JaysAnalysis.com On The Authority to Publicly Teach

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Published On February 9, 2023 » 4920 Views» By admin » Apologetics, Archives, Bible, Featured, Religion, The Jay Show, Theology

By: Jay Dyer

“By what authority do you do these things?” Mark 11:28-30

One of the things I have learned in the last 5 or 6 years or so of becoming a catechumen and finally entering the Church was that the Orthodox Church operates differently than most assume. While it is true that the Orthodox Church is decentralized, it is also a hierarchy. The Church existing as a hierarchy means teaching and what you say publicly matters – especially if you have become a large platform (which I did not expect to occur). As soon as I entered the Church there were clerics working to make sure I wasn’t able to enter or would be run off.

Finding the right spiritual father was, by divine Providence, what really helped me to come into the Church, even with public opposition, and finally learn the right synthesis with what is proper for a layman in such an odd role. The first thing I did was take my many theological articles to my spiritual father and ask him, as well as other clerics I knew, what they thought and if I should continue to discuss theology. As I have gotten older, with the benefit of hindsight, many mistakes and hopefully some life wisdom, I have come to see how important it is that no man take it upon himself to teach. Even if one has a gift, that gift needs to be cultivated with the right moral character.

If we do not take it upon ourselves to teach, then authority decides who is approved and able to teach: in that light, it is fundamentally necessary to have the blessing to speak publicly on these matters. Over the years I have seen many young guys start their own “ministries” without any clerical oversight or approval and in most cases, this ended in disaster, heresy and/or apostasy. At present, there are numerous new and recent converts – some of whom we even helped to come into Orthodoxy – who have decided to set themselves up as teachers with “ministries,” many of whom have no academic training, have never written a college paper, and yet can attain thousands of followers and portray themselves as online elders.

The opposite error is the clergy who are also doing “online ministries” but represent a co-opted and liberalized agency for Orthodoxy to eventually move back into communion with Rome. Some from these circles are angry about the lack of control they have over non-AFR outlets, and thus seek to covertly “ban” myself or discussion of my works or content at their parishes. Given these facts, I think it is time we tighten up our circles in terms of who we associate with and who we recommend or interact with. Young guys, many of whom have the gift to teach and lead, have not sufficiently gained the life experience and life wisdom necessary to guide people in moral matters and some even tell people what to do in marital matters. These are becoming a serious problem for “online Orthodoxy,” confusing many people and causing ridiculous and absurd divisions over basic misunderstandings. The worst possible scenario is for catechumens and uneducated laity to sift through centuries of canon law and demand submission to their twitter authority.

For our part, I want it to be clear we (in my circles) never have and never will condone these people, nor their actions. It has always been the policy in our discord, for example, to direct people to clergy and their spiritual father: I don’t lead any “orthobro” movement – in fact, that was a title made up as a pejorative. While it is true we have helped many young men come into Orthodoxy, a small minority of them do not follow our advice on taking up their online crusades and doctrinal squabbles with competent spiritual authorities and under proper guidance from a spiritual father. In fact, in almost every case of people going out from among us, they all disobeyed that clerical advice. In every case, these individuals used a Protestant methodology which assumes the issues are all intellectual, and not spiritual. As a result, their approach to all disputes is Protestant quote-mining divorced of any context and in almost every case, it is individuals who do not even have a college degree. While a college degree is not a prerequisite for sanctity, it is my understanding it is typically required for the priesthood, who are the normative teachers in the Church, as well as seminary education and formation.

Due to recent controversies of new and recent converts erecting their own online “ministries” as well as certain clergy coming out against “internet orthodoxy,” as well as likely coming provocations and infiltration from hostile groups that are now becoming public facts (which we have talked about for years) I am setting forth a policy that I will only work with or recognize other “apologists” or online orthodox who have explicit permission and blessing from clergy who will publicly respond to inquiries about said persons. Anyone not able to demonstrate or direct people to their canonical cleric granting them permission, I will avoid and recommend you avoid. While this does not guarantee everyone who has that blessing cannot make mistakes, it does provide the correct canonical limitation to who is a public teacher, which “no man takes upon himself.” (Heb. 5:4). My priest often appears publicly with me, as well as other clerics, and they can be reached. Anyone without that permission or anonymous profiles or those unable to provide clerical contacts, you should avoid.