2020. The history of the orthodox church in america

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• Part 1:  1. "Earliest Orthodox contact with North America" 2. "Ecclesiastical History: The Russian Mission" 2.a. "1794 Russian Mission in Kodiak" 2.b. "St. Innocent, Part I"
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• ​Part 2:  3. The Valaam mission to Alaska: St Herman and St Innocent. 4. The model for Orthodox mission
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• ​Part 3:  5. The life, ministry, and missionary vision of St. Innocent. 6. The life and ministry of of St. Iakov Netsvetov.
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• ​Part 4:  7. The missionary work of St Iakov Netsvetov among Alaskan native peoples. 8. The sale of Alaska and an influx of Protestant sect missionaries. 9. St. Alexis Toth: the return of many Uniates to Orthodoxy and the consolidation of the Russian mission. 10. An introductory discussion of Orthodox unity in North America.
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• ​Part 5:  11. The life and ministry of St. Tikhon in North America. (a) Bishop in San Francisco and missionary travels. (b) Vision of a multiethnic diocese. (c) Relationship with the Episcopalians. 12. Sobornost and Orthodox ecclesiology.  13. Changes and struggles in the North American mission.
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• ​Part 6:  14. The return of Saint Tikhon to Russia in 1907 15. The importance of Bishop Platon 16. The work of Fr. Nathaniel Irvine, a convert to Orthodoxy from the Episcopal Church 17. Anglican / Episcopal recruitment efforts among the Orthodox in the US 18. The scope of Orthodox infrastructure in the US: 4 foreign language journals, 2 seminaries, a monastery, an orphanage, over 100 parishes etc. 19. The Uniates in the US a. The Carpatho - Rusyns: origins, ancient customs, conflict in Europe and confrontation in the US with the Latin Bishops b. Latin influences on Carpatho-Rusyn piety and church design c. 1907 - 1914 72 Uniate parishes received into the Orthodox Church in the US 20. A renegade Bishop marries, is cast out of the Church but continues to ordain - the origin of vagante bishops 21. Russian missionary work in the US with Greeks, Serbs and Syrians 22. The attempt at consolidation of Orthodox immigrants in the US into a single American Orthodox Church 23. The Anglicans approach the Orthodox about joining Orthodoxy but eventually back away from that effort 24. World War I, the abdication of the Czar and the rise to power of the Bolsheviks 25. Bolshevik power ends Russian Orthodox funding of missionary activity and church building construction in the US 26. The state of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia in 1917 - some corruption, liberals in the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy, communist infiltration and nihilistic thinking 27. The convening of an all Russia Church Sobor / Great Council, the restoration of the Patriarchate and the election of Tikhon as Patriarch 28. The election of a new synod of Bishops 29. Soviet Communist persecution of the Church stalls further reform efforts and drives many clergy and Bishops into exile 30. St Tikhon anathematizes Communists 31. The dispersal of the Russian Church outside of Russia - Crimea, Constantinople, Serbia, China, Western Europe 32. The Church abroad organizes: The Rise of ROCOR - American bishops present 33. The Russian Church abroad calls for the restoration of the Romanov dynasty and earns the ire of the Soviet government 34 The activities of Metropolitan Evlogi and schism 35. The false letter of Patriarch Tikhon 36. The Russian Church abroad fractures - church politics, theological differences, political differences abound
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• ​Part 7:  37. Recap of previous week 38. The Post 1917 Contretemps of the Russian Mission in America – Insolvency and Confusion of Authority 39. The Demise of Catholicity in American Orthodox Ecclesiology 40. The Eclipse of Russian Authority in America and the Rise of Ethnic Fragmentation 41. The Rise of the Radical Renovationists of the Living Church in Russia 42.The Arrival of the Living Church in the United States: The Quest for Lucre, Real Estate and Power 43. Divisions Among the Russian Clergy Abroad – Metropolitan Evlogi Changes Sides, the Election of Metropolitan Platon, the role of Archbishop Alexander, Apolinari, Stephen et al 44. Moscow Demands that Russian Clergy Abroad Pledge Loyalty to the Soviet Union 45. Platon’s Forgery 46. Patriarch Tikhon Dies – April 7, 1925 47. Sergius Becomes Patriarch and Pledges the Russian Church and its Adherents to Loyalty to the Soviet State 48. The Moscow Patriarchate Condemns ROCOR and Deposes their Clergy 49. The Demise of the Living Church 50. From the Metropolia to the OCA 51. The Moscow Patriarchate Parishes Abroad 52. Attempts at Unification Fail 53. The Continuing Ethnic Divisions in Orthodoxy 54. The Ecumenical Patriarch’s Concept of Jurisdiction: From the 1920s to the Present
