Syllabus

Requirements

These Catechism classes are required in preparation to join the Orthodox Church, either through Baptism or Chrismation.

Because worship is the core of who are as Orthodox Christians, and because Orthodoxy is about experiencing God, I also require that you attend Divine Liturgy on Sundays, and that you attend Matins at least once a month. In addition, I also recommend attending special services (e.g., Vespers, Akathist, Paraklesis, Presanctified Liturgy) that may take place during your Catechumenate period.

Recommending Reading:

The following are recommended books to read at your own pace. The first book by Mathewes-Green is a good introduction to Orthodox theology and services, while Ware’s book is a handy reference to have on hand. Clément’s book is, perhaps, one of the best books about life as an Orthodox Christian and the path towards salvation. And, finally, Wright’s book is a great introduction to the New Testament and understanding Jesus in the context of his world.

  1. Welcome to the Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity by Frederica Mathewes-Green (Amazon Link)
  2. The Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity by Timothy (Metropolitan Kallistos) Ware (Amazon Link)
  3. The Roots of Christian Mysticism by Olivier Clément (Amazon Link)
  4. Simply Jesus: A New Vision of Who He Was, What He Did, and Why He Matters by N.T. Wright (Amazon Link)

Recommended Prayer Books

All catechumens should purchase a prayer book, a prayer rope, and a Bible (if you don’t already have one) (translation of your choice). I recommend one of the following two prayer books.

  1. A Prayer Book for Orthodox Christians, Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Amazon Link)
  2. Orthodox Christian Prayer Book, New Rome Press (Amazon Link)

Online Orthodox Stores

  1. Orthodox Marketplace [www.orthodoxmarketplace.com]
  2. Holy Cross Bookstore [store.holycrossbookstore.com]
  3. St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press and Bookstore [www.svspress.com]
  4. St. Tikhon’s Monastery Bookstore and Press [www.stspress.com]
  5. Ancient Faith Store [click here]

Schedule

We’ll be watching The Journey to Fullness presented by Fr. Barnabas Powell. After watching the assigned sessions, we’ll have class discussions and practicums led by Fr. Dustin Lyon.

Class 1

Watch: “Session 1: Is this Trip Really Necessary?” and “Session 2: What is the Orthodox Church?”

Discussion: Fr. Dustin will introduce himself and talk about his journey from the Methodist Church to the Orthodox Church. We’ll learn how to properly enter a church (how to venerate icons and light a candle), and the symbolic meaning of the church building (both scripturally and cosmically).

Handouts

Class 2

Watch: “Session 3: When did Orthodoxy Begin?” and “Session 4: Characteristics of Orthodox Christianity”

Discussion: We’ll talk about the history of the church: how it grew and was organized into the Pentarchy, and how Rome eventually split away. We’ll also look at the currently organization of the Orthodox Church: the autocephalous churches that exist today, and how we are organized as the Church of Constantinople (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America).

Handouts

Class 3

Watch: “Session 5: Mindset Matters” and “Session 6: A Healing Purpose”

Discussion: We’ll talk about the path to salvation in the Orthodox Church (Praxis, Theoria, and Theosis) and have a brief introduction to icons (and how they play a part in our salvation).

Handouts

  • The Path Towards Salvation and an Introduction to Iconography (click here)

Class 4

Watch: “Session 7: Truth and Tradition” and “Session 8: How do I Understand the Bible?”

Discussion: Fr. Dustin will give a basic summary of the entire Bible (see here), and we’ll learn about how scripture is used in the Orthodox Church.

Handouts

Class 5

Watch: “Session 9: When We Say God, Pt. 1” and “Session 10: When We Say God, Pt. 2”

Discussion: We’ll talk briefly about how Orthodox Christians understand God as Trinity, and we’ll learn about an Orthodox Christian’s Prayer life: how to pray, how to use icons, incense, and candles, and how to set up a beautiful corner.

Handouts

Class 6

Watch: “Session 11: God with Us” and “Session 12: Our Ultimate Purpose”

Discussion: We’ll take a look at the Baptismal service and how talk about how catechumens are received into the Church. We’ll also discuss Confession and how to prepare properly for it. Finally, we’ll learn how to choose a godparent and what’s needed to be received into the Church.

Handouts

  • Baptism, Confession, and Confession Preparation (click here)

Class 7

Watch: “Session 13: Salvation as Participation” and “Session 14: Orthodox Worship”

Discussion: Fr. Dustin will explain the meaning of the Liturgy and do a “show and tell” of the books used for Orthodox services. We will also learn about how Orthodox Christians integrate the Church into their lives through house blessings, sick calls, making koliva for memorials, bringing artos for saint days, etc.

Handouts

  • The Daily Worship Cycle, the Divine Liturgy, Bringing the Church into our Lives (click here)

Class 8

Watch: “Session 15: A Beautiful Rhythm” and “Session 16: The Journey Continues”

Discussion: We’ll learn about the 12 Great Feasts of the Church as well as the Feast of Feasts. We’ll also learn about preparing for the feasts through fasting. Finally, we’ll talk about membership at Twelve Holy Apostles.

Handouts

  • The Great Feasts (fixed and movable) and Fasting (click here)