Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Mentor Books
ISBN# : 9781845502478
Availability: Usually Ships the Same Business Day
Description : The culture of the Eastern Church is alien to
our experience. Yet the more we familiarize ourselves with the Eastern Church
the more we recognize, for all the differences, the family resemblances. The
family has been parted for a very long time. But chances have arisen to meet
again and get to know one another. In recent years, Eastern Orthodoxy has
emerged vividly on the radar of Western Christians - hitherto, it was largely
ignored. The separation has been due to the long-term historical disruption
caused by differences in language, outlook and theology and eventually by the
depredations of Islam. Because of these East and West went their separate ways.
As a result, the respective theologies appear at times to inhabit parallel
universes. However, this ignorance is changing. Eastern Orthodoxy is
increasingly popular in the Anglo-Saxon world. It conveys a sense of mystery, of
continuity with the past, of dignified worship at a time when evangelical
Protestantism is increasingly cheapened and trivialized. This book examines the
history and theology of Orthodoxy from a Reformed perspective. There are clear
and significant areas of agreement - a common allegiance to the triune God; the
person of Christ; the authority of Scripture and the truth of the gospel. At the
same time there are many areas of disagreement, where it seems that Orthodoxy
and Protestantism are at odds. However, there are also misunderstandings on both
sides, where proponents of either position are not normally dealing accurately
with what the other holds to be true. In drawing attention to the agreements and
misunderstandings Robert Letham trusts that readers may come to a better
understanding of exactly where the real differences lie. We can learn from
Orthodoxy - if our assumption is that the most important thing is to grow in our
knowledge of Christ.
Robert Letham teaches Systematic Theology at the Wales
Evangelical School of Theology (formerly ECTW). Previously he was Pastor of
Emmanuel Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Wilmington, Delaware. He has taught at
London Bible College, is Adjunct Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster
Theological Seminary, Philadelphia and Visiting Professor at Reformed
Theological Seminary.