Welcome to Orthodoxy and World Religions! This website seeks to explore an Orthodox Christian approach to religions of the world. Little effort has been made to compile the literature we already have on this subject, as well as to provide fresh resources. Much of what we do have on this subject does not come from the unique Orthodox Christian perspective, and most Orthodox Christians are ignorant of even some of the basic beliefs and practices of people who belong to these religions.
When you ask an average and basically informed Orthodox Christian some basic information about a particular religion, besides Judaism and Islam, you generally get a very basic and often misinformed response. The same holds true the other way around, since those who claim to be informed about Christianity that belong to other religions often associate it only with a Protestant or Catholic version of it. This website therefore exists as a way to heal this ignorance of both sides.
My study of world religions goes back almost as far as my study of Christianity, which is when I was an early teen. I took four courses in world religions in both the college and graduate level, including one by a specialist in the field at Harvard and one by a well-known Christian who converted from Hinduism, and took specific courses in Islam and Buddhism. Moreover, it is my desire to collect and make available in one specific place the unique encounter between Orthodox Christianity and the religions of the world.
Orthodoxy is primarily eastern, and closer geographically than the other Christian traditions to the four other major religions of the world, which are Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. We have a long and historic relationship with the Jews and Muslims, and you can also say the Zoroastrians, some positive and some negative, and though we have encountered Hindus and Buddhists in the past, it is a bit more difficult to come by, though it does exist. All of these need to be examined further. And besides the major religions of the world, we will also explore the minor religions of the world as well, such as Taoism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Shamanism, Animism, etc.
Though I don't consider atheism to be a religion, the fact of the matter is that atheism is a growing phenomenon in the world and especially in the West. Along with atheism there is also a growing agnosticism, and people who just don't know what to identify with regarding their beliefs, and some who just don't want to identify with anyone regarding their beliefs. Many will therefore consider themselves spiritual, but not religious. This is the forum where these will be explored as well.
This website belongs to the ministry of the Mystagogy Resource Center. All those with inquiries and contributions can contact us at mystagogy@aol.com.
With love in Christ,
John Sanidopoulos
Director of the Mystagogy Resource Center