By Digital Warrior with assistance from Nicholas
According to Orthodox Ethos, a conference in Arizona from December 3 to 5 will “with the blessing and participation of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae, esteemed clergy and lay apologists who are firmly rooted in the patristic teaching will guide us in understanding the Orthodox Way of Apologia.” The speaker lineup includes Orthodox notables such as Bishop Alexei of Alaska, Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou, Fr. Josiah Trenhan, Fr. John Whiteford, Fr. Peter Heers, and Jay Dyer. The theme is “Apologia: A Gathering of Orthodox Apologists, Give an Answer to Every Man that Asketh” (from 1 Peter 3:15). According to the website, additional presenters include lay Orthodox podcaster David Nak and Basil Neil Degraide, a musician and filmmaker. Registration for the event costs $195. Five meals bring the total cost to $295. For most Orthodox Christians around the country, adding a flight to Arizona, a hotel, and a rental car means easily spending $1,000 or more to attend this conference in person. I reached out to the listed administrative contact to ask where the conference proceeds are going. As of this writing, I’ve received no response.
Though pricey, all costs included, it truly looks like it’s going to be a wonderful conference. The schedule appears interesting and seems to cover a good range of important content. Unfortunately, the conference is already sold out, according to the official website, so I won’t be able to attend in person. Hopefully, individuals like me will still be able to hear what was discussed and concluded at the event. Even for those blessed enough to attend, future access to conference sessions is a way to really get their money’s worth.
Regardless of whether remote access to the content is available, the fact that the Orthodox community is talking about Online Orthodoxy is great news—and it is definitely necessary! While the agenda as I understand it is solid, I don’t think it is complete. I would like to suggest some topics that I think the main speakers should discuss, or at least address in breakout sessions.
1. What is the Point of Online Orthodoxy?
Is the primary goal to get people to visit their local Orthodox parishes? Supplement catechism classes for those already on their Orthodox journey, or who just need some extra education? Provide catechism itself? Encourage people in their walk with Christ? Explore topics many priests don’t have time for in their weekly homilies? Maybe all of the above, depending on the content creators? What is acceptable for an “online ministry”, and what (if anything) should be avoided?
2. Who Should Create Online Orthodox Content?
Should anyone with a microphone and/or a keyboard start producing Orthodox content? A Ph.D. in theology is probably not required, particularly if a creator is focusing on personal and/or professional experience. But are there at least some basic guidelines on who should, and should not, start a blog and a related YouTube channel? Should catechumens be producing Orthodox content? Newly illumined? Should a content creator get a blessing from his priest, or will a blessing from any priest or hierarch suffice? If a content creator says he has a “blessing” for his work, what does that even mean in practice? More importantly, what should it mean? Should competent spiritual authority approve each piece of content? Or is it okay to spot-check periodically? Or, is it enough to be available in case the content creator has questions? Should the spiritual authority be reading the comment section to gauge the impact content is having on the Internet at large? For priests going online, what kind of oversight should bishops be providing?
3. The Allure of Fame as Orthodox Influencers or Big Fish in a Little Pond
What happens if/when Orthodox clergy and laity become rock stars in their own minds, online circles, or social media echo chambers? Who is there to keep egos in check and intentions pure? How can a content creator know when the desire to spread the Gospel is becoming…something else? How can followers discern when their favorite creators are slipping into a “rock star” mentality?
4. Little Fish in a Little Pond or They’re All Laughing at Me!
What to do, and how to feel, when your stats just don’t measure up to the bigger Orthodox influencers? Not all content creators are going to have large followings. How should a content creator relate to follower counts, reads, downloads, monetization, and other metrics? How should creators measure themselves and their impact in a true, authentically Christian manner? How can creators avoid tailoring their content in ways designed to specifically build, or maintain, a large audience? Further, how can you recognize when this has already happened?
