Liturgical Theology: How our Worship Preserved our Orthodox Faith
- Servants Preparation
- Feb 7, 2024
- 4 min read
Lex orandi, lex credendi (Latin: "the law of what is prayed [is] the law of what is believed"), sometimes expanded as Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi (Latin: "the law of what is prayed [is] what is believed [is] the law of what is lived"), is a motto in Christian tradition, which means that prayer and belief are integral to each other and that liturgy is not distinct from theology. It refers to the relationship between worship and belief. As an ancient Christian principle it provided a measure for developing the ancient Christian creeds, the canon of scripture, and other doctrinal matters. It is based on the prayer texts of the Church, that is, the Church's liturgy. In the Early Church, there was liturgical tradition before there was a common creed, and before there was an officially sanctioned biblical canon. These liturgical traditions provided the theological (and doctrinal) framework for establishing the creeds and canon.
As we are starting our liturgical theology course in the program, it would be helpful to reflect a little bit on why we are studying this course and what it means for us.
The Orthodox Way
The word orthodoxy comes from the Greek words “orthos”, meaning straight or correct, and “doxa” which is an interesting word that carries in itself a lot of meanings. “Doxa” in the New Testament can be translated as belief or opinion, it can be translated as praise or prayer and can also be translated as glory, brilliance, or splendor. Orthodoxy is our faith and beliefs as Christians, but it is interconnected with our praise and splendor. Right belief and right worship are inseparable. Orthodoxy is not solely an intellectual ascent to a common set of beliefs, but a centering of our lives and practices around the worship that deeply reflect these beliefs.
Understanding the church liturgical prayer is the way to understand its faith!
I was reading an article online, and I was very surprised to learn that in 2022, Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway Research published a very shocking survey that they called “State of Theology” https://thestateoftheology.com . It is really heartbreaking to know that most of the adult Christians in the US are lacking very basic knowledge about their faith. For example, the survey shows that 65% of American evangelicals believe that humans are born without sin, 61% strongly or somewhat agree that Jesus was the first being created by God, 56% strongly or somewhat agree that worshiping alone or with family is a valid replacement for attending public worship, and 55% strongly or somewhat agree that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force.
Although I hope that our Coptic congregation will be much more familiar with the foundation of their faith, nevertheless, these statistics are very alarming because our sound doctrine, faith, practices and prayers are what really matters as our only way of salvation.
Against Heresies and Confusions
Over the past 21 centuries, the Orthodox Church has recognized the unbreakable link between the correct doctrine and salvation; many Champions of Orthodoxy refuted the heresies that appeared in their generation and delivered to us the faith and the accurate interpretation of the Holy Scripture. Today, we are living among an epidemic of false teachings some are new and others are merely recycled heresies of the past. However, the most dangerous challenge the Church is facing lies not in the false teachings themselves but in the blurring of the line that separates the true faith from heresies. People are willing to live with inherent contradictions because they have been told that pluralism, diversity, and tolerance demand it. Can something be true and false at the same time and in the same sense? Can the Eucharist, for instance, be the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and be a symbol at the same time?
Liturgy does not mean some hours spent by us the church the body of Christ - clergymen and laity - in participating in the Eucharistic liturgy, performing on vesper or matin or baptism or marriage celebrations etc., but it is in its essence the true communion with Christ. This liturgical life is not lived only when a believer participates in common worship whatever it is, but it dwells within his heart even when he is alone in his room. In other words "liturgy" is a life which the church practices, through which she acknowledges her nature, realizes her message and attains her own existence which is life and growth in Jesus Christ.
Lex orandi, lex credendi
The purpose of this course is to present the faith that was delivered to us and to highlight how our rites and prayers reflect a deep understanding of our Orthodox beliefs. With this course we want to emphasize the rule of "Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi"
“Lex orandi, lex credendi" is a phrase that was first coined by one of the students of St. Augustine of Hippo, it literally translates to, "the rule of prayer is the rule of belief" and is a statement that expresses the deeply universal truth that "the way you pray determines what you believe,". It is the guarding principle of any of our Orthodox practices and prayers and explains how our worship and theology ceaselessly go hand in hand.
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