Defense of The Faith
Holy Communion as the Expression of Unity in the Orthodox Church
The Eucharist unites believers in one faith, one Church and one sacramental life, revealing why communion in the Orthodox tradition is inseparable from shared belief.
A sincere desire to express mutual love between persons has led many Christian groups to practice “open communion” in America and abroad. This practice has caused a blurring of ecclesial lines for many both in and out of the Church. Reasonably, they ask the question “Why doesn't the Orthodox Church give Communion to other Christian denominations?”
One response is simply “love.” Though we have the same desire for mutual love as those outside of the Orthodox Church, our theological understanding, living Christian experience and historical reasonings lead us to a different conclusion. A conclusion that guards the souls of all.
To begin with, the Orthodox understanding of theology is quite different from many of the heterodox groups. Not simply in content, but in purpose and origin. The Orthodox Church understands theology as beginning with revelation from God to man. It is not a set of propositions or theories, but a lived experience of God revealing Himself to mankind, and man receives this revelation in humility. Evagrius Ponticus is often quoted saying “the theologian is one who prays.” The Orthodox Church very much believes this to be true. Because theology is a personal matter, we must ask “who is Jesus Christ?” This question may seem strange or unreasonable to many, but it must be answered.
