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Eastern Orthodox Church

2013-04-23T20:41:49Z

JohnCarpenter: correct references

[[Image:Church3.jpg|right]]
The '''Orthodox Church''' is an international group of Patriarchal, Autocephalous and Autonomous churches. Each church is independent in her internal organization and follows her own particular customs. However, all the churches are united in the same faith.

Each Church is led by a Synod of Bishops. The [[Ecumenical Patriarch]] of Constantinople is regarded as "First among Equals."

== The Great Schism ==
The [[Great Schism]] is the title given to separation between the Western Church (the Roman Catholic) and the Eastern Church, (the Orthodox), which took place in the eleventh century.

By the ninth century legitimate differences were intensified by political circumstances, cultural clashes, papal claims, and the introduction in the West of the [[Filioque]] phrase into the [[Nicene Creed]].

[[Image:Russian Orthodox Church Florence.jpg|thumb|200px|Russian Orthodox Church in [[Florence]].]]

==Icons==
The Orthodox Church claims to have inherited it's traditions from the Apostolic Church. Dr. John B. Carpenter has challenged that claim by trying to show that icons (from the Greek ''eikona'', meaning images) were not originally accepted in the Christian Church.<ref>John B. Carpenter, "Icons and the Eastern Orthodox Claim to Continuity with the Early Church," ''Journal of the International Society of Christian Apologetics'', Vol. 6, No. 1, 2013, pp. 107-122.</ref> He claims that the early church appears to have inherited the opposition to icons from second temple, Talmudic Judaism. Hence, early Christians were accused of being "atheists" by Romans who assumed the absence of images meant the absence of belief in gods.<ref>For example, ''Martyrdom of Polycarp'', chapter 9; cited by John B. Carpenter, "Icons and the Eastern Orthodox Claim to Continuity with the Early Church," ''Journal of the International Society of Christian Apologetics'', Vol. 6, No. 1, 2013, p. 111.</ref> Origen (184-254) responded to the charge of "atheism" by admitting that Christians did not use images in worship, following the Second Commandment.<ref>Origin, Contra Celsus, Book VII, Chapter 64; according to John B. Carpenter, "Icons and the Eastern Orthodox Claim to Continuity with the Early Church," ''Journal of the International Society of Christian Apologetics'', Vol. 6, No. 1, 2013, p. 112.</ref> Canon 36 of the Council of Elvira (c. 305) states, “Pictures are not to be placed in churches, so that they do not become objects of worship and adoration.” About the year 327 the early church historian Eusebius (c. AD 263 – 339) wrote, "To depict purely the human form of Christ before its transformation, on the other hand, is to break the commandment of God and to fall into pagan error."<ref>David M. Gwynn, From Iconoclasm to Arianism: The Construction of Christian Tradition in the Iconoclast Controversy [Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 47 (2007) 225–251], p. 227. </ref> Epiphanius (inter 310–320 – 403), bishop of Salamis, in Cyprus wrote, in Letter 51 (c. 394), to John, Bishop of Jerusalem about an incident of finding an image in a church in his jurisdiction: "I went in to pray, and found there a curtain hanging on the doors of the said church, dyed and embroidered. It bore an image either of Christ or of one of the saints; I do not rightly remember whose the image was. Seeing this, and being loath that an image of a man should be hung up in Christ's church contrary to the teaching of the Scriptures, I tore it asunder and advised the custodians of the place to use it as a winding sheet for some poor person." He goes on to tell John that such images are “contrary to our religion” and to instruct the presbyter of the church that such images are “an occasion of offense.”<ref>John B. Carpenter, "Icons and the Eastern Orthodox Claim to Continuity with the Early Church," ''Journal of the International Society of Christian Apologetics'', Vol. 6, No. 1, 2013, p. 118.</ref> Carpenter concludes that the issue of icons arose some time after the fourth century and they were originally opposed, only being accepted by the second "Seventh Ecumenical Council" (787) which he says constitutes the true beginning of the Orthodox Church.<ref>Carpenter, ibid. p. 122.</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Orthodox Church]]
*[[Russian painting]]

== External Links ==

*[http://www.ancientfaithradio.com Orthodox Internet Radio]
*[http://www.goarch.org Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]
*[http://www.oca.org Orthodox Church in America]
*[http://www.ec-patr.org Official Web Site For Ecumenical Patriarchate]
*[http://www.mospat.ru/?lng=1 Official Web Site Of The Moscow Patriarchate]

== References ==
<references/>
*[http://www.goarch.org Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]
*[http://www.oca.org Orthodox Church in America]
*[http://www.flickr.com Flickr Public Photos]

[[Category:Churches]]
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]
[[Category:Medieval History]]

Eastern Orthodox Church

2013-04-23T20:40:39Z

JohnCarpenter: added information from scholarly article on icons

[[Image:Church3.jpg|right]]
The '''Orthodox Church''' is an international group of Patriarchal, Autocephalous and Autonomous churches. Each church is independent in her internal organization and follows her own particular customs. However, all the churches are united in the same faith.

