Current Theme | May 2026
In our progressive age, many young Christian men are drifting towards Eastern Orthodoxy—a religion that feels ancient, appeals to mystery, and gratifies the senses. But what is the history of Eastern Orthodoxy, what do their councils teach, and why are so many drawn to it today? At the crossroads of the soul, should our young men head East, or go West? Join us this month as pastors and scholars provide a clearer vision of what Jerusalem hath to do with Constantinople.
Table of Contents
Longform
Eastern Orthodoxy: How Did It Emerge in History?
By Donald Fairbairn • Longform Essay • May 1
Discover where Eastern Orthodoxy came from and how it differs from other traditions that sprung from the tree of the apostolic church.
Podcast
5.24 Donald Fairbairn • Reading • “Eastern Orthodoxy: How Did It Emerge in History?”
By Donald Fairbairn • Reading • May 4th, 2026
Discover where Eastern Orthodoxy came from and how it differs from other traditions that sprung from the tree of the apostolic church.
Concise
Divine Energies: Eastern Orthodoxy’s Strangest and Most Important Doctrine
By Knox Brown • Concise Article • May 6
Are God's attributes identical with His being, or do they proceed from Him like rays from the sun? How you answer that question marks a major fault line between the East and the West.
Concise
Sharing the Gospel with the Eastern Orthodox
By Panagiotis Kantartzis • Concise Article • May 8
What aspects of the gospel do the Eastern Orthodox most need to hear, and what happens if they don’t hear them?
Longform
The Challenge of Eastern Orthodoxy: Comparing Evangelical and Eastern Orthodox Theology
By Tony Costa • Longform Essay • May 11
Young Protestants are reportedly departing for Eastern Orthodoxy in droves. What are the major differences between Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelical Protestant Christianity?
Podcast
5.25 Tony Costa • Reading • “The Challenge of Eastern Orthodoxy: Comparing Evangelical and Eastern Orthodox Theology”
By Tony Costa• Reading • May 11th, 2026
Young Protestants are reportedly departing for Eastern Orthodoxy in droves. What are the major differences between Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelical Protestant Christianity?
Concise
The Challenge of Eastern Orthodoxy: Addressing Its Allure
By Tony Costa • Concise Article • May 13
Why do some Evangelicals flirt with Eastern Orthodoxy? This article lays out a diagnosis and a proposed cure.
Podcast
5.26 Donald Fairbairn, David Schrock, & Stephen Wellum • Interview • “Eastern Orthodoxy: How Did It Emerge in History?”
By Donald Fairbairn, David Schrock, and Stephen Wellum • Interview • May 14th, 2026
Join David Schrock and Stephen Wellum as they interview Dr. Donald Fairbairn on his COA Longform Essay, "Eastern Orthodoxy: How Did It Emerge In History".
Concise
Masculinity, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Search for Stability
By Alexander Breytenbach • Concise Article • May 15
One of the great attractions of Eastern Orthodoxy for many young men is its emphasis on masculinity and its claim to an unbroken tradition. But are those claims true? And can Protestantism offer the same stability, seriousness, and rootedness that many men are seeking?
Longform
“All Protestants Go to Hell”: Eastern Orthodoxy’s Official Rejection of the Gospel at the Synod of Jerusalem
By Knox Brown • Longform Essay • May 18
Many Christians assume that Eastern Orthodoxy does not deny the gospel like Roman Catholicism did at the Council of Trent (1545–1563). But the Eastern Orthodox Synod of Jerusalem (1672) has some very fiery words about Protestants.
Podcast
5.27 Knox Brown • Reading • “”All Protestants Go to Hell”: Eastern Orthodoxy’s Official Rejection of the Gospel at the Synod of Jerusalem”
By Knox Brown • Reading • May 18th, 2026
Many Christians assume that Eastern Orthodoxy does not deny the gospel like Roman Catholicism did at the Council of Trent (1545–1563). But the Eastern Orthodox Synod of Jerusalem (1672) has some very fiery words about Protestants.
Concise
The Idolatry Beneath Ecclesial Anxiety
By Brian Carter • Concise Article • May 21
What do you feel when you hear "The Orthodox Catholic Church is the one true church outside of which there can be no salvation"? Concern? Unease?
