March 21, 2005
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“The more I try to relate to my protestant friends why I am moving into Orthodoxy, the more I begin to understand just what it is that is drawing me to the Ancient Church. In a word: Submission. I am looking for someone, something to whom I can submit (Submission to God is understood). In my experience, I have always held Scripture to be my final authority. However, what this really means is that my interpritation of Scripture is my authority. As Schmemman says, that really amounts to naked reason. Thus, I find myself submitting to my own reason as I apply it to Scripture. In short, I am my own authority on my faith because the buck stops with me in the interpretation of Scripture. (The Baptist aversion to creeds and the idea of priesthood of believers feeds off of this idea). But this is a bad idea. They say absolute authority corrupts absolutely…well, on the same token, absolute individualism corrupts absolutely. I must have something external to which I can submit. I believe this is why God gave the Church apostolic tradition that is extra-biblical (as all of my protestant friends cringe) Extra-biblical means that it is not subject to individual interpretation. In other words, tradition acts as a check and balance against individual interpretation of scripture. In the same way, scripture acts as a check and balance of tradition. The two feed of each other and depend upon each other for stability. ”
From the Blog of EJ – http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=Kyrie_EleisonEJ
Thank you Eric for letting me share your words.
Comments (7)
Ooo, very insightful and really rings true for me. thanks for sharin’.
btw, can i post it on my blog? if not i’ll just jot it in my journal and show it to my husband who thinks i’m an enigma.
Eric gave me permission to post it on my blog I don’t think he would mind it being on your blog as wel
So true. Whenever things get tight and stressful (and we’ve had our share of hard times), my husband laughs at me. I’ll get really really stressed like a guitar string about to twang loose! Then I just kind of relax and say – God will take care. That’s it no stress. No more freaking out at the kids or the hubby … ok maybe the hubby but that’s usually just for fun! But seriously, when I can just release (submit) and trust in God, things tend to go much smoother!
Oh wow! That is SO me, up one side and down the other. Can I borrow it too?
Please do I don’t think he would mind sharing.
I really like those last three sentences. Wonderful insight. Thanks.