Orthodox Christianity and Popular Culture
Preface to "For the Life of the World" - Social Ethos Document
The task of producing a single statement of the social doctrine of the Orthodox Church is of its nature a complicated, not to say contentious, undertaking. The Orthodox Church operates within a vast variety of cultural and historical contexts, each with its own social and political concerns and traditions. The Church regards its social teaching as nothing other than a faithful transcription of the moral teachings of the gospel into the language of public ethics and policy, and insists that every Orthodox Christian is called to live in the world as a faithful disciple of Christ, called to fellowship with the whole communion of saints. More »
Captain America's Portrayal in Cinema: What's Wrong with Being a Boy Scout?
Role models are hugely imprtant. Even in our Church, we place a strong emphasis on the spiritual father relationship, mentioned in St. Paul’s letters and cultivated heavily in the Orthodox monastic tradition, because we believe that there should be someone in our lives whom we can look up to as a mentor. More »
Movie Review: Arrival
During this Advent season (the 40-day preparation for the Nativity of Christ), it seemed fortuitous that the movie “Arrival” was released on Nov. 11. Based on “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang and starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, the Sci-fi mystery thriller about the arrival of aliens to Earth strikes several spiritual and universal chords that seem to parallel the Christmas celebration. More »
Faith and Pop Culture
Learn about the Orthodox stance on faith and pop culture. Discovering Orthodox Christianity is a series of talks, shows, and presentations designed to introduce and explain the basic teaching of Orthodox Christianity. More »
Orthodox Bishops' Conference Urges the Media and the Entertainment Industry to Avoid the Misuse of Christian Symbols
The Bishops’ Conference convened by the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), which met in Chicago, IL, from October 3-6, 2006, issued the following statement: We urge all members of the entertainment industry to avoid the misuse of Christian symbols, especially of the Cross, through traditional media outlets such as, television, radio, film or print, but also through DVDs, the internet, computer games, iPods, and the like. More »
Orthodox Christianity and Popular Culture
This month we consider the topic of education as it applies to popular culture. By popular culture, we mean the media, venues for entertainment, pieces of literature, cinema, articles of clothing, and particular arts that resonate with the likings of contemporary people in certain times and in certain places. More »
Archdiocese Launches Orthodox Website in Response to Da Vinci Code and Gospel of Judas
New York, NY- The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has launched a website with the Orthodox Response to the Da Vinci Code and the Gospel of Judas. The website includes articles by noted theologians, clergy and educators that address the issues and themes of the publications from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Links to other useful sites and resources concerning the Da Vinci Code can also be found on the website. More »
