Category: EOC

  • Jewish Physicians

    There is a historical canon in the Eastern Orthodox Church that prohibits Christians from seeking medical treatment from Jewish physicians. This is found in Canon 11 of the Council in Trullo (also known as the Quinisext Council, held in 692 AD), which is accepted as part of the canonical tradition in the Eastern Orthodox Church.…

  • More Hannukah Details

    Continuing the Hannukah theme (Part 1) (Part 2) Looking deeper into Hannukah. During Hanukkah celebrations in December 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explicitly referred to the five brave brothers—the sons of Mattathias—who sparked and led the Maccabean Revolt. In a speech at the Western Wall while lighting Hanukkah candles with IDF soldiers and U.S.…

  • Prayer Posture

    Posture during prayer during the time of Jesus involved various positions. It was common for full prostrations to be done in the First Century both in the Temple and in private prayers. This practice was phased out after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD by Judaism and later forbidden in the Talmud. This…

  • POPE LEO XIV Calls for FULL COMMUNION with ORTHODOX

  • Two Parishes

    I know two parishes well. The city parish is near several top tier universities. Catechumen classes are on Wednesday nights, but only during the school year. The cradle priest says he’ll meet with you privately but frequently cancels meetings because Catechumens are at the bottom of his priority list. During finals week the Catechumens number…

  • Hannah / Mary Parallels

    Yes, the Eastern (Greek-speaking) Church Fathers explicitly draw the Hannah–Mary / Samuel–Jesus parallel more frequently and earlier than is sometimes realized in Western scholarship. The connection is especially prominent in homiletic, liturgical, and exegetical texts from the 4th century onward. Key Eastern Fathers and Sources Summary The Eastern Fathers not only see the parallel —…

  • Noahide Law and Orthodoxy

    The first of the Noahide Laws is: Prohibition of Idolatry Do not worship idols or any entity as a deity besides the one God. This includes denying God’s unity or bowing to false gods. Relation of Orthodoxy Orthodox theology, as defined by the Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicaea II, 787 CE), holds that venerating (proskynesis) icons…

  • Orthodox vs Reformed

    Theosis vs Union with God Summary: Both traditions teach an intimate, life-giving union/communion with God through Christ, but the Reformed tradition is extremely cautious about any language that sounds like we become divine in our being, whereas Orthodoxy embraces that language (with careful Palamite qualifications) as the very heart of the gospel. Here’s a clear…

  • Orthodox Zionism?

    Zion as a Historic Location 2 Samuel 5:7Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David). 1 Kings 8:1Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant…

  • Lord’s Prayer in the Quran?

    Muslims claim the Lord’s Prayer is in the start of the Quran. This is false. No, the Lord’s Prayer (as found in the Bible, primarily Matthew 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4) is not in the Quran. The Quran does not contain the exact text, structure, or sequence of the Lord’s Prayer, which is a Christian prayer…

  • Fragrance of Relics

  • Manifesting

  • Praise God for those Who Misuse us

    Before I moved to Chicago (to attend NorthPark Seminary) I was an assoc pastor to an abusive Senior Pastor in So Cal. It was a difficult situation, but I was obedient. After I left, I reached out to one of the previous assoc pastors and learned his story was like my story. I had a…

  • St Justinian and Symphōnia

    Saint Justinian I (c. 482–565 CE), Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565, is one of history’s most influential figures in harmonizing ecclesiastical and imperial authority—a relationship often termed the “symphony” between church and state (from the Greek symphōnia, meaning “agreement” or “concord”). Though the term itself was formalized later (notably in the 6th-century Epanagoge under…

  • Low Carb Orthodox Fasting Recipes

    Orthodox Nativity Fast (Nov 15–Dec 24 on the New Calendar) is strict: no meat, dairy, eggs, fish (except with oil on certain days), wine, or oil on Mon/Wed/Fri. Oil & wine allowed Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun. All recipes below are oil-free on strict days (marked ✦) but use oil minimally on permitted days (marked ✓). Every dish is…

  • Messianic Judaism

    I went to a Messianic Jewish synagogue for 1.5 yrs back in the mid 1990’s. I mistakenly thought if I went to a Messianic synagogue, I’d get to learn the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. What I got was the form of rabbinic Judaism that was practiced after the temple was destroyed. I learned…

  • The Chosen People

    New Testament fulfillment of Old Testament passages.

  • Najran Massacre

    The Massacre of Christians in Najran (523 CE) The most prominent historical event referred to as the “massacre of Christians in Yemen” is the persecution and mass killing of Christians in the city of Najran (in modern-day southwestern Saudi Arabia, but part of ancient Himyarite Yemen) in 523 CE. This event, carried out under the…

  • Priestly Vestments

    Exodus 28 provides detailed instructions from God to Moses about the garments for Aaron, the high priest, and his sons. These include the ephod, breastpiece, robe, tunic, turban, and sash, with specifics on materials (gold, blue, purple, scarlet yarn, and fine linen), design, and symbolic elements like the twelve gemstones representing the tribes of Israel.…

  • John the Forerunner

    There’s a tradition of the Orthodox Church, not in the Bible, that John the Baptist went to Hades and preached about Jesus there. His mission wasn’t just to those on earth, but also to those awaiting the Messiah. And of course, it makes perfect sense. What else would John do? He isn’t the sort of…

  • Most Holy Theotokos, Save Us

    Fr. Prof. Staniloae, homily at Dormition: Jesus Christ is the Son of God Who was born as a human, under the natural law, but not according to the natural law. He was born exceeding the blind laws of regular human birth and, because of that, He was able to be without sin and he was…

  • Online Orthodox Drama?

    Eastern Orthodox vs Oriental Orthodox Statement of the Orthodox Church of Antioch on the Relations between the Eastern and Syrian Orthodox Churches The debate that started it earlier??? Dyer insults Oriental Orthodox Basilica of St. Mary – Livonia, MI A lot of brown brothers in this Antiochian Orthodox parish in Michigan. Orthodoxy and Racism Racist Rage…

  • Do Unbaptized Babies go to Hell? (Chrysostom, Augustine, and Original Sin)

  • Orthodox Dogmatic Theology

    By Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky On-Line Book For sale on Amazon Excellent presentation of Orthodox dogmatics with very strong Scriptural support.