Concise
A Protestant Appraisal of Rock & Sand: Sola Scriptura Properly Understood
By Tyler Cox • Concise Article • May 22
Eastern Orthodoxy's second most popular online personality is Josiah Trentham, author of Rock and Sand: An Orthodox Appraisal of the Protestant Reformers and Their Teachings. This is our appraisal of his appraisal.
Concise
They Were Hungry for God: Why I (Almost) Converted to Eastern Orthodoxy
By Aaron Cliff • Concise Article • May 25
This is why young Christian men are journeying toward Eastern Orthodoxy, and the story of why one didn't make it there.
Podcast
5.28 Tony Costa, David Schrock, & Stephen Wellum • Interview • “The Challenge of Eastern Orthodoxy: Comparing Evangelical and Eastern Orthodox Theology”
By Tony Costa, David Schrock, and Stephen Wellum• Interview • May 26th, 2026
Join David Schrock and Stephen Wellum as they interview Tony Costa on his COA Longform "The Challenge of Eastern Orthodoxy: Comparing Evangelical and Eastern Orthodox Theology"
Concise
Discipleship Does Not Equal Shepherding: A Crucial Distinction in the Female Pastor Debate
By Jonathon Woodyard • Concise Article • May 27
Some SBC churches don't ordain women as pastors, but they ask them to exercise a "gift of shepherding." But does the New Testament rend the office of elder-pastor from the gift of shepherding?
Concise
Flee from Idols: A Biblical Critique of Eastern Orthodoxy’s Theology of Icons
By Chris Prosser • Concise Article • May 29
Enter an Eastern Orthodox church, and you are met with walls covered in icons, clouds of incense, burning candles, and worshipers kissing sacred images. For Protestants, the conclusion is unavoidable: this is idolatrous worship.
Podcast
5.29 Knox Brown, David Schrock, & Stephen Wellum • Interview • “All Protestants Go to Hell”: Eastern Orthodoxy’s Official Rejection of the Gospel at the Synod of Jerusalem
By Knox Brown, David Schrock, and Stephen Wellum• Interview • May 29th, 2026
Listen in as David Schrock and Stephen Wellum interview Knox Brown on his COA essays, "Divine Energies: Eastern Orthodoxy's Strangest and Most and Most Important Doctrine" and "All Protestants God to Hell": Eastern Orthodoxy's Official Rejection of the Gospel at the Synod of Jerusalem
Concise
Thinking About Eastern Orthodoxy: A Primer for Evangelicals
By James White • Concise Article • May 29
If you've never heard of Eastern Orthodoxy, here are some things you should know.
Longform
Aerial Toll Houses, or The Saving Weight of Works: The Soul’s Trial by Demons After Death according to Eastern Orthodoxy
By Joshua Schooping • Longform Essay • Jun 1
According to Eastern Orthodoxy, at death the soul ascends to various levels where Angels and Demons engage in a courtroom battle. What determines whether the soul goes up to heaven or down to hell? (Spoiler: it's not Jesus)
Podcast
5.30 Joshua Schooping • Reading • “Aerial Toll Houses, or The Saving Weight of Works: The Soul’s Trial by Demons After Death according to Eastern Orthodoxy”
By Joshua Schooping • Reading • June 2, 2026
According to Eastern Orthodoxy, at death the soul ascends to various levels where Angels and Demons engage in a courtroom battle. What determines whether the soul goes up to heaven or down to hell? (Spoiler: it’s not Jesus)
Concise
May Intermission: From Young Men Going East to Islam Invading the West
By David Schrock • Concise Article • June 3
What do furries have in common with young Eastern Orthodox converts? Find out as we review our articles critiquing Eastern Orthodoxy in May and anticipate unmasking Islam in the West this June.
Concise
Josh Powell and Willy Rice: A Ten-Point Comparison of the 2026 SBC Presidential Candidates
By Stefan Hartsell • Concise Article • June 4
Will the 2026 SBC president be Josh Powell or Willy Rice? Here is a ten-point comparison to help you make an informed decision.
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