tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73042886598650075.post8135042937541451679..comments2024-03-22T11:37:52.668-05:00Comments on Byzantine, Texas: Mayan Orthodoxy website launched!Byzantine, TXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17845681957622343484noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73042886598650075.post-596503775543949512014-07-05T13:52:58.272-05:002014-07-05T13:52:58.272-05:00Hi, Anti-Gnostic! :-)
I'm the creator of &quo...Hi, Anti-Gnostic! :-)<br /><br />I'm the creator of "Mayan Orthodoxy," and I just saw our insightful comment so I wanted to respond. You raise some interesting points here and also in your post on your own blog (http://bit.ly/1t9lLhK). There are some apparent parallels between the way in which the movement in Guatemala is portrayed online and the broader cases of ethnophyletism within Orthodoxy. But the reasoning behind MayanOrthodoxy.com is much simpler and more practical.<br /><br />The reason for referring to the movement specifically as "Mayan" Orthodoxy is that all other designations have problems of their own. Referring to the movement as "Orthodoxy in Guatemala" not only associates the movement with a national identity but, more importantly, it fails to capture the significant expansion of this group into Mexico. Further, most people in the broader Orthodox Church associate Guatemala only with the Hogar Orthodox orphanage, so it is helpful to differentiate this new movement from the Hogar by using a unique name. Another option would be to refer to the movement as "Orthodoxy under the Metropolis of Mexico," but that fails to capture the indigenous nature of this movement, which arose among people of parimarily Mayan descent and came into the Orthodox Church completely independently of any serious missionary efforts of the broader church. In short, no designation is perfect. You're perceptive to point out the liabilities of the one chosen ("Mayan Orthodoxy"); I simply hope that the full title ("Mayan Orthodoxy in Guatemala and Mexico") captures as much as possible without encouraging people to focus more on ethnic identities than on Jesus Christ.<br /><br />The reason for the subtitle on the homepage ("the story of a native church") is again not to encourage ethnophyletism. In fact, it is just the reverse. The danger in all of the mission fields is that the ethnic identity of the missionaries and the broader church will be imported to the new country. This push towards hellenizing (or russifying, or Americanizing, etc.) is extremely powerful because power politics get wrapped up in the push towards expanding the reach of different jurisdictions in different areas of the world. So highlighting this movement as "the story of a native church" is to deliberately combat that possibility by focusing on the indigenous, non-Greek nature of the movement. These people came knocking on the door of Orthodoxy of their own accord, and our missionary efforts must be aimed simply at helping them grow into the fulness of Jesus Christ in their own time, place, ethnicities, and culture.<br /><br />Thank you for your thoughts on this! Best wishes to you, and please keep the people of Guatemala and Mexico in your prayers, along with the missionaries working there! Thank you!Jessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02738450714061920480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73042886598650075.post-68802913849240400672014-03-29T14:10:33.422-05:002014-03-29T14:10:33.422-05:00Mayan languages (plural). We are working so that t...Mayan languages (plural). We are working so that they will have the liturgy in the language of their heart. Prayers for that would be appreciated.<br /> Lisa of Mouse Manorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03318946530383115035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73042886598650075.post-35296901334362434222014-03-23T15:14:23.732-05:002014-03-23T15:14:23.732-05:00Do they use the Mayan language in the liturgy or S...Do they use the Mayan language in the liturgy or Spanish or Greek?<br />Why is the website in English?<br />Isn't it strange that it claims to draw people who are untraditional and very conservative.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10751094166090375495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73042886598650075.post-15622169002696761832014-03-21T09:17:18.161-05:002014-03-21T09:17:18.161-05:00What if we start an Anglo Orthodox Church?
I'...What if we start an Anglo Orthodox Church?<br /><br />I'm not being snarky, and I wish the Mayan Orthodox all the best. This seems to be the direction things are headed worldwide. People, for whatever reason, seem to gravitate toward an ethno-national expression in their worship. I believe that is actually the idea behind Orthodox ecclesiology: every nation gets its own Church. The Universal Faith, practiced Locally.<br /><br />The waters get muddied when a nation-state defined by geographic area and proposition encounters a people who carry their nation with them wherever they go. <br /><br />Interesting times ahead.The Anti-Gnostichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04386593803225823789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73042886598650075.post-22079647626566264822014-03-20T22:17:43.819-05:002014-03-20T22:17:43.819-05:00What a beautiful and gracefilled website. What a beautiful and gracefilled website. Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14913685988793874259noreply@blogger.com