by Fr. Jonathan H. Cholcher The term spirituality is not a traditional Orthodox term, although it is a popular term in religious and Christian thought today.  Orthodox Christian terminology tends to be concrete and specific, whereas the term spirituality is abstract, meaning something like “generic qualities of the spirit” which can be perceived or applied in any context.  For instance, we hear the common phrase: "I'm spiritual, not religious," together with various qualifiers like Eastern vs. Western Spirituality, or Indian Spirituality, … [Read more...]

by Fr. Jonathan H. Cholcher The Orthodox Faith teaches that salvation is a process, that is, a continuous operation, or activity, advancing toward a certain end.  The end of the process is unbroken communion with God the Holy Trinity in the uncreated and eternal Kingdom of God.  The beginning of the process is our restoration to the divine life in Jesus Christ the Savior in faith, hope, and love.  The middle of the process is the gradual and ever-increasing separation from what is contrary to God (i.e., sins, evil passions, and death) and … [Read more...]

by Fr. Jonathan H. Cholcher Orthodox memorial services include all the services of the Church appointed for a person who has departed this life, that is, whose soul has departed from their body in the hope of the resurrection and eternal life.  These services begin before the departure of the soul from the body, and they continue well after the departure of a person’s soul from their body, expressed as the Church’s ongoing prayers for the departed (“prayers for the dead”).  As with all things Orthodox, the actual theology of dying, death, … [Read more...]