5. At Arm’s Length?
How should creators, especially priests, treat starstruck fans both online and in real life? This is especially important because social media often fosters a sense of familiarity and personal connection that doesn’t really exist. Just because you watch Father So-and-So’s online commentary doesn’t mean you actually know who he is. A lot of chronically online people, however, forget that fact. So how should Orthodox content creators handle their fans in the context of our new online reality? Especially since the real “brand” is Jesus, not the man creating content about Him?
6. Legalism in Orthodox Online Forums
Orthodoxy has a very long history encompassing many councils, catechisms, acts of various synods, theological books, and writings by thousands of saints. When should the average person enter into a theological dispute online, and when is it best to avoid them? Should we argue only with the heterodox in defense of the faith, or are there times when we can in good faith engage fellow Orthodox Christians? When do we know it is time to end an argument, and when to continue? Sometimes just walking away from the computer is the best strategy. As part of this discussion, it would also be helpful to establish guidelines for recognizing when online argumentation consumes too much of a person’s time and energy. How does an online theologian know when he has a problem?
7. Focusing on Christ as Integral to Our Entire Lives
1 Peter 3:15 mentions being able to make a defense and providing your reason for hope in Christ. The truth is that we tend to narrow our discussion of Christ down to theological topics. A life in Christ, however, is not just about prayer (though it should be continuous), fasting, Church history, and going to Divine Liturgy. Christ goes with us into every aspect of our lives. This means that all of human existence can and should be discussed within the context of the Orthodox faith. However, and this is critical to acknowledge, there is not always a single “Orthodox answer” to every human conundrum. Sometimes there is a range of possible answers that different Orthodox Christians can arrive at in good faith. How should content creators, and those who like to engage in online discussion, frame and address topics for which you can’t say, “According to this council, here is the dogmatic teaching of the Orthodox Church….”? How do you beneficially discuss, and possibly disagree on, topics for which no definitive Church guidance exists? Further, there are Church hierarchs who routinely publish opinions on such topics as climate change, immigration, gun control, geopolitical questions, the death penalty, etc. How should Orthodox laity approach the discussion of topics on which they do not agree with such hierarchs? Especially when engaging with other Orthodox for whom such pronouncements are given the weight of dogma? Are there topics that we should just generally avoid discussing online?
8. Social Media Addiction
Let’s face it: doom scrolling is a thing. Many Americans are suffering harmful physical and psychological effects from addiction to social media. Yet, here we are as Orthodox Christians creating hours of content for people to consume on the very platforms to which they might already be addicted. When is enough, enough? This is especially worth considering because, though we don’t like to discuss it, many professional content creators rely on social media addicts for a substantial portion of their views. When is the growing plethora of Orthodox content helping, and when is it possibly making a known problem even worse? What should Orthodox content creators do, if anything, to help people who need to just “touch grass”? From the consumer side, how do you know when your online life is harming your real one?
9. Being Online Orthodox vs Really Being Orthodox
The Internet has been, overall, a blessing to Orthodoxy. Millions of Americans have been exposed to the Orthodox Faith via online content. The effects of that are visible in almost every Orthodox parish. Glory to God for that! However, you can’t actually become an Orthodox Christian without a parish. Consuming online content, reading books, and memorizing facts—none of that can replace life in a real parish with a real priest and real mysteries. The parish is not optional. It is, in fact, the main point. Are we doing enough to emphasize that consuming online content is never enough on its own? Are we doing enough to encourage people who are Orthodox-adjacent online to attend Divine Liturgy? Or, are we getting people stuck “in the pipeline” so to speak – consuming online content, but never fully committing their lives to Christ through His Body the Church? Furthermore, content creators are now being accused of creating a “Church within a Church” by forming online disciples with problematic opinions that they might carry into parish life. Is that really happening? If so, what should the Orthodox Church do to address this situation? If not, can we fully dispel this notion once and for all, while ensuring that such a thing is not possible in the future?
