The Church and her “Doubles”

It isn’t infrequent that even Orthodox Christians perceive in the Church a conglomerate of archaisms, consisting of incomprehensible worship services, distant priests, faith in rituals and magic. Are we going to church for our personal health and happiness, or to search for the Kingdom of Heaven? Are we thirsty for the Word of God or are we looking for a club of people who have similar interests to our own? An enormous amount is riding on our vision of what the Church is and what we as of Her. This event envisages a discussion about what Church is, about church life and about what its imposter “doubles” look like. 

Questions for Discussion:

• What is the Church, and what is not the Church? Can we see the Church? Who creates the Church?
• What helps and what hinders a person from acquiring faith in the Church?

Participants:

• Darya Kosintseva, philologist, journalist and blogger;
• Fr. Alexander Lavrin, Orthodox Priest.