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• ​Part 8:  55. The Reasons for the Demise of the Living Church 56. Recap of previous week 57.The Emergence of a Plurality of Jurisdictions in North America 58. From Orthodox Unity Under the Russian Mission to an Ever Shifting Ecclesiastical Landscape 59. Russian Jurisdictions Abroad Go Into and Out of Communion With the Moscow Patriarchate (MP) 60. The Role of the Oath of Loyalty to the Soviet State in Blocking Communion With the MP 61. The Influence of the Theological Institute in Paris on St. Vladimir's Seminary in the US 62. The Ecumenical Patriarch (EP) - An Ecclesiastical Entrepreneur 63. The EP Declares the Russian Church in the US as not legitimate because it is not under his jurisdiction. 64. The EP moves on Russian parishes in Europe and North America 65. Russian parishes in Western Europe return to MP a year ago 66. Fr. Nathaniel's Re-ordination upsets the Anglicans, who view it as a challenge to the validity of Anglican Holy Orders 67. War, Revolution and Displacement of Greeks, Syrians, Armenians and Palestinians send many Orthodox Christians to the US 68. The Influx of Orthodox Emigres to the US Strains the Resources of the Church 69. The Orthodox Immigration puts a Damper on the Development of American Orthodoxy; great demand for liturgies in non-English languages 70. The Life and Times of Aftimios Ofiesh - A Married Orthodox Bishop and source of vagante bishops in the Orthodox world 71. The 1927 Foundation of the American Orthodox Catholic Church by Eftimios Ofiesh 72. The Mission of Bishop Benjamin in the US - The MP's Envoy and the failure of reunification 73. The State of the Russian Church in the Soviet Union Under Stalin in the 1930s and 40s 74. World War II and Church Revival in the USSR 75. The Complexity of Ukraine - Soviet persecution and the famine, the liquidation of the Kulaks, the Uniates in the West, the Nazi Invasion 76. A russian film, "POP" about the reopening of Orthodox Churches in Ukraine under the Nazis 77.The Life of Fr. Arseny 78. Post WWII Ecumenism - The Russian Orthodox Church in the USSR Travels Abroad and participates in the World Council of Churches. 79. The 1946 Failure of the Metropolia to Unify with the MP and their Canonical Isolation
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• ​Part 9:  80. ROCOR 1934 - 46: UNITY 81. 2 jurisdictions in America 82. Metropolitan Platon's break with ROCOR - a few people follow him 83. Platon dies in 1934 84. Theophilus reconciles with ROCOR 85. Metropolitan Evolgi in Western Europe joins the Ecumenical patriarch 86. The 1936 Bishop's Council in Pittsburgh 87. All American Council in 1937 - the Metropolia Unifies with ROCOR for a time 88. The theologically progressive Russians in Paris involve themselves with St Vladimir's Seminary in the US 89. St Vladimir's develops as a graduate school 90. Archbishop Vitaly involved with St Vladimir's 91. In 1943 Stalin felt that the Soviet Union was losing the war, so he lightened up on the Russian Orthodox Church 92. Stalin lets 18 Bishops out of prison and they elect a Patriarch, Sergius, the former locum tenens 93. Thousands of Churches reopen in the Soviet Union 94. Some American Bishops recognize Sergius but do not submit to him. 95. The 1936 agreement said that only the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR could recognize the Moscow Patriarchate or make such agreements 96. Moscow put conditions on the recognition of the Church in America - an oath of loyalty to the Soviet State, the right to approve the election of the American Metropolitan and a ban on anti-Soviet politics 97. Theophilius was told to break with ROCOR 98. 4 Bishops opposed unifying with Moscow 99. A couple of American Bishops unify with Moscow but Theophilius played a dual game 100. Leonti severed with ROCOR 101. The 1946 Bishop's Council in Detroit - wanted cooperation with ROCOR but to be autonomous from both ROCOR and the Moscow Patriarchate 102. Some progressive laymen wanted the American Church to submit to Moscow 103. The All American Council in Cleveland and its uncanonical outcome 104. Metropolitan Vitaly, referring to the Synod of the Metropolia, stated that such ordering of Church councils with Bishops in a minority and having only one vote, up against the presence of laity and lower clergy, is unorthodox. 105. The 7th All American Council votes to be independent of both Moscow and ROCOR an uncanonical decision never ratified by the Bishops. 106. The continuing legacy of the nature of Church councils in the OCA 107. In Orthodoxy, the doctrine does not change but administrative forms have 108. By 1947 there were 3 divisions in the Orthodox Church in the US: ROCOR, the Metropolia, and the Moscow Patriarchate 109. Both the MP and ROCOR declare the Metropolia to be in schism 110. Extensive discussion of Orthodox Ecclesiology a. Apostolic Succession - not just a game of historical tag with the laying on of hands b. The Church itself is passed along; it is a conciliar act that passes on the Grace of the Holy Spirit and the Apostolic Deposit of Faith c. Vagante Bishops are unacceptable. d. Schism is unacceptable and renders ineffectual the sacraments e. Bishops must be elected by a Synod of Bishops and assigned a territorial see after consecration by three other bishops. f. The geographical basis of Church governance dates to the beginning of the Church g. Types of Schism set forth by the Canons of St Basil h. The case of Philaret of Ukraine i. The structure of the Church 3 orders - deacons, priest and bishops organized a long conciliar/synodal lines with a primate at each level: parish, diocese and synod j. The goal is to maintain Eucharistic Communion centered around the Bishop. k. The patriarch or Metropolitan does not act with the consent of the Synod and the Synod does not act without the permission of the presiding Bishop l. The Bishop / Metropolitan / Patriarch is not over the other bishops but works from within the Synod, from within the Church. m. A Patriarch answers to the synod of other Patriarchs. n. The difference between autonomy and autocephaly o. A discussion of the schismatic Ukrainian Church. p. No other Church or Bishop, even a Patriarch has the right to interfere in the governance of another autocephalous Church. q. The Patriarch of Constantinople can convene a tribunal to judge a Patriarch 111. In North America, the hope from the beginning has been to have one Church. The OCA is not the sole Church as there are some 15 other jurisdictions present here. 112. In Orthodoxy, there is no religious pluralism, only one Church for everyone. 113. Orthodoxy since the 1920s, outside of Orthodox majority countries has suffered from a multiplicity of jurisdictions present on the same territory.
