My view of the West from the West

historyman, I believe that I understand what you mean when you started the post. Becoming a catachuman I had to wrestle too with these thoughts. Some good books I would recommend are Father Seraphim\'s translation of the Vita Patrum Life of the Saints by St. Georgy of Tours. Father Seraphim believed in his spiritual father St John of San Fransisco who wished to let other Orthodox know of the rich history of the Life of the Saints in the Western lands before the Great Schism. Father Seraphim compares how Gaul France in the 6th century had more in common with the East than than modern Gaul, France today as Roman Catholic. (St. John\'s life by Father Seraphim Rose is an excellent read as well. Also Father Serahim Rose\'s The Place of Blessed Augustine in the Orthodox Church). Second book is For the Life of the World by Alexander Sch. This book was amazing short read on the Sacraments of the Church. Alexander makes the case that the problem is not Intellectualism rather mental. He states that alot of the Church fathers are intellectuals but the difference is that the west started from over thinking, a sort of having to prove the Divine Mysteries. The other two points he makes that I thought was amazing was that the West does not deny God but denies worship. The other is that our view point of how we define symbol affects the the Divine Mysteries. I understand what you mean by saying that in your past churches they helped you on your way to Orthodoxy. My priest said to me never put down where you came from, but understand that that is what helped lead you to Orthodoxy. By coming into Orthodoxy you are not denying the truths that are in protestantism (and there are some truths) rather you are finding the fullness of the faith that we didn\'t know before. There are major differences between the East and the West, but I believe that what Father Seraphim and St. John said that its not East that makes it Christian but Orthodoxy-correct worship of God. I hope this post was not to long, as there are already long posts on this tread.