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help !

newbienewbie
edited December 1969 in Non-Orthodox Inquiries
i know someone who is lutheran , she is a dear friend of mine , she is considering converting to coptic and asked for my help , is there any readings or books for that
use ? , and if not is there any thing i tell her to read ? can anybody recomend anything

Comments

  • Andrew SaadAndrew Saad
    first u should give her a copy of the orthodox creed and start to teac her from it and teach her exactly what it says. The creed is our beliefs.
  • egyptionorthobeautegyptionorthobeaut
    does your friend know all about the orthodox beliefs? and just out of curiousity, why does she want to be orthodox?
  • Unknown
    I think you should have her baptized first before you teach her anything, and talk to abouna first, or your FOC, because you need to see what she needs to learn!

    Forever,
    Coptic Servent
  • Unknown
    I think she should know everything completely before she can do anything because maybe when she turns Coptic, she won't like it. Make a time with Abouna to sit and talk to her together about everything.
  • egyptionorthobeautegyptionorthobeaut
    yeah, that is a good idea (talking with abouna) and maybe going to an ortodox church a few times will help. then when she agrees and reads the creed, she could get baptised.
  • Christ4LifeChrist4Life
    [quote author=Coptic Servent link=board=12;threadid=3413;start=0#msg49817 date=1142204868]
    I think you should have her baptized first before you teach her anything, and talk to abouna first, or your FOC, because you need to see what she needs to learn!

    Forever,
    Coptic Servent


    Noo I am sorry Coptic Servant but.... she can only be baptized when she knows every little thing about the COC... maybe she thinks it is one thing and it is another. You have to be sure that she is 100% sure of what she is doing and wants to do it..
  • Unknown
    Much of the advice that has been given here is based on false personal opinion.

    a) The Creed does not represent the fullness of our faith; it does not suffice.

    b) Teaching precedes Baptism, and not the other way around.

    Newbie,

    If your Lutheran friend is simply interested in learning more about the Coptic Orthodox Church because of an interest and potential to possibly convert. Then I would recommend that she read the following:

    "Introduction to the Coptic Orthodox Church" by Fr. T. Malaty
    "Christ in the Eucharist" by Fr. T. Malaty
    "Tradition & Orthodoxy" by Fr. T. Malaty
    "St Mary in the Orthodox Concept" by Fr. T. Malaty
    "The Coptic Orthodox Church as a Church or Erudition and Theology" by Fr. T. Malaty

    You shouldn't personally try and teach her anything if your own knowledge of the faith is inadequate. You do not want to misrepresent the faith. I do not know you, so I cannot personally judge whether or not this applies to you specifically.

    If she feels that she would then like to take steps towards conversion, that is when she consults a priest. The priest should then test her knowledge of the faith and her commitment; he may recommend that she read more books, or he may recommend certain spiritual excercises for her, until he decides she is ready for baptism. He will or should certainly advise her to regurlarly attend the Divine Liturgy quite a few times before conversion.
  • newbienewbie
    are theese books ? or just articles ? and where i would find them or purchase them and how much will they cost ?
  • Christ4LifeChrist4Life
    I believe they are books... You can usually purchase them at any bookstore in a church or from borrow them from a church library. These books arent usually expensive, I have a few of them...
  • Unknown
    They cost no more than 1-3 dollars (AUS) each.

    There is in fact a CD that she can purchase for approximately 30 dollars (AUS) known as the E-refrence Orthodox Christian Library. It's a database that contains all these publications in pdf format, as well thousands of other books by the same author and many other authors including H.H. It also has the Pre-Nicaen, Nicaen and post-Nicaen Fathers, Coptic Biblical Commentaries, the Synaxarium etc.
  • Andrew SaadAndrew Saad
    [quote author=Iqbal link=board=12;threadid=3413;start=0#msg49829 date=1142207802]
    a) The Creed does not represent the fullness of our faith; it does not suffice.


    The Creed is a declaration of our faith she must know what we believe in. "We believe in..."
  • Unknown

    The Creed is a declaration of our faith she must know what we believe in. "We believe in..."

    The Creed is fundamental but not sufficient, which was my point. Lutherans already confess the Nicaen Creed; most Protestants in fact do. She needs to understand the Creed in the context of the faith of the Three Ecumenical Councils and the Fullness of Church Tradition.
  • joegjoeg
    just tell her about it :D
  • jmaziounjmazioun
    This an article comparing the beleif which seperates us most from the Protestant churches (Including Lutheren), Sola Scriptura.
    It shows how important apostolic tradition is to our faith, i think it can really help, it is by an Eastern Orthodox writter who converted from being protestant, i dont think it will confuse anybody since it does not touch on any differences between the eastern and oriental churches.

    http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/tca_solascriptura.aspx

    Also pray for your friend, and im sure many of us will pray for you both too.
    God bless
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