desired to develop their Orthodox tradition in America, and it all officially came together in Boston, Massachusetts from the work of Noli. Although Fan Noli is credited as the founder on the Albanian Orthodox Church movement in America, the true organizer of the Diocese and where it stands today can be attributed to the work of His Grace Mark I. Lipa. Since Lipa organized the Diocese in the 1950’s, the membership has experienced a rapid decline in membership and active churches. In 2008, they were reported as having roughly 2,800 members, over 11,000 less than when it was organized in the 50’s.

III.

Creed, Code, and Cultus

CREED: [Here you would list and briefly describe the creedal documents of this group. This is usually mentioned in the church’s history if it is not mentioned in “What we believe”.] Orthodox Church in America: The Orthodox Church in America, or OCA, contains their beliefs and doctrines in several written volumes. They hold the Nicene Creed to be a symbol of faith. They believe that the Nicene Creed is extremely important in the faith of an Orthodox Christian, and that the Christian must affirm all that this statement implies. They believe in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, which they think arises from man’s deepest experiences with God in faith. Also, they believe that the Bible is truly the Word of God that was inspired to be written to remain as a scriptural witness to Himself.

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America: The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is a traditional Orthodox group. They proclaim the Gospel of Christ, and they desire to spread the Orthodox Christian faith and guide the life of the Church in America. They believe that they sanctify those that are in faith through worship and the Sacraments. This is where, they believe, the spiritual and ethical life are built. They consider themselves a beacon and a witness of the message of Christ to all in America through their living of the Orthodox Christian faith.

Albanian Orthodox Diocese in America: Though it is difficult to find a reliable resource regarding the beliefs and practices of Albanian Orthodoxy, there is nothing to indicate that it is any different from the tenants of Eastern Orthodox as a whole. They hold similar views to the OCA and Greek Orthodoxy; they believe in Christ and His two natures and they believe in the three persons of the Holy Trinity. CODE (personal, social and ethical stance): [Here you will want to summarize how they live the Christian life. You may want to give a few examples of this group’s social concerns—life and death (abortion, physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia, etc.), sexuality, birth control, political views. Orthodox Church in America: The Orthodox Church in America has not issued written statements regarding stances on social concerns.

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America: Much like the OCA, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has not put forth any statements regarding social concerns in America.

Albanian Orthodox Diocese in America: Along with OCA and Greek Orthodoxy, the Albanian Orthodox Diocese does not expound upon the social concerns of America in any formal matter.

CULTUS: [Here explain how they worship. Why do they come together? What do they do? To help your thinking, consider the following comparisons: formal vs. casual; God-to-us or Us-toGod; informational vs. experiential; liturgical vs. contemporary; stable atmosphere vs. emotional, etc.] Orthodox Church in America: The Orthodox Church in America practices several Sacraments, including: Baptism, Chrismation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Holy Unction, Marriage, and Holy Orders. The OCA, however, does not hold the number of sacraments to just those previously listed. They consider anything that the Church does to be, in some sense, sacramental. As essential to Christian life, prayer plays an important role in OCA worship. All prayer is Trinitarian: in the Holy Spirit, through Jesus the Son of God, and in His name, to God the Father. The OCA has several prayer services, including Vespers (an evening service) and Matins (a morning service).

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America: Worship of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is virtually a formal, traditional worship that reflects its Eastern roots. The most notable difference, however, is that the liturgical readings are read in Koine Greek, which is synonymous as the language of the New Testament. They are extremely focused on experience, emphasizing that through experiential worship one truly is in the heavenly realm and with God.

Albanian Orthodox Diocese in America: The Albanian Orthodox Diocese worship is, of course, very close to worship of the OCA and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. However, the whole point of their coming to existence was to preserve their language and culture in the new world, along with the development of their church. They, in turn, emphasize the speaking of Albanian in worship and the liturgy. Their language and culture is certainly a distinctive to their Orthodox faith. Summary Statement of this group (use your own words) Orthodox Church in America: The OCA is an Orthodox church group that is rich in its roots from the East as the first Orthodox group to be founded in America. They make it their full commitment to have unity of Orthodoxy in North America according to their canonical principle of a single, united Church in a given area. They are a self-governing church group that has approximately 90,000 U.S. members out of a total one-million members worldwide. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America: The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America is another church group that finds its roots in Eastern Orthodox practice. They are unique in the sense that they carry their Greek heritage into their worship and their liturgical practices. Much like other Orthodox groups, they place important on things that are deemed holy and the sacraments. They are headquartered in New York City and have approximately 2 million adherents. Albanian Orthodox Diocese in America: The Albanian Orthodox Diocese in America is group of Orthodox believers that developed because they wanted to preserve their Albanian culture when they began to flock to America. They, along with many other Orthodox Christians from the East, bring their own distinctive heritage to the table of Orthodoxy. They are a relatively small group as they exist here in America, as the ARDA (Association of Religion Data Archives) had them measured at 2,800 members back in 2008. They are currently headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada....