Let us not forget that the divide between Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism is wide and perilous. The Eastern church boldly claims that it is the one true Church, and that those (like us) who worship outside its bounds have never received the Lord’s Supper, hold to manifold heresies, are born of schism, and can have no assurance of salvation.
It ought not, therefore, be thought that our differences are trifle, or are peripheral in nature, or merely matters of liturgical taste. It is true that some modern Orthodox thinkers leave room for the possibility of salvation outside the Eastern Church, but nothing definitive can be said. Orthodoxy has spoken fairly clearly over the centuries. There is no salvation outside the Church.
Wrestling with such claims of exclusivity has troubled me mightily over the years. I well remember the anxiety and inner turmoil I felt while exploring Roman Catholicism as a young Christian. The sense of authority on offer, their interest in things ancient, the finely chiseled doctrine, the vast number of adherents—these all pressed upon me a deep sense of epistemological uncertainty, causing not a few dark nights of the soul.
I could wish that Eastern Orthodoxy didn’t make such bold claims, but they do; and given what I have experienced in recent years, my guess is that many of you reading this know of friends or family who have headed East.
Enter Father Josiah Trenham.
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