Each Church is led by a Synod of Bishops. The [[Ecumenical Patriarch]] of Constantinople is regarded as "First among Equals."

== The Great Schism ==
The [[Great Schism]] is the title given to separation between the Western Church (the Roman Catholic) and the Eastern Church, (the Orthodox), which took place in the eleventh century.

By the ninth century legitimate differences were intensified by political circumstances, cultural clashes, papal claims, and the introduction in the West of the [[Filioque]] phrase into the [[Nicene Creed]].

[[Image:Russian Orthodox Church Florence.jpg|thumb|200px|Russian Orthodox Church in [[Florence]].]]

==Icons==
The Orthodox Church claims to have inherited it's traditions from the Apostolic Church. Dr. John B. Carpenter has challenged that claim by trying to show that icons (from the Greek ''eikona'', meaning images) were not originally accepted in the Christian Church.<ref>John B. Carpenter, "Icons and the Eastern Orthodox Claim to Continuity with the Early Church," ''Journal of the International Society of Christian Apologetics'', Vol. 6, No. 1, 2013, pp. 107-122.</ref> He claims that the early church appears to have inherited the opposition to icons from second temple, Talmudic Judaism. Hence, early Christians were accused of being "atheists" by Romans who assumed the absence of images meant the absence of belief in gods.<ref>For example, ''Martyrdom of Polycarp'', chapter 9; cited by John B. Carpenter, "Icons and the Eastern Orthodox Claim to Continuity with the Early Church," ''Journal of the International Society of Christian Apologetics'', Vol. 6, No. 1, 2013, p. 111.</ref> Origen (184-254) responded to the charge of "atheism" by admitting that Christians did not use images in worship, following the Second Commandment.<ref>Origin, Contra Celsus, Book VII, Chapter 64; according to John B. Carpenter, "Icons and the Eastern Orthodox Claim to Continuity with the Early Church," ''Journal of the International Society of Christian Apologetics'', Vol. 6, No. 1, 2013, p. 112.</ref> Canon 36 of the Council of Elvira (c. 305) states, “Pictures are not to be placed in churches, so that they do not become objects of worship and adoration.” About the year 327 the early church historian Eusebius (c. AD 263 – 339) wrote, "To depict purely the human form of Christ before its transformation, on the other hand, is to break the commandment of God and to fall into pagan error."<ref>David M. Gwynn, From Iconoclasm to Arianism: The Construction of Christian Tradition in the Iconoclast Controversy [Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 47 (2007) 225–251], p. 227. </ref> Epiphanius (inter 310–320 – 403), bishop of Salamis, in Cyprus wrote, in Letter 51 (c. 394), to John, Bishop of Jerusalem about an incident of finding an image in a church in his jurisdiction: "I went in to pray, and found there a curtain hanging on the doors of the said church, dyed and embroidered. It bore an image either of Christ or of one of the saints; I do not rightly remember whose the image was. Seeing this, and being loath that an image of a man should be hung up in Christ's church contrary to the teaching of the Scriptures, I tore it asunder and advised the custodians of the place to use it as a winding sheet for some poor person." He goes on to tell John that such images are “contrary to our religion” and to instruct the presbyter of the church that such images are “an occasion of offense.”<ref>John B. Carpenter, "Icons and the Eastern Orthodox Claim to Continuity with the Early Church," ''Journal of the International Society of Christian Apologetics'', Vol. 6, No. 1, 2013, p. 118.</ref> Carpenter concludes that the issue of icons arose some time after the fourth century and they were originally opposed, only being accepted by the second "Seventh Ecumenical Council" (787) which he says constitutes the true beginning of the Orthodox Church.<ref>Carpenter, ibid. p. 122.</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Orthodox Church]]
*[[Russian painting]]

== External Links ==

*[http://www.ancientfaithradio.com Orthodox Internet Radio]
*[http://www.goarch.org Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]
*[http://www.oca.org Orthodox Church in America]
*[http://www.ec-patr.org Official Web Site For Ecumenical Patriarchate]
*[http://www.mospat.ru/?lng=1 Official Web Site Of The Moscow Patriarchate]

== References ==
*[http://www.goarch.org Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]
*[http://www.oca.org Orthodox Church in America]
*[http://www.flickr.com Flickr Public Photos]

[[Category:Churches]]
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]
[[Category:Medieval History]]

John B. Carpenter

2013-04-23T20:33:23Z

JohnCarpenter: corrected grammar and italics and added link

'''John B. Carpenter''' (born 1964) is a former missionary and the founding pastor of [[Covenant Reformed Baptist Church]], as well as the author of many scholarly articles on [[Christian]] history and ethics.

