www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Latin vs. Byzantine Theology in 100 words.......

Yes, and that is often repeated by those representing Orthodoxy as an "exotic other".

No, it isn't about an exotic other, but on Patristic and Traditional understandings of grace and our relationship with Christ. When there are "creatures of grace" saving us, Christ doesn't. When we are saved in the UNCREATED ENERGIES of the Holy Trinity and in Christ Jesus, Christ saves us. Thus, the two theological paradigms are polar opposites.

Hairsplitting.

Nominalism vs. active and christological redemption.

They're constructs built to describe something we can't describe or understand.

Both also are elements of "western" culture in the real sense.

Not quite. While nominalism is a rejection of Christ's work of Redemption and the Cross where creatures of grace act instead of Him. While the Patristic standard of salvation in the Uncreated Energies of Christ by God the Father in the Holy Spirit is an affirmation of a personal and christological redemption.

I just attended a Roman Catholic funeral and offer this observation which picks one aspect of difference in ritual:

In the Eastern Churches we refer to a person as "Your (God's) servant" or "Your handmaid." The RC ritual refers to the person as "our brother" or "our sister."

My impression is that the East stresses one's relationship with God; the post Vatican II rite stresses the parish community, being one body.

I can understand the Tradition for both examples. However, at the end of the funeral the priest incensed only the deceased person('s casket), and not the congregation. There is an inconsistency here.

Maybe someone can explain this "inconsistency." Perhaps it is only this priest or the Erie diocese which does this.

A (formerly) Roman mother's son,
Deacon Paul

First...Fr. Deacon I'm sorry for your loss which prompted you to attend a funeral in the first place...

Second...you have just expressed I believe a big difference which permeates itself throughout the 2 churches not just the funeral service...I want to be clear I'm not saying those RC's are terrible for doing it that way, it's just different...

Subdeacon Christopher

Thank you Subdeacon Christopher for your compassion. This particular funeral was an example of peace, rather than sadness; rejoicing that Olga was now in the Merciful Hands of our Savior.

Perhaps our RC brethern are more blessed with patience than us, for I lost my peace a tad during the Consecration. We respond instinctively and unprompted with our "Amen." Instead I had to wait for the organ to wind up with its intro, then finally the people were able to give their confirming response ("amen".

I hope its OK to resurrect slightly old threads...

The link for that flier is now: http://www.stmichaeltucson.org/site/About_Our_Faith_files/East-West%20posters.pdf

I agree with those trads, as I was until recently one of them, that the left-hand side represents a break in the Western tradition to a large extent.

My wife and I were last week at a pro-life Mass in Košice. I was really shocked by the saxaphone/caberet type music that was sort of used as a "transition" between different parts of the Mass, as well as the use of at least three other styles of music during Mass-- plain chant (in English!), organ backed "traditional" songs, guitar-pop songs.

Maybe there should be added an additional comparison:
Western liturgy: Not much taste or harmony.

I wonder to what extent the destruction of the Western Liturgy over the past 50 years influences Orthodox-Catholic ecumenical relations. If I were Orthodox, visiting many of the Roman Catholic Masses would re-affirm any bias I had that the Catholic Church had lost the true faith.

Andrew,

Doing so is stock in trade around here. If the search function was a tad more user friendly, it would happen that much more often.

Many years,

Neil