Posted on 04/13/2017 2:49:59 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
An evangelical radio personality known as "The Bible Answer Man" and president and chairman of the Christian Research Institute was formally received into the Eastern Orthodox Church Sunday.
The Christian Post confirmed that Hank Hannegraaf was chrismated on Palm Sunday at Saint Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
"What astounding news," said Rod Dreher, an Orthodox Christian and author of the New York Times best-selling book The Benedict Option, in an interview with The Christian Post Monday.
"Many evangelicals seek the early church; well here it is, in Orthodoxy," he continued.
"I am sure some will be scandalized by Hannegraaf's conversion but I hope at least some will wonder how someone as knowledgeable about the Bible as Hank could convert to Orthodoxy, and go to a Divine Liturgy to taste and see what it's like."
Dreher humorously told CP that 11 years ago, he came to the "foreign country called Orthodoxy" and now cannot imagine being anywhere else.
"The richness of Orthodox theology and worship is incomparable," Dreher said, and Orthodox life is "sedimenting love for Christ into my bones."
To many evangelicals, Eastern Orthodoxy is indeed something of a foreign country.
The Rev. Father Patrick Cardine, priest at Saint Patrick's Orthodox Church in Bealeton, Virginia, explained in a Monday phone interview with CP that one of the main differences between Eastern orthodoxy and evangelical Protestantism is the nature of the Church.
The Orthodox view of the Church is that it is "an icon of Christ and the Body of Christ," he said. Just as Jesus had a physical body, so too, the Church; it is not a spiritual phenomenon as some evangelicals understand the Body of Christ.
Russian Orthodox Christians attend a Christmas Liturgy in the giant Christ the Saviour cathedral in Moscow, early Saturday, Jan. 7, 2006. Christmas falls on Jan. 7 for Orthodox Christians in the Holy Land, Russia and other Eastern Orthodox churches that use the old Julian calendar instead of the 16th-century Gregorian calendar adopted by Catholics and Protestants and commonly used in secular life around the world. (Photo: AP / Mikhail Metzel)
"And by physical we mean hierarchical and sacramental ... the expression of her concrete reality," he continued.
Cardine told CP he was not surprised that Hanegraaf was received into the Orthodox Church in light of his deep knowledge and study of the Scriptures.
Protestantism, he offered, "is actually much more philosophical and abstract and adheres to theological systems created by men, which tries to take the Scriptures as proof texts to prove those teachings."
Cardine, a former Baptist, noted that since he became Orthodox he was for the first time "able to actually embrace the Scriptures on their own terms and without reservation."
"The Scriptures say all kinds of things that Protestants don't really like or believe."
Hannegraaf is considered one of the foremost apologists for the Christian faith. Born in The Netherlands, but raised in the U.S. in the Christian Reformed Church, Hannegraaf was once strongly tied to D. James Kennedy and the ministry of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Florida.
In 1989, he became the president of Christian Research Institute, which was founded in 1960 as a conservative Protestant countercult and apologetics ministry.
He is best known as host of the nationally syndicated "Bible Answer Man" radio broadcast where Hannegraaf frequently answers questions on the air about Christian doctrine, Bible interpretation, and theological differences between denominations. According to his CRI bio, he is the author of more than 20 books, including Christianity in Crisis and The Apocalypse Code: What the Bible Really Teaches about the End Times and Why It Matters Today.
The Christian Post reached out to Paul Young, chief operating officer of the Christian Research Institute to inquire further but calls were not returned by press time.
Last month, a caller asked Hanegraaf to explain the Orthodox doctrine of theosis, which he answers in the video below.
Defending the Millennium against Hanegraaf.
No, nor stained glass, either. And no candles; oil lamps instead.
Well he isn’t the real problem...it’s those who are always awaiting the next speaker that tickles their ears.
You can find his history on line. And the various situations he caused and was part of.
IMO he’s just another stage presence who writes books and has a following of listeners....and today they’re a dime a dozen. Those who make it to the top of the heat have $$$$ that moved them there.
I remember this!
Thanks for posting!
Hitchcock destroyed him thoroughly in that debate. HH is a good contender for spokesman of the harlot church.
Hannegraf's eschatology is not the problem. His politics is not the problem. His problem is walking away from sola scriptura and sola fide.
The Greek Orthodox tend to be more liberal politically. Look at Tom Hanks, George Stephanopoulos, and Dukakis. Greek “conservatives” are usually the likes of Olympia Snowe.
See up thread a bit.He’s a Replacement Theologian for one.
A 2-State Solution Junkie. Preterist. And Globalist if you really listen to him long enough. He backs unification much like what the Pope is talking about recently.
This actually tells me what I was asking about: http://theaquilareport.com/pastoral-advice-eastern-orthodoxy/.
To briefly comment on Hanegraaff, from what I have read he was raised in the Christian Reformed Church as the son of a minister, but for some reason as an adult he drifted into broad evangelicalism as an amillenial, baptistic Arminian. He never received seminary training, and was ordained by Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel. Until he makes an explicit statement on the matter, it is difficult to speculate on what drew him to Eastern Orthodoxy.
So, raised right (depending on the dating of his time in the CRC -- it wasn't always as you see it now), drifted off into generic American evangelicalism. Drifted right on out of it, for reasons yet to be stated.
His eschatology and his politics are not the problem.
With the recent news that Hank Hanegraaff has been received as a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church, it might be helpful to post the report on Eastern Orthodoxy that Classis Southwest of the URCNA adopted as pastoral advice at the recent classis meeting. The reader can download it here. It deals with some of the major issues that have attracted former members of our churches to depart for Eastern Orthodoxy, and provides guidance for ministering to those considering Eastern Orthodoxy.
Ping to a couple GRPL saints. (Not sure how many of us are left.) The URCNA reports looks useful.
From the article above it sounds like the same issue...they don't understand the scriptures or they simply want to reject the scripture teachings. It should be noted that the same thing happened with the Jews in Samaria who simply invented their own Jewish religion rather than going back to the correct teachings.
I must admit the author is somewhat correct in what he says about Protestants. Many seem not to want to have a deep understand of scripture. But note from the article the Orthodox says they "accept it on its own terms". I'm not exactly sure what that happens to mean nor do I believe that he could describe it. But I suspect what they do is simply pick and choose to create their own religion-much like the Samaritans and the woman at the well.
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