Ethics

Orthodox Christianity is more a form of existence than a form of discourse, more a lived way than a spoken word. At Orthodoxy’s core is the simple belief that to be a Christian is to be a follower of Christ (John 12:24), a member of the church (cf. 1 Cor. 12 and Rom. 12). Furthermore, the Orthodox hold that such following and membership encompasses the whole of one’s being and extends throughout the whole of one’s life. From this core conviction flow at least two basic ethical questions. First, why should one be an Orthodox Christian? Why commit one’s whole life to following and participating in Christ? And second, how does one do so? Given the complexities of existence, the rapid developments of technology, and the massive forces that influence us as persons and communities, what does Orthodoxy’s “lived way” entail?