Lesson 1: Introduction

 Welcome to the complete catechism for the Orthodox Christian Church. In this course you will learn about the doctrine and way of life that has been preserved unchanged from the time of Jesus Christ and His Apostles in the Orthodox Church. You will be able to participate at your own pace. Each lesson will introduce new concepts important to the perfection of faith and spiritual well-being. You will find text and video material to review, and then a set of questions to answer. These answers you will send to an Orthodox clergyman who will add comments to clarify and aid you. Once you receive a reply you can then proceed to the next lesson.

In this course you will begin with clarifying the aim of a Christian life, and then exploring the nature of the faith it requires. Before we go deeper into the doctrine you will be reminded of the seriousness of this quest you are on by reviewing the consequences of failing to love God as He loves us. Next, you will examine the nature of God’s creation and how He crafts it. Seeing that all is created out of nothing, and that everything He created is good, you will explore the creation of mankind. Human are the peak of Creation and are created in the image and likeness of God, destined to be perfected in God’s love. But man was not initially obedient to God’s commands because of the free will God gave him. This disobedience had the consequence of being barred from Paradise and receiving mortal bodies where death, along with all of the trials and tribulations we face in our daily lives shape the realities of our lives. In this condition we needed help. Our loving God is very loving and patient. Next, you will review how God out of His love for Man prepared the way for the most significant event in our human history, the Incarnation of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. You will review the events of His life as He shows us the loving way to be perfected to rejoin God in Paradise eternally.

Following this review you will explore the doctrine on Salvation and Redemption. Then you will be led through a brief history of the Church of which only Christ is the head. You will lear how the nature of Christ and His teaching has carefully been protected and preserved by the Orthodox Church. Having a firm foundation in the True doctrine, you will next learn about the way of life that will lead you to a union with God and eternal life in His Kingdom. You will be reminded about how we suffer and struggle because of our self-centeredness, our desires or passions, and be shown how the Church, in cooperation with divine grace, helps us overcome these passions. As our heart becomes purified God seems closer, and you will gain from an increase of grace. This process of purification, you will learn, is aided by what are called ascetic disciplines. These include prayer, fasting and worship. You will lean about the essential nature of the Sacraments, especially Holy Communion that is the main event in the Divine Liturgy. You will also be instructed on the sacrament of Holy Confession, which you will be required to participate in as part of your baptism or Chrismation where you formally become a member of His Church. Finally, we return to the thing we fear the most, death. This fear is to be overcome with faith in a loving God, along with the full understanding of the Resurrection and the Second Coming of Christ. So we end the lessons on Death, the Final Judgments and the life to follow.

There are a few personal questions that we would like you to answer before we start, so we can better help you in your spiritual journey. Follow the link below.