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• ​Part 10:  114. ROCOR was stable throughout the 20th century 115. The Metropolia was isolated canonically and in communion with no one, post 1946 till 1970 and suffered from leadership problems 116. The post World War II period saw a great influx of Orthodox refugees displaced by the war and by Communism 117. Many Russians from CHina settled on the West Coast of the United States, but some in the East. 118. The post-war period is one of consolidation and work with new emigres; there is little missionary outreach 119. Greece was in turmoil from 1923 on and especially after WWII, with the civil war between royalists and communists 120. The new calendar reform tore the Greek Church apart and led to schism and even bloodshed. 121. The schism in the Greek Church amounted to 25 % - 50 % of the population. 122. The Greek Church in the US under the Ecumenical Patriarch largely avoided being greatly affected by the turmoil in Greece 123. There was a proliferation of Orthodox jurisdictions in the US and some cooperation amongst them 124. 1960 - SCOBA - The Standing Committee of Orthodox Bishops in America was formed, the idea of the Greek Archbishop 125. The idea of SCOBA was not to have a single jurisdiction in the US but that there be cooperation including on charitable work 126. SCOBA was a context for cooperation on other common issues and for some missionary outreach 127. SCOBA reduced the isolation of the Metropolia 128. SCOBA worked for there to be Orthodox chaplains in the US military 129. Post-WWII - saw the formation of the Protestant-dominated National Council of Churches and World Council of Churches (NCC & WCC) 130. The Metropolia participated in both the NCC and the WCC 131. The Russian emigres in Paris at the Theological Institute who emigrated to New York and worked at St. Vladimir's Seminary supported Orthodox participation in the NCC & WCC as a way to bear witness of Orthodoxy to Protestants. 132. These emigres, among them Fr Florovsky and Alexander Schmemann, also supported the Metropolia and helped to move along the path to the eventual formation of the OCA 133. The NCC and WCC had a leftist and Marxist influence that grew over the years. 134. The NCC and WCC were a context for Orthodox Bishops from Communist countries, to communicate with Orthodox Churches and their Bishops from free countries and explain the realities they faced, including persecution. Publically, the clergy from Communist states had to say everything was fine. Behind closed doors, they told the truth. 135. The 1970 grant of autocephaly to the OCA by Moscow was not recognized by other Orthodox Churches, but the OCA was viewed as having canonical status because their mother Church recognized them and their sacraments. 136. A new organization sponsored by the Ecumenical Patriarch, the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in America, is dominated by Greeks, despite having fewer parishes than other jurisdictions 137. Orthodox Ecclesiology emphasizes the completeness of the Church at the local level, which is the Diocese. 138. Discussion of the structure of the Orthodox Church, the origin of autocephaly, and the meaning of autonomy. 139. Apostolic origin of the original Patriarchal Sees of which Constantinople was NOT included 140. The National Churches and their origins. 141. The Russian Church and the origin of its autocephaly. 142. The proposed new protocol for the recognition of autocephaly, as a conciliar act that begins with the national, mother Church granting such status to one a diocese, as occurred for instance with the Polish Orthodox Church. 143. The failure of the Council of Crete. 144. The Ecumenical Patriarch: from First Among Equals to First Without Equals. 145. The EP and divisions in the Orthodox Church; laying the groundwork for the Ukraine schism 146. Anti-Soviet and anti-Russian diplomatic activities of the US since 1948
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• ​Part 11:  This final class focused on the need for true Catholicity among the Orthodox of America, which should lead to unity and not division, especially along ethnic lines. The universal message of Christ is for all and not limited to people of a particular culture or nation. There needs to be greater missionary outreach to non-Orthodox. The Russian missionaries to the native peoples of Alaska converted the people to Christ and to His Church. They did not attempt to make them into Russians. Indeed, they learned the native language and culture and utilized those elements as a vehicle for conveying the Faith to the various particular nations they encountered. Metropolitan Jonah proposes that the Orthodox in America should invest heavily in the creation of schools to educate the youth and form them in the Faith, thus protecting them from the secular, pagan anti-Christian public school systems. Parishes can and should establish schools that provide comprehensive education, not just religious instruction limited to Sundays.
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