Post: #26

TheBeast1, you are right about the Germans lol! No, they probably would have not been satisfied. Interesting tidbit about Luther and his high regard for the Eastern Orthodox church. I'll have to read up more on that.

Though I somewhat differ with the western view of forensic justification, I understand the framework in which it came. I would probably be splitting hairs in making a theological distinction. Sometimes it boils down to semantics. The west typically puts more of an emphasis on the atonement and forgiveness of sin through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

The Orthodox would concur, but also emphasize that Christ came in order to defeat the last enemy of man, the power of death itself. "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (HEB 2:14-15)

Interesting conversation, I've been out of the loop for awhile in regards to theology and church history. I do share your optimism about being united as Christians under a banner of salvation through Christ.

Post: #27

I personally believe, after a lifetime of studying various spiritual and philosophical systems, that there is nothing "beyond" Orthodox Christianity. It encompasses the fullness of the truth in a way which nothing else does, and every other belief system can be explained from within its context. Most importantly, there is no other religion which can claim that the Creator of the cosmos became man for us, showed us the Way to follow His laws, and live by grace and faith instead of by constant status-jockeying, "transcendental experiences," shamanistic paganism, or other such things. Christianity as a whole is the only religion in which God became man and reopened the gates of Paradise for us, and Orthodox Christianity is the proper interpretation of the faith and all that goes along with it.