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Coming Home: Why Protestant Clergy are Becoming Orthodox
Eighteen former Protestant leaders tell about their journey of "Coming Home" to the Orthodox Christian Faith.The 18 stories Hughes (Oral Roberts University) Gregory Rogers (Church of Christ) Nicholas Sorensen (Concordia Seminary)Daniel Matheson (United Church of Canada) Thomas Renfree (Western Conservative Baptist Seminary) Frank Milanese (Campus Crusade for Christ) Andrew Harmon (United Methodist Church) Paul Waisanen (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) Alister Anderson (Episcopalian) Timothy Cremeens (Assemblies of God) John Pro (Luther Rice Seminary) Athanasios Ledwich (Anglican) Harold Dunaway (Bible Baptist College) David Smith (Asbury Seminary) Bill Caldaroni (United Church of Christ) Ron Olson (Biola College and Inner-city Missions) Tim Blumentritt (Plymouth Brethren)William Olnhausen (General Theological Seminary)
162 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 22, 2022
I read this book to see how other former Protestants who converted to Orthodox Christianity compared with my own journey to it. I don't think it's received very good reviews --- only a little better than "Mein Kampf". Mein Kampf....by Hitler! Come on --- it's a lot better than that!
I think some other readers may have read it, expecting to read a discourse on Orthodox Christian apologetics justifying their conversion. It is not that. There are many other Orthodox Christian sources elsewhere for that. Rather, this book is a collection of testimonies from various former Protestants --- some of whose religious traditions vary widely from Orthodox Christianity. So much so, that it invites the question: "Why? How does someone raised, for example, in an Evangelical charismatic Christian faith come to the point of converting to something, on the face of it, so much different, Orthodox Christianity?"
So the book has these formerly Protestant Orthodox Christian simply telling, in their own words, their story and how they came to that point.
In general, from what I read of their stories, there are 3 different routes that led these converts to this point:
1. They researched Early Christian Church history, finding that their own modern practice of Christianity was vastly different from how Christianity was understood and practiced in Christianity's first centuries. [the route by which I eventually converted to Orthodox Christianity].
2. Their denomination's notions of personal, individualistic interpretation of the Bible, along with its notions of "sola scriptura", had logical inconsistencies and raised doubts in their mind as far as Protestantism's record of increasing fragmentation into various groups, schisms, and cults --- each stemming from some leader's personal interpretation at odds with others in his/her own previous group. Such seemed to some of these converts contrary to the universality and consensus that clearly must have been within the Early Church.
3. Their denomination became increasingly liberal and modernistic and embraced doctrines and practices to please societal mores than to remain faithful to Biblical truth, and, in some cases becoming even intolerant of others' efforts to adhere to these.
With respect to most former Evangelical converts, they are not resentful towards their former group (same here with me), seeing it actually as serving as the starting point by which they arrived at Orthodoxy. With respect to those leaving modernist Protestant groups, this is definitely not the case ---- not hostility, but more one of relief at finding what they'd really been hoping for with their former denomination.
Their experiences from the groups they left vary --- some groups were actually supportive and/or, at least, understanding. In other cases, the reaction was one of perplexity or even betrayal -- and one of willingness to believe their worst stereotypes of what Orthodox Christians believe vs what the Church actually believes.
I thought it a thought provoking read. If you're looking for a read on Christian apologetics, this is not that. If someone is wondering what would bring Evangelical and other Protestants to make such a seemingly radical change, or interested in learning what might attract some people to the Orthodox Church, then this is a good book for that.
I think some other readers may have read it, expecting to read a discourse on Orthodox Christian apologetics justifying their conversion. It is not that. There are many other Orthodox Christian sources elsewhere for that. Rather, this book is a collection of testimonies from various former Protestants --- some of whose religious traditions vary widely from Orthodox Christianity. So much so, that it invites the question: "Why? How does someone raised, for example, in an Evangelical charismatic Christian faith come to the point of converting to something, on the face of it, so much different, Orthodox Christianity?"
So the book has these formerly Protestant Orthodox Christian simply telling, in their own words, their story and how they came to that point.
In general, from what I read of their stories, there are 3 different routes that led these converts to this point:
1. They researched Early Christian Church history, finding that their own modern practice of Christianity was vastly different from how Christianity was understood and practiced in Christianity's first centuries. [the route by which I eventually converted to Orthodox Christianity].
2. Their denomination's notions of personal, individualistic interpretation of the Bible, along with its notions of "sola scriptura", had logical inconsistencies and raised doubts in their mind as far as Protestantism's record of increasing fragmentation into various groups, schisms, and cults --- each stemming from some leader's personal interpretation at odds with others in his/her own previous group. Such seemed to some of these converts contrary to the universality and consensus that clearly must have been within the Early Church.
3. Their denomination became increasingly liberal and modernistic and embraced doctrines and practices to please societal mores than to remain faithful to Biblical truth, and, in some cases becoming even intolerant of others' efforts to adhere to these.
With respect to most former Evangelical converts, they are not resentful towards their former group (same here with me), seeing it actually as serving as the starting point by which they arrived at Orthodoxy. With respect to those leaving modernist Protestant groups, this is definitely not the case ---- not hostility, but more one of relief at finding what they'd really been hoping for with their former denomination.
Their experiences from the groups they left vary --- some groups were actually supportive and/or, at least, understanding. In other cases, the reaction was one of perplexity or even betrayal -- and one of willingness to believe their worst stereotypes of what Orthodox Christians believe vs what the Church actually believes.
I thought it a thought provoking read. If you're looking for a read on Christian apologetics, this is not that. If someone is wondering what would bring Evangelical and other Protestants to make such a seemingly radical change, or interested in learning what might attract some people to the Orthodox Church, then this is a good book for that.
August 13, 2007
In the early 1990s, AGAIN Magazine, the quarterly publication of the Antiochian Evangelical Orthodox Mission, did a special issue on the growing trend of American Protestant clergy becoming Orthodox. Coming Home, edited by Fr Peter Guillquist (himself a convert), is a collection of some of these testimonials.
The collection is a mixed bag, of course. Some essays, like that of Thomas Renfree offer theological arguments, but most, such as Frank Milanese's essay, are just personal testimonials light on argumentation. That of Daniel Matheson, a convert from the United Church of Canada, is downright incoherent. And unfortunately, the majority (all?) of these converts are to the Antiochian Church, which was then a popular destination for former evangelicals, and so there's no perspectives on coming into the Orthodox Church of America as many are doing today. Happily, however, nearly every writer here is charitable towards the brothers and sisters in Protestantism which he has left behind, and many are grateful for the valuable experiences of Protestant seminaries.
This book will probably persuade no one to join the Orthodox Church, but rather serves as waybread for those making the transition and uncertain of their future. Pastors worried about losing their jobs and income for the sake of their faith will be especially cheered up by these priests who seem to have ended up well enough. I think Anglican-Orthodox Pilgrimage, a similar book of the same period also published by Conciliar Press, has a better collection of writings, and is worth reading even for those who aren't moving from the Episcopal Church.
The collection is a mixed bag, of course. Some essays, like that of Thomas Renfree offer theological arguments, but most, such as Frank Milanese's essay, are just personal testimonials light on argumentation. That of Daniel Matheson, a convert from the United Church of Canada, is downright incoherent. And unfortunately, the majority (all?) of these converts are to the Antiochian Church, which was then a popular destination for former evangelicals, and so there's no perspectives on coming into the Orthodox Church of America as many are doing today. Happily, however, nearly every writer here is charitable towards the brothers and sisters in Protestantism which he has left behind, and many are grateful for the valuable experiences of Protestant seminaries.
This book will probably persuade no one to join the Orthodox Church, but rather serves as waybread for those making the transition and uncertain of their future. Pastors worried about losing their jobs and income for the sake of their faith will be especially cheered up by these priests who seem to have ended up well enough. I think Anglican-Orthodox Pilgrimage, a similar book of the same period also published by Conciliar Press, has a better collection of writings, and is worth reading even for those who aren't moving from the Episcopal Church.
April 15, 2019
I was pretty unimpressed with this book. I liked "Becoming Orthodox" more. The subtitle of the book is "Why Protestant Clergy are Becoming Orthodox," and so I expected to hear how these different authors wrestled with the theological issues unique to their tradition. There was very little of that, and it was largely superficial biography. That said, I think that the subtitle is a bit misleading. The book is interesting in showing Protestant Clergy becoming Orthodox, but it doesn't really say why they become Orthodox. There is little to no reflection on the different views of Mary, Icons, Theosis, the cross, etc.
January 17, 2024
Various testimonies of those who crossed to bosphorus to Orthodoxy from protestantism especially in light of the movement from the Evangelical Orthodox Church which was a "recreation" of the apostolic church by various members of the 60s Jesus movement that sought the ancient faith of the apostles and early Church eventually many made their way to Orthodoxy proper.
July 26, 2016
It can be a little repetitive reading 18 stories of conversions, but they are certainly good and worth reading. The book has some fantastic quotes from people who often spent their whole lives searching before finding home.
July 17, 2008
Expands the main story of "Becoming Orthodox" to encompass many other means by which people chose the orthodox church.
March 25, 2009
godforsaken.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews