Customer Reviews

Eastern Orthodox Mission Theology Today

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Stamoolis is probably the first author to deal exclusively with the Eastern Orthodox Church's beliefs regarding mission and evangelism. Tracing her roots all the way back to the day of Pentecost, the Holy Orthodox Church has historically been a missionary Church, fulfilling the Great Commission given by our Lord to "make disciples of all nations." (Matt. 28:19) Her missionary endeavors can be seen in the pages of the Book of Acts, as well as throughout history in the untiring efforts of such holy evangelists as St. Innocent, missionary to North America, and Sts. Cyril and Methodius, both missionaries to the Slavs. However, the Orthodox Church has not always been able to fulfill the Great Commission because of the persecution she has faced. In the 20th century, Orthodox Christians have endured widespread persecution at the hands of Communism (in Russia and Romania) and Islam (in the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia). Therefore, many Orthodox immigrants to America have lost their missionary zeal and see as their primary goal to preserve their heritage, but lack the desire to share their faith with others. The goal of the author is to shatter the myth that the Orthodox Church is not evangelistic, and to explain how the theological differences between Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Christianity determine how they view missiology differently. He does a wonderful job of explaining Orthodox mission theology as well as giving a good historical background of Orthodox missionary work to show how this theology has developed. He also talks about the current missionary work being done by the Orthodox in Africa as well as the "Diaspora" in America. The only downside to this book is that it is not current. Written in 1986, much has changed since this book was written regarding the Eastern Orthodox Church's involvement in mission and evangelism. Following the reception of the Evangelical Orthodox Church into the canonical Orthodox Church in 1987, the Church has enjoyed much growth in America. Also, the Church has enjoyed much growth all over the world largely through the efforts of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center and the Society of St. Nicholas of Japan. It would be great if a new edition to this book was published, or if a more current book on this subject was written.

I must admit I was skeptical of this book when I started but it won me over. A very compelling and detailed look at Orthodox Missions and the theological structure needed for such endeavors. If you have converted to Orthodoxy you would do well in reading this book to flush out your ideas of what Orthodox missions entail verse what you have been exposed to in the west. Well written with just a few points that I personally had some issues with but felt no need to ding the rating over.

Stamoolis has captured the essense of the Eastern Orthodox Churches' missionary enterprise. Too often neglected in western church history books, this book is a corrective to the myoptic vision of the western church. Readers who are interested in knowing more about how the Eastern Orthodox Church theological framework leads them to interpret elements of the common Christian tradition in ways different from both Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions should read this book. By the way, it is not out of print, but available in a reprint edition from Light and Life Publications, Minneapolis, MN.