Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church: Field Research
Donna Falkenburg
REL212 Living Religions
Professor Charles Hall
6/16/13
The Greek Orthodox Church is very dominant in Greek life with the Archbishop traditionally being the political leader of the people. (Fisher 2011, p.343). The first Greek Orthodox Christians first arrived in the New World in 1768, and established a colony near what is now the present city of St. Augustine, Florida. The original building in which the first immigrant first gathered for service is still standing and was recently transformed into St. Pholius’ Shrine by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. The shrine was named in memory of a great missionary of the Orthodox Church and honors those first Orthodox immigrants. The chapel also serves as a national religious landmark and bears witness to the presence of Orthodoxy in America. According to Fr. Louis J. Christopulos (personal communication, June 8, 2013), the Orthodox Church is the second largest body in Christendom with 225 million people worldwide, with less than six million in the U.S. and Canada. There are many misconceptions about the Orthodox Church. People get the wrong impression of the word “orthodox”. Christians of the Eastern Churches call themselves Orthodox. The word “Orthodox” has two meanings. The first definition is “true teaching”, which the Orthodox Church believes that it has maintained and handed down the Christian faith that is free from error and distortion, from the days of the Apostles. The second definition, according to Fr. Louis J. Christopulos (personal communication, June 8, 2013), is more preferred. It is “true praise”. This is to bless, praise, and glorify God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and is the fundamental purpose of the Church. All the Churches activities, along with her doctrinal formulations are directed toward this goal.
The most interesting reading was the Original Certificate of
Donna Falkenburg
REL212 Living Religions
Professor Charles Hall
6/16/13
The Greek Orthodox Church is very dominant in Greek life with the Archbishop traditionally being the political leader of the people. (Fisher 2011, p.343). The first Greek Orthodox Christians first arrived in the New World in 1768, and established a colony near what is now the present city of St. Augustine, Florida. The original building in which the first immigrant first gathered for service is still standing and was recently transformed into St. Pholius’ Shrine by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. The shrine was named in memory of a great missionary of the Orthodox Church and honors those first Orthodox immigrants. The chapel also serves as a national religious landmark and bears witness to the presence of Orthodoxy in America. According to Fr. Louis J. Christopulos (personal communication, June 8, 2013), the Orthodox Church is the second largest body in Christendom with 225 million people worldwide, with less than six million in the U.S. and Canada. There are many misconceptions about the Orthodox Church. People get the wrong impression of the word “orthodox”. Christians of the Eastern Churches call themselves Orthodox. The word “Orthodox” has two meanings. The first definition is “true teaching”, which the Orthodox Church believes that it has maintained and handed down the Christian faith that is free from error and distortion, from the days of the Apostles. The second definition, according to Fr. Louis J. Christopulos (personal communication, June 8, 2013), is more preferred. It is “true praise”. This is to bless, praise, and glorify God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and is the fundamental purpose of the Church. All the Churches activities, along with her doctrinal formulations are directed toward this goal.
The most interesting reading was the Original Certificate of