Understanding what makes something Orthodox begins with examining fundamental questions about how we claim to know what we know (epistemology) and where we come from and how this defines where we should want to go (ontology).

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How Do You Know That?

Epistemology asks a simple question: "How do we know what we know?" It's about understanding where knowledge comes from and what makes for a reliable source of information that we can trust.

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Where Do We Come From?

Ontology asks the basic question: "What makes things what they are?" In simpler terms, it helps us understand the nature of existence and how we can trace how things got to be the way they are.

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While scientific inquiry starts from empirical observation and requires falsifiable hypotheses, Orthodox Christian understanding begins with different foundational premises - namely, that God exists, has revealed to us what it means to be human in the Person of Christ, and that this divine revelation has been preserved through Holy Tradition. This metaphysical starting point shapes how we approach and validate truth claims in ways that fundamentally differ from purely naturalistic or materialistic frameworks.

The Scientific Method vs. Christian Understanding

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD is built on the principle of falsifiability. Scientists form hypotheses that can be tested and potentially proven false through data collection and analysis. If there's no way to collect data that could disprove a hypothesis, it cannot be considered a scientific claim.

RELIGIOUS UNDERSTANDING, particularly Christian understanding, operates differently. While it values truth and evidence, it seeks to find its epistemological and ontological foundation in what God has revealed to humanity, not what humanity has examined through intellectual inquiry.

Unbalanced Christian Approaches

THE OVERLY CENTRALIZED APPROACH overemphasizes institutional authority:

• Doctrine of papal infallibility
• Heavy reliance on magisterial teaching
• Top-down hierarchical structure
• Centralized decision-making
• “Abouna said so” as sole justification
• “I heard in a sermon once”

THE OVERLY INDIVIDUALISTIC APPROACH overemphasizes personal interpretation:

• Rejection of church authority
• Sola scriptura without tradition
• Sola fide without works
• Fragmentation into numerous denominations
• Loss of sacramental understanding

The Orthodox Way

The Orthodox approach seeks the mind of Christ through the mind of the Church, emphasizing multiple attestation rather than individual interpretation or single authority. This approach is built on four intertwined pillars:

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Patristic Pillar

The wisdom and teachings passed down through Church Fathers, providing theological depth and apostolic continuity.

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Biblical Pillar

Scripture interpreted through proper exegesis and understood within the Church's living tradition.

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Liturgical Pillar

The living experience of faith through sacraments, worship, and the Church's liturgical cycle.

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Ascetic Practice

The disciplined pursuit of spiritual growth through fasting, prayer, almsgiving, and self-denial that transforms the believer.

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1. The Patristic Pillar

• Collective wisdom of Church Fathers
• Consistent theological interpretation
• Multiple voices in harmony
• Apostolic teaching connection

2. The Biblical Pillar

Following Hayes' framework, proper Biblical exegetical interpretation follows five essential steps:

1. Organize Your Thinking
   1. Create detailed outlines of passages
   2. Identify and map key themes
2. Look Deeply Into the Language
   1. Identify key words and their meanings
   2. Compare different translations and study the original Greek text to clarify any discrepancies
3. Author's Context
   1. Examine Old Testament connections
   2. Understand cultural and historical context in which the passage was written
4. Early Christian Context
   1. Connect to other New Testament passages
   2. Study relevant Patristic commentary
5. Hermeneutical Application
   1. Interpret meaning for contemporary context through Orthodox theological lens
   2. Consider current pastoral implications while maintaining connection to Tradition

Here is a sample exegesis of Romans 1-12

3. The Liturgical Pillar

The liturgical tradition embodies Orthodox understanding through:

• Coptic Sacraments
• Liturgical Worship

Participation in the liturgical life of the Church is the orthopraxy that reflects and reinforces Orthodox Patristic and Biblical understanding. The doing and the understanding are like the two shears of the scissors that CS Lewis uses to explain the codependence of faith and works. Living a liturgical sacramental life, helps believers to grow to be more like Christ as well as better understanding of the mind of Christ.

4. The Ascetic Pillar

The ascetic tradition represents the practical, experiential dimension of Orthodox life through which all believers (not just monks) actively participate in their transformation into the likeness of Christ. This pillar includes:

• Fasting Practices
• Prayer and Vigil
• Almsgiving and Service
• Self-Denial and Spiritual Warfare

The ascetic pillar is not merely about external practices but about the inner transformation of the heart. Through disciplined spiritual practice informed by Patristic wisdom, grounded in Scripture, and expressed through the liturgical life of the Church, believers participate actively in their theosis—the process of becoming more like God through grace.

Deacon Service

Integration of the Four Pillars

Orthodox understanding emerges from the harmony of these four pillars, each supporting and validating the others. This integrated approach ensures:

• Consistency in teaching and practice
• Protection against individual error
• Connection to apostolic tradition
• Living experience of faith
• Deep theological understanding

This comprehensive approach helps maintain the fullness of Orthodox truth while avoiding the limitations of individual interpretation or single-source authority.