Book Review: Orthodox Christian Catechism
Orthodox Christian Catechism: A Basic
Instructional Guide to the Ancient Christian Faith. Hollywood, CA: Orthodox Christian
Prison Ministry, 1996. Pp. 127. Paperbound.
While purporting to teach Orthodoxy "in
everyday American language" (p. xiii), a brief examination of this catechism quickly
reveals that, however sincere and well-intentioned its compilers, Protestant
Evangelicalism is their mother tongue. Given the fact that the publisher conducts a
"prison ministry," we should not be surprised that the text speaks more fluently
in the vulgar idiom of Evangelical proselytism than in the katharevousa of pristine
Orthodoxy. Undoubtedly, this is a direct result of trying to frame the Eastern Faith in a
systematic question-and-answer catechism, a literary genre which is ultimately the
brainchild of Western Christianity. Although employed at times by Orthodox writers,
catechisms have for the greater part consistently failed to convey properly the essence of
Orthodoxy, simply because for Eastern Christianity, "catechism" primarily
designates not an academic manual of tenets composed for potential converts to study, but
the vivid, practical immersion of catechumens into the traditions of the Church,
culminating in their reception of Holy Baptism.
Although the compilers of this cathechism attempt
to mask their Protestant leanings—if only halfheartedly—, their Evangelical
sensibilities are manifestly visible. For example, while stating in a doctrinal section of
the brochure that the "Sacrament" (more correctly, "Mystery") of Holy
Confession is effected by God through the agency of a Priest, nonetheless, in a devotional
section, we read, after a traditional confessional prayer, the following astonishing
instruction, there being no mention whatever of the necessity of a Priest: "(Confess
to the Lord your specific sins)" (p. 112).
Likewise, despite a disclaimer that extensive
Scriptural citations are not "given as proof texts" (p. xiii), their exclusive
ubiquity belies this claim. The total omission of Patristic references from the catechism
is glaring. Not even once is the authority of a single Church Father
invoked in the text of this catechism! To present Orthodoxy without constant
and explicit reference to the Holy Fathers is tantamount to preaching
"-ianity"—that is, Christianity devoid of Christ. Sola Scriptura is
the operative presupposition here, and blatantly so. Again, we should not be surprised by
this, since many of those involved in the production of this catechism were also directly
responsible for that notorious deformation of Holy Scripture and Orthodox teaching known
as The Orthodox Study Bible.
Offering Orthodoxy to the West in simple terms is
not per se the ruination of this work. Nor can one fault, again, the good
intentions of its authors. It is, rather, that while aiming for simplicity, Orthodox
Christian Catechism falls well wide of the mark, striking instead a bull's-eye in oversimplification,
rendering Orthodoxy a type of minimalistic Christianity. And the West already has had
enough of that, beginning with fundamentalistic Protestantism.
Hieromonk Gregory
Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies
From Orthodox Tradition, Vol. XIII, Nos. 3&4, p. 84.
Webmaster note: in writing this the CTOS is certainly not decrying
prison ministry—a Gospel mandate (cf. St. Matthew 25)—, as one correspondent
nastily opined to me. Whether or not anyone who may criticize this book supports or is
involved in prison ministry should have nothing whatsoever to do with a fair, even firm,
critique of its contents. These are separate issues and should be kept that way. The
review is important because the book presents Orthodoxy in a denuded and un-Orthodox
manner which could ultimately mislead those reading it (related to this, see the reviews
of the ill-famed Orthodox Study Bible). There are
numerous Orthodox sources that could be used in "prison ministry." A new
"catechism" is not needed. Again, as the reviewer states in his opening, the
sincerity and intentions of the book's authors are not in question here.
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