Eastern Churches Go West: Minority Churches as Settlers and Transnational Actors in Finland
Maija Penttilä As the Russian-speaking population living in Finland has grown, so have the numbers of Russian-speaking churches and their members. Some of these churches are firmly rooted in Finnish soil, such as the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church, which have almost 100 years, or the Baptist church Vifania, whose roots are claimed to […]
When is Christian Conversion Genuine? Two Patristic Perspectives
Harri Huovinen In the individualistic climate of contemporary Finland, being questioned about one’s innermost convictions has, until recently, been rather rare. The diversification of religious identity landscapes in Western societies, especially the inclusion of asylum seekers in churches, has sparked discussions around the authenticity of Christian conversion. As a result, immigration service officers now attempt […]
The Status of the Reinstitution of Deaconesses in the Orthodox Church Today: Consecrated in Africa, Considered Elsewhere
Carrie Frederick Frost Much of my scholarship is on the topic of deaconesses and I am chair of the St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess, a US nonprofit dedicated to the reinstitution of deaconess in the Orthodox Church, because I perceive these possible changes to be a fulfillment of the Church’s teachings that will help […]
East and West from Russia and Ukraine
Teuvo Laitila & Heta Hurskainen If the position of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) towards the West and East could be characterised by one word, it would be ‘mission’. Since the start of its missionary work, the East – Siberia, Alaska, Korea and Japan in the early 20th century – has been the ROC’s direction, […]
Where East Meets West
Heta Hurskainen I welcome you to read our blog, “East Meets West”! The blog’s hub is the School of Theology at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF). Despite the word “Eastern” in the name of the university, our School of Theology offers both Orthodox and Western theology to study and research. East meets West at […]