orthodoxy

Explorations of Orthodox theology, tradition, and doctrinal distinctives.

The Signing of the Cross in Early Christianity Pt. 2 Members Public

In a previous post (/2020/05/26/the-signing-of-the-cross-in-early-christianity/) I showed that the signing of the cross was a very early Christian practice. I provide additional evidence from the early church fathers showing that the practice of making the sign of the cross with the hands was both early and quite

Sam Shamoun
Sam Shamoun
church-historychristianitycatholicism

The Biblical Books of the Apostolic Canons Members Public

The following list of biblical books is taken from the Apostolic Canons (https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3820.htm); which is believed to be a fourth-century Syrian Christian text. All bold emphasis is mine. Canon 60 If any one reads publicly in the church the falsely inscribed books of impious

Sam Shamoun
Sam Shamoun
canonbiblechurch-history

John of Damascus’ Biblical Canon Members Public

The following is an excerpt from the writings of the eighth-century church father John of Damascus who delineates the list of books that the church at that time, particularly the churches in the east, accepted as canonical and authoritative. All bold and capital emphasis will be mine: Chapter 17. Concerning

Sam Shamoun
Sam Shamoun
canonorthodoxychurch-history

Gregory of Nazianzus’ Biblical Canon Members Public

The following is an English translation of the works of Gregory of Nazianzus (fourth century AD) as listed in  Migne’s Patrologia Graeca, Volume 37, columns 471-474 (Carmina Dogmatica, Book I, Section I, Carmen XI). All bold and capital emphasis will be mine. Concerning the Genuine Books of Divinely Inspired

Sam Shamoun
Sam Shamoun
canonchurch-historyorthodoxy

Veneration of Icons: An Unbiblical Tradition or Biblical Truth? Members Public

God’s Word expressly condemns the practice of making idols or images of any creature for the express purpose of worshiping it as a god/goddess: “Now God spoke all these words, saying: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of

Sam Shamoun
Sam Shamoun
orthodoxycatholicismbible

Origen – Dialog with Heracleides Members Public

The following is an excerpt from Origen’s dialogue with a bishop, which further confirms that he was a Trinitarian who believed in the consubstantiality of the Father and the Son. Origen also affirmed the physical, bodily resurrection of our Savior, condemning as heresy the denial that our Lord’s

Sam Shamoun
Sam Shamoun
church-historytheologytrinity

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA’S EXEGESIS OF MARK 13:32 AND MATTHEW 24:36 Members Public

In this post I am going to quote the exegesis of one of the greatest Christian theologians and apologists of the early church in respect to Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32, where our risen Lord speaks of not knowing the day and hour of his destroying Jerusalem and

Sam Shamoun
Sam Shamoun
matthewgospeljesus-christ

Tertullian and the Doctrine of the Trinity Members Public

Refuting the Misrepresentation of this Church Writer’s Views As I noted in a previous post (/2018/11/02/were-the-early-church-fathers-trinitarians/), Muslims have started a recent trend where they now seek to prove that the ante-Nicene fathers, i.e., the Christian apologists and theologians that wrote before the council of Nicaea,

Sam Shamoun
Sam Shamoun
trinitychurch-historytheology
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