Yes, I am Orthodox, and also read Theology at Oxford, where my tutor was Bishop Kallistos Ware, one of the most eminent Orthodox theologians.
In my experience, you are likely to find that although the doctrines and traditions were established in great detail thousands of years ago, and have been faithfully preserved, in practice there are many grey areas in all aspects of Orthodoxy. If you read Greek, you will find that the decisions of the seven ecumenical councils are very finely nuanced and open to interpretation. The apophatic theology of the Eastern Church is almost deliberately vague, allowing for multiple meanings that often hinge on a single word. In the words of Father Lev Gillet, Orthodoxy has 'preserved the pearl of great price, sometimes beneath a layer of dust'.
There is much about the Orthodox Church that is sordid and shameful ... but that is part of its appeal. It is above all a human Church. It's possible to achieve personal mysticism, even within what appear to be clear rules, because no one much cares about the rules and bends them all the time. It is at once the Church of the resurrected Christ and the Church that has never been able to disentangle itself from nationalist wrangling. What it does believe, however, - and this sets it as far apart from Western Christendom as it is possible to go - is that God became human so that humanity might become divine.
You are just beginning your journey to Orthodoxy. It's a very long and difficult path.
26 Aug 2016, 9:19 am
