American Orthodox Institute

Barbarians Among Us?

Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:01:51 +0000

The Rejection of Tradition On a post on my blog Koinoia (“An Editorial: Orthodoxy & the Public Square“), I wrote that whether or not I like Frank Schaeffer’s politics or his moral theology, or whether or not his support of abortion and gay rights are compatible with the tradition of the Church, the reality is [...]

The Byzantine Liturgy as Missionary

Jacobse — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:49:38 +0000

One of the major developments in the modern age is the marginalization and indifference toward Christianity in society. (Jacobse, 2010; Morelli, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010). The disunion among Christian communities has not been a beneficent witness to the unity prayed for by Christ Himself “that they may be one” (Jn 17:11). Secular and politically correct values have shaped doctrinal and moral teaching and practice among some groups calling themselves Christian: abortion, euthanasia, female ordination, same sex marriage, are but a few examples that are obvious departures from the teaching of Christ. Archbishop Hilarion Alfeyevⁱ, Chairman of the Department of External Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow, has suggested an alliance between Catholics and Orthodox be advanced because these apostolic churches have held fast to the essentials of Christ’s teachings. This suggestion certainly conforms to the goals of the Society of St. John Chrysostom which has as one of its goals: to make known the history, worship, spirituality, discipline and theology of Eastern Christendom.ⁱⁱ

Educating Narcissus

Jacobse — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:32:10 +0000

Several poets of antiquity tell a charming but frightening tale about a young man who saw his own reflection in a pool and became so infatuated that he vowed never to marry. He even ignored the lovely nymph, Echo, who had followed him to that place, leaving her to wander off alone until she at last pined away to nothing but a faint, whispering voice. The young man’s name was Narcissus, and he has become the image of the excess of self-love. When we say that a person is narcissistic, or that we live in an age of narcissism, we are alluding to the self-absorbed young man who sat, day after day, staring at his own reflected features while ignoring the rest of the world around him.

Who We Are: Responding to the PAOI Study “The Orthodox Church Today”

Jacobse — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:17:52 +0000

By: Fr. Gregory Jenson In his 2008 study, “The Orthodox Church Today: A National Study of Parishioners and the Realities of Orthodox Parish Life in the USA,” Alexei D. Krindatch makes a fascinating, if potentially disturbing, observation. The research, sponsored by the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute (PAOI), surveyed almost “one thousand respondents from 103 Orthodox [...]

Christmas Appeal – 2009

Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:46:45 +0000

“AOI is providing the kind of in depth analysis and commentary that is unparalleled in the English speaking world. We stand at a time of competing ideologies in the world, in America, and in the Orthodox Church. AOI has been a beacon of clarity, reason and faithfulness to Gospel principles in the midst of an age of sloppy sentimentality and murky darkness.”

Manhattan Declaration and Signers

Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:57:49 +0000

For more information see www.ManhattanDeclaration.org. Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience Drafted on October 20, 2009 Released on November 20, 2009 Preamble Christians are heirs of a 2,000-year tradition of proclaiming God's word, seeking justice in our societies, resisting tyranny, and reaching out with compassion to the poor, oppressed and suffering. While fully [...]

Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies

Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:57:13 +0000

By: George C. Mchalopulos
It is because of Hart’s great historical knowledge that this book is well worth a leisurely read. His historical episodes are written in a lively manner, entertaining and often with a hint of sarcasm. However, the real jewel of this book lies in its middle section, when Hart beautifully describes the rite of Christian initiation, contrasting it with the benighted, and hopeless paganism that permeated the entire non-Christian world. The remorselessness that Hart catalogues –from the pagans’ own sources at that—describe nothing less than a severe existential crisis for Hellenistic civilization.

Nationalism in Greek Orthodoxy

Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:28:13 +0000

By: Sir Steven Runciman Excerpts from “The Great Church in Captivity: A Study of the Patriarchate of Constantinople from the Eve of the Turkish Conquest to the Greek War of Independence.” In the East money making has never, as it was in the feudally minded West, been considered to be incompatible with aristocracy. A moneyed [...]

Locality, the Episcopate, and Canonicity: Reflections on the Recent Pre-Conciliar Meeting at Chambesy

Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:15:37 +0000

By: George Michalopulos ABSTRACT: In previous essays posted on this forum, the present author analyzed the formation of autocephalous churches, the role of the metropolitan and its role within the episcopate, the canonical claims of existing patriarchates regarding primacy within the so-called Diaspora, and the current jurisdictional crisis within North America. As to the idea [...]

Staff

Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:51:56 +0000

Rev. Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse, President John Couretas, Executive Director Chris Banescu, Chief Information Officer Rev. Fr. John Schroedel, Research Fellow Fr. John is a Ph.D. student, studying bioethics at the University of Chicago. His research is focused on the ethics of emerging technologies and Orthodox understandings of the human person. He is a priest [...]