Intended to be a survey course, “Studies in the Faith” will give the participant a foundational understanding of the Orthodox Christian Faith, its belief, worship, and practices.  The class will meet on Thursday evenings from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM via ZOOM.  

To join the ZOOM Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87257423968?pwd=S2tNcTUzY28xRzBqMVd4cWhvaEM2Zz09

Meeting ID: 872 5742 3968
Passcode: 793620

This class is mandatory for those individuals who wish to become Orthodox Christians.

To those who are already Orthodox, this course will provide you with an enriched understanding of your faith.

And to our guests, we welcome you.  Please feel free to attend whichever class, or combination of classes interests you most.

All participants will be asked to purchase the textbooks used.  Confidential scholarships are available for the purchase of the textbooks through the Church office as well.  Please contact the parish office at (206) 323-8557 for further information.

What follows is a list of the texts to be used and the schedule for the class.  The reading assignments from the texts below and from various articles will be distributed in class.  The texts may be purchased from either our Assumption bookstore, Light and Life Publishing or from Amazon.

Texts to be used in class:

1. The Holy Bible, including the Old Testament and deutero-canonical books (Apocrypha).   The Orthodox Study Bible is recommended.
2. The Orthodox Church, by Bishop Kallistos Ware
3. The Divine Liturgy Service Book to be distributed Sunday after Liturgy.

Other recommended texts:

1. Introducing the Orthodox Church by Fr. Anthony Coniaris  (Alternative to The Orthodox Church, by Bishop Kallistos Ware)
2. Contemporary Moral Issues, by Fr. Stanley Harakas
3. Making God Real In The Orthodox Christian Home, by Fr. Anthony Coniaris
4. Beginning to Pray, by Archbishop Anthony Bloom
5. The Orthodox Way, by Bishop Kallistos Ware
6. The Inner Kingdom, by Bishop Kallistos Ware, Volume one of the Collected Work
7. Whose Bible Is It: A Short History of the Scriptures, by Jarslov Pelikan

For those wishing to become Orthodox Christians, Baptism and/or Chrismation will be celebrated before the feast of Pascha.

For those thinking of becoming Orthodox Christians, please remember, regular Church attendance is mandatory (either in person or via our web stream) as worship is central in the life of the Orthodox Faith.  In addition, connecting to the community is important as you will need to choose a Godparent for your Baptism and/or Chrismation.  Godparents are usually chosen from within the parish you are attending. 

To register for this class, please state your intent to participate via email to Fr. Dean at frdean@assumptionseattle.org.  Please feel free to contact the parish office with any questions at (206) 323-8557.

Internet Self-Study:  In this age of modern technology, quite often the question is asked regarding self-study using Orthodox educational videos posted on the Internet.  Although this is an option, it is not recommended.  Fellowship and connection with others in the class is an important part of integrating yourself into our faith community.  In addition, questions and dialogue in class is encouraged.  A question offered in class often invites the participants to have discussions leading to a deeper understanding of Orthodoxy in a way not possible in a self-study environment.  Educational videos posted on the Internet will be utilized as part of our class structure however it is important to note that all web-based data contained in the class will have been thoroughly vetted.  Web addresses for these websites will be provided in class so the material may be reviewed at any time.

Syllabus

(click here for a downloadable Syllabus with class dates and additional information)

1st Session  (October 1st) 

      History of the Church (Part 1)
          From 33 AD – 325 AD
            -  The Beginnings:  The spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to the nations
            -  The Early Martyrs, The Administrative Structure of the Church, The Development
                of the Administrative Structure of the Church, The Development of the Liturgical
                Life of the Church.

2nd Session  

      History of the Church (Part 2)
          Byzantium, 325 AD – 850 AD
            - The Ecumenical Councils, The Nicene Creed, The Fathers of the Church

3rd  Session    

      History of the Church (Part 3)
            -  The Church in Captivity, Moscow: The Third Rome, The Ancient Patriarchates Today

4th Session  

      The Trinity, The Person of Jesus
            - The Biblical foundation
            - The Historical foundation 

5th Session  

      Holy Tradition and the Bible    

6th Session  

       Theosis and Salvation
          - An Orthodox Perspective on Spiritual Growth          

7th Session  

       Life after Death          

8th Session  

       The Sacramental Life of the Church (Part 1)
          -  Prayer as an expression of Sacrament
          -  An Orthodox perspective on Sacrament

9th Session  

      The Sacramental life of the Church (Part 2)
        -  A survey (from a Biblical and theological foundation) of the Sacraments                         
            of Baptism, Chrismation and Confession      

10th Session   

       The Sacramental life of the Church (Part 3)
            -  A survey (from a Biblical and theological foundation) of the Sacraments                         
            of Ordination, Marriage and Holy Unction

11th Session   

       The Divine Liturgy (Part 1)
             -  The Liturgy of the Catechumens
             -  The Liturgy of the Eucharist

12th Session  

       The Divine Liturgy (Part 2)
          The Historical Development of the Liturgy

13th Session  

       The Saints of the Church

14th Session 

     The Interior of the Church
          -  Orthodox theology in Church architecture and structure  

15th Session  

       Iconography
          -  The Church Triumphant vs. The Church Militant

16th Session  

       The Church Calendar (Part 1)
          -  The measurement of time in the Orthodox Church
          -  The daily and weekly calendars of the Church
          -  The twelve major feasts in the Orthodox Church

17th Session  

       The Church Calendar (Part 2)
          -  The moveable calendar of the Church
          -  The fasting calendar of the Church
          -  The calculation of the day of Pascha (Easter in Orthodoxy)
          -  The New vs. the Old Calendar

18th Session  

        The Church Calendar (Part 3)
           -  Holy Week and the Journey to Pascha (Easter)

19th Session  

         Contemporary Moral Issues
            -  The Orthodox position on contemporary moral issues such as contraception,
                abortion, artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, homosexuality, capital
                punishment, euthanasia, and more.  A brief discussion on each.

20th Session  

         Living an Orthodox Lifestyle (Part 1)
            -  Beginning to Pray
            -  On fasting, prayer and almsgiving

21st Session  

          Living an Orthodox Lifestyle  (Part 2)
             -  Living the Liturgical life of the Church

22nd Session  

           The Problem of Orthodox Fundamentalism

23rd Session  

          The Role of Monasticism in the Orthodox Church

24th Session  

          The Eastern and Western Churches
            -  The differences between Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Catholicism and
                  Protestantism
            -  The relationship of the Orthodox Church with the churches of the West
            -  The Orthodox Church and the World Council of Churches

We welcome all visitors who may wish to come and experience an Orthodox Christian Liturgy.  For those who wish to become Orthodox Christians, it is important for you to regularly attend Church on Sundays while taking this class.  The schedule of worship services is as follows:

Saturday:  Great Vespers – 4:00 pm
Sunday:  Orthros - 8:45 am followed by Divine Liturgy - 10:00 am 

NOTE:  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you must sign up in advance when you wish to attend Liturgy in person at the church.  Please use this link for SignUpGenius to make your reservation:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b44a8a922a3fd0-assumption