==Education==
Dr. Carpenter attended Samford University where he earned his Bachelors degree. He subsequently attended Fuller Theological Seminary where he received a Master of Divinity (M.Div.), and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where he earned a Master of Theology (Th.M.) degree. Afterwards, he earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in church history studying [[Puritan|Puritanism]] at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.<ref>"Church refurbishes Providence Gym, since purpose in 2009", ''The Caswell Messenger'', July 2011. Covenant Reformed Baptist Church pamphlet.</ref>

==Pastorship==
{{further|Covenant Reformed Baptist Church}}
Dr. Carpenter is the pastor of Covenant Reformed Baptist Church, which professes a commitment to evangelism and three distinctives: being "Reformed", "Inter-racial" and "Active".<ref>Covenant Reformed Baptist Church pamphlet </ref> He was called to be pastor by the congregation during its formation in November 2008.<ref>"New Church Forms and Expands," ''The Caswell Messenger'', November 12, 2008, p. 11.</ref> In early 2009 the new [[church]] purchased the gymnasium originally built for the Piedmont Academy, a now defunct segregated school at 6611 Old Highway 86 North in Providence, North Carolina, which has since served as it's main facility.<ref>"Covenant opens new building in Providence," ''The Caswell Messenger'', March 2009.</ref>

==Personal views and beliefs==
Dr. Carpenter believes that the purpose of a ministry is to strive to present the gospel clearly at all times, and to make a life with [[Jesus Christ]] at its center the key focus of every congregant. Some of his sermons are available through youtube and at the church's web-site.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEWT0r86ch_R0bMwt1p4V2ZnheUiMBtCS Youtube Video] www.covenantcaswell.org.</ref>

==Publications and works==
He is the author of "''The Fourth Great Awakening Or Apostasy: Is American Evangelicalism Cycling Upwards Or Spiraling Downwards?''" and various other articles.<ref>[http://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/44/44-4/44-4-PP647-70_JETS.pdf ''Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society''], 44/4 (December 2001) 647–70.</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

John B. Carpenter

2013-04-23T16:24:11Z

JohnCarpenter: Created biographical article

'''John B. Carpenter''' (born 1964) is a former missionary and the founding pastor of [[Covenant Reformed Baptist Church]], as well as the author of many scholarly articles on [[Christian]] history and ethics.

==Education==
Dr. Carpenter attended Samford University where he earned his Bachelors degree. He subsequently attended Fuller Theological Seminary where he received a Master of Divinity (M.Div.), and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where he earned a Master of Theology (Th.M.) degree. Afterwards, he earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in church history studying [[Puritan|Puritanism]] at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.<ref>"Church refurbishes Providence Gym, since purpose in 2009", ''The Caswell Messenger'', July 2011. Covenant Reformed Baptist Church pamphlet.</ref>

==Pastorship==
{{further|Covenant Reformed Baptist Church}}
Dr. Carpenter is the pastor of Covenant Reformed Baptist Church, which professes a commitment to evangelism and three distinctives: being "Reformed", "Inter-racial" and "Active".<ref>Covenant Reformed Baptist Church pamphlet </ref> He was called to be pastor by the congregation during its formation in November 2008.<ref>"New Church Forms and Expands," ''The Caswell Messenger'', November 12, 2008, p. 11.</ref> In early 2009 the new [[church]] purchased the gymnasium originally built for the Piedmont Academy, a now defunct segregated school at 6611 Old Highway 86 North in in Providence, North Carolina, which has since served as it's main facility.<ref>"Covenant opens new building in Providence," ''The Caswell Messenger'', March 2009.</ref>

==Personal views and beliefs==
Dr. Carpenter believes that the purpose of a ministry is to strive to present the gospel clearly at all times, and to make a life with Jesus Christ at its center the key focus of every congregant. Some of his sermons are available through youtube and at the church's web-site.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEWT0r86ch_R0bMwt1p4V2ZnheUiMBtCS Youtube Video] www.covenantcaswell.org.</ref>

==Publications and works==
He is the author of "The Fourth Great Awakening Or Apostasy: Is American Evangelicalism Cycling Upwards Or Spiraling Downwards?" and various other articles.<ref>[http://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/44/44-4/44-4-PP647-70_JETS.pdf ''Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society''], 44/4 (December 2001) 647–70.</ref>

== References ==
<references/>