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.
Latvian Orthodox?
I think it is Greek Orthodox. He became a member at the St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church in North Carolina.
He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
I can’t remember if he’s Preterist or Dominionist.
Either way, his leaving the Evangelical community was a long time coming. He’s a liberal of the Russell Moore/Rick Warren camp.
To be fair, he does have more “understanding” of the Bible than those two, but he’s still not right in the head.
Used to listen to him 20+ years ago.
The Orthodox Church is poorer for having him as a member. Just thankful this fraud is no longer associating as an Evangelical. The Evangelical Church is happy to be rid of him.
I would agree with that assessment when it comes to Warren.
Moore uses his knowledge of the Bible to twist scripture in order to fit his Communitarian and Globalist agenda.
Hannegraaf is similar in that regard.
I can’t stomach 5 minutes of his show anymore LOL!
A Preterist, Replacement theologian, anti-dispensationalist, and evolutionist.
Yes!
Thanks for clearing up the record!
I totally forgot about his Replacement theology and his advocating for a “Two State Solution”.
My husband’s stepmother and his dad are Greek Orthodox. She is conservative, but she says the church is very liberal.
Might be like the Catholic Churches, where some parishes are conservative and orthodox, others are Vat 2-liberal.
Might be like the Catholic Churches, where some parishes are conservative and orthodox, others are Vat 2-liberal.
I haven't listened to him in years but he was very instrumental to my coming to faith in Christ in 1992 by his explanations of the Nature of God, Deity of Christ and God's forgiveness plan.
He has many books out calling out and criticizing the word of faith movement of the Osteens and Warrens.
I am shocked though at his conversion.
If you’ve heard him lately, he’s a globalist. He believes in a 2 State Solution and Replacement Theology.
I’m a Dispensationalist, Pre-Trib at that.
Hank hates folks like me.
Ever since he came out as a Preterist, he’s lost most of his following. His fall guys are John Darby, Mark Hitchcock, Tim LaHaye and Jan Markell.
For reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q51sL-2SOmo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eje2FjlAkVo&t=412s
They’re long, but if you’re interested they are there.
His conversion IMHO doesn’t come as a surprise. I thought he’d go for Reform Lutheran or Methodist to be honest.
Perhaps this might help you in knowing where we are coming from:
http://www.waltermartin.com/cri.html
A little research on the Christian Research Institute.
BTW it was Christ Alone who was instrumental in your coming to faith. The Bible teaches that God can use an ass to speak to you.
Chrismations usually happen on Lazarus Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday. We are finding a lot of refugees from mainline Protestantism as well as the Anabaptist
and Evangelical communities. People are fascinated by the Ancient Faith of Christianity. Their love of The Word is cherished. “Now lay aside all earthly cares.....”
Already posted and argued over (so far 192 replies).
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