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# Metr. Saba Calls for Discernment Amid Modern Challenges to Faith
- URL: https://uoj.news/news/metr-saba-calls-for-discernment-amid-modern-challenges-to-faith/
- Published: 2026-06-25T12:15:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-25T16:08:05.000Z
- Description: The Antiochian hierarch argues that the Church must navigate modernity through spiritual discernment rather than retreating from it or surrendering to it.
- Author: Tobias Straney
- Tags: #Category: News, Metropolitan Saba (Isper), Antiochian Archdiocese of North America, Pastoral Epistle

**ENGLEWOOD, NJ —** In the [third installment](https://sabaisper.substack.com/p/the-faithful-and-secularism-part-970?r=5300bl&utm%5Fmedium=ios&triedRedirect=true) of a series examining secularism and faith, Metr. Saba argues that Christians face a growing challenge in responding to modern secular culture without falling into either isolation or uncritical accommodation.

The Metropolitan describes two contrasting approaches that have emerged within the Church. One group, he writes, views nearly every development of modernity with suspicion, rejecting dialogue and new forms of engagement out of concern for preserving the purity of the Orthodox faith. According to Metr. Saba, this tendency risks confining the faith to past expressions and failing to address the realities confronting contemporary society.

[![](https://uoj.news/content/images/2026/06/orthodox-young-adults-gather-at-st-johns-monastery-for-annual-life-school-image-70b6828ae868.jpg)On this topicMetr. Saba Announces First Youth and Young Adult Ministry Summit](https://uoj.news/news/metr-saba-announces-first-youth-and-young-adult-ministry-summit/)

At the opposite extreme, he says, are those who embrace modern culture so readily that they blur the distinction between the Gospel and prevailing social trends. While often motivated by sincere intentions, they may become more influenced by the spirit of the age than by the teachings of the Church.

Metr. Saba contends that both tendencies are fueled by zeal that can lead to division, accusations, and hostility within the Church. He warns that disputes between the two camps have contributed to deep tensions in contemporary Orthodoxy, citing the divisions revealed during preparations for the 2016 Council of Crete.

The proper Christian response, he concludes, is neither fear of nor fascination with modernity, but discernment rooted in prayer, humility, love, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Previously, the [UOJ reported](https://uoj.news/news/metr-saba-warns-of-secular-drift-in-church-life-and-mission/) that Metr. Saba warned of secular drift in church life and mission.