Evangelism

CHAD HATFIELD

Evangelism in the Eastern Orthodox Chris­tian context is commonly associated with the dominical foundation of the Great Commission as found at the conclusion of Matthew’s gospel: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Mt. 28.19–20). It is also generally understood that the context of this com­mand puts the emphasis on the power of God and not the strength of humankind to evangelize. To evangelize is to be an evangelistes, the deliverer of evangelion, or the Good News of salvation. In the synoptic gospels there is also a very close relation­ship between the verbs evangelizein and kerussein, the gospel term for proclaiming the word, or teaching, of God (kerygma).

The post-Pentecost sharing of this Good News, in many languages as Acts records, was the beginning of the fulfillment of the Great Commission. At first the evangelistic efforts of the disciples were centered on the Jews, but in a short period of time Antioch would become a great center for more global Christian evangelism, with the word spreading to gentile communities through the preaching of Peter and Paul. In fact, it was in Antioch where the disciples were first called “Christians” (Acts 11.26).

Christian history records the rapid spread of the Christian message in the Roman Empire, despite both persecution and the radical nature of the gospel. The hagiographies of the early saints also give a clear picture of the witness of the many martyrs. Tertullian’s dictum that “the seed of the Church is the blood of the martyrs” is for the Orthodox still a most powerful evangelistic testimony, for the stories and legends associated with a multi­tude of saints continue to be a voice of witness. The popular Orthodox devotion to saints such as the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, Perpetua and her companions, the archdeacon Lawrence, and many others is woven deep into the fabric of the Orthodox Christian proclamation of the truth of the gospel, and for this reason the best examples of Eastern Orthodox evangelism are found in the lives of saints rather than through para-ecclesiastical organizations or socie­ties. Among the best known of the evange­lizing saints are the two brothers Cyril (ca. 826–69) and Methodios (815–85), apostles to the Slavs. Sons of aristocratic parents from Thessalonica, they used their educa­tion in philosophy and diplomacy to great advantage when they responded to the request of Prince Rastislav for missionaries to come and teach his people in their native language. It was Cyril who, in preparation for this new work, invented the Glagolitic alphabet, which is the basis for what is today called “Old Church Slavonic.” The Eastern Orthodox model of using the vernacular tongue to evangelize was firmly established by these two missionaries who translated the Bible and patristic and liturgical texts into the language understood by the people. This crucial principle is regrettably still not fully supported or practiced as Eastern

Orthodoxy expands beyond the borders of traditionally Orthodox Christian countries.

Another of the most significant mileposts in Eastern Orthodox evangelism is dated 988 with the baptism of the Rus. Inspired by his Christian grandmother, Prince Vladimir sent emissaries to explore various religions. They reported that when they were in Constanti­nople at the Divine Liturgy in Hagia Sophia they “knew not whether they were in heaven or earth” (Russian Chronicle). It has remained a testimony to the power of the liturgy and the beauty of church services to move the hearts and minds of the hearers. Even though catechism may have been poorly done or many (as in the case of the Rus) were compelled to be baptized by those in authority, a true evangelism of the Russian peoples began which would have an immense flowering and effect. It was this blessed foundation that sustained persecuted Christians during the bitter seventy-year reign of godless communism and which began to publicly flower again in 1988 with the millennium celebrations of the baptism of Kievan Rus.

Other mileposts in Eastern Orthodox evangelism include the work of St. Stephen of Perm (1340–96) among the Zyrian people of Siberia. Notable were his convic­tions that Russian culture and Slavic lan­guage were not a crucial part of authentic Orthodox evangelism. He was also another great proponent of the power of liturgy and the beauty of church culture for evangelizing non-Christians.

The Russian missions to Siberia, Korea, Japan, and Alaska beginning in the late 1700s and continuing through the 1917–18 Russian Revolution reflect in each region the Eastern Orthodox commitment to avoid religious syncretism and yet not confuse Orthodoxy with ethnic culture. St. Herman of Alaska (1756–1837) is considered a model of evange­lism by ascetical example. Innocent of Alaska (1797–1878) is also another example of a great missionary who contextualized Orthodoxy while respecting the local customs of the people to whom he ministered and advocated the use of the vernacular.

Interest in Eastern Orthodoxy, beginning in the 1980s, by other Christians living in western countries intensified with the collapse of the communist yoke in the for­mer Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. In 1987 some 2,000 former Evangelical Chris­tians were received into the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America. Since then many more thousands of converts have reenergized the Orthodox presence in many parts of the world.

Use of contemporary media such as the Internet, podcasts, radio, and magazines by Orthodox preachers, writers, and broad­casters has grown at a rapid rate during the last decades. However, even with these new tools for evangelism, the saying of Seraphim of Sarov still holds true as the standard for how Eastern Orthodoxy understands evangelism. His advice was: “Acquire the Holy Spirit and thousands around you will be saved» SEE ALSO: Sts. Constantine (Cyril) (ca. 826–869) and Methodios (815–885)

REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

Oleksa, M. (1998) Orthodox Alaska: A Theo­logy of Mission. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press.

Veronis, L. (1994) Missionaries, Monks and Martyrs: Making Disciples of All Nations. Minneapolis: Light and Life Publications.