10. Credibility is King
Orthodoxy attracts individuals to the True Faith through stability, truth, and tradition. Ideally, that is what one finds at the parish level. Is Online Orthodoxy offering the same stability, truth, and tradition? Or are we creating a world online that doesn’t line up with the facts on the ground?
11. Paying to Pray and Subscriptions
Is it right and holy for a priest to charge and profit from individuals hearing his spiritual teachings online? What about merch sales? Is it okay for a priest or deacon to end a spiritual talk by encouraging listeners to buy a coffee mug? Are we in danger of adopting the megachurch pay-for-play model in Orthodoxy? If so, what can we do about that? If not, how do we guard against ending up with future versions of the PTL Club, but with cassocks?
12. Profanity and Online Decorum
Some Orthodox content creators have cultivated an “edgy” style. They curse, hurl insults, and even get into “online wars” with other Orthodox content creators. In most cases, their content is genuinely Orthodox, but is the way it is delivered a problem? No one advocates for stuffy, boring programming that Zoomers, especially, are likely to turn off. However, is dropping the F-Bomb on Orthodox-themed podcasts an acceptable way of communicating? Or is it acceptable in this time frame in this medium because that is how the younger target demographic already speaks, so this is just “meeting them where they are”? Substance matters, obviously, but how much does style matter? Orthodox content creators need to forcefully advocate for the Faith, but what are the best ways to do that? And are there some ways that need to be avoided?
Further, remember the “Church within a Church” concept previously mentioned? Orthodox content creators frequently get into very public spats with each other. Often it seems like various online alliances are forming in opposition to one another. Within the Church, this is not a new problem. The Apostle Paul felt the need to address such divisions in his first letter to the Corinthians: “Now this I say, when every one of you saith, ‘I am of Paul,’ and ‘I of Apollos,’ and ‘I of Cephas,’ and ‘I of Christ’. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” What should be done, if anything, about such online factionalism, and does it risk spilling over into parish coffee hour? This conference would be a great opportunity to address all these issues head-on.
13. What Happens When Enough is Enough
There are Orthodox clergy and laity who have grown sick and tired of Online Orthodoxy. They are turning it off and tuning it out. Is that a problem? Do we need to encourage disaffected Orthodox Christians to get back online? Or perhaps the opposite is true, and we should be encouraging committed Orthodox Christians to turn off their devices?
14. Responsible Use of AI
Can AI be used to generate icons? Can AI write your content for you? Or can AI write a sermon that you are going to livestream during the Divine Liturgy? What about using AI to generate graphics for online content? Where does AI fit within an Orthodox perspective, and where does it not?
15. Online Priests and the Real World
Now for one of the biggest challenges conference attendees would be wise to discuss.
A desire to achieve online fame and influence for their own sakes is a very real temptation. Content creators can feel an almost irresistible urge to build a large following, keep that following, and acquire ever greater validation through more likes, views, and subscriptions. As we know from watching secular creators, many humans are willing to use any means necessary to expand their online reach. Nothing in previous history seems so tailor-made to stoke the egos, passions, and ambitions of talented individuals as the Internet. All Orthodox Christians need to be careful in their pursuit of online fame, but priests must be exceptionally wary. The danger of “online ministry” consuming the life of a priest is extremely high.
There are only 24 hours in a day. Time spent online for a parish priest is time NOT spent on a parishioner or spiritual son or daughter. It is also time spent AWAY from wives and children. What is an acceptable work-life balance for parish priests who are also online? Do we all agree that “online ministry” obligations are not equal to those owed to priests’ own parishes and families? If we do, how can we recognize when priests are dedicating too much time to “online ministry”? How can a priest himself recognize it? Who participates in that recognition process? If the laity feel neglected, how should they handle that? If clergy families feel neglected, what should they do? What role should bishops play in overseeing their parish priests’ online ministries and gauging whether the time spent online aligns with their real-life obligations?
In Conclusion
From my perspective, online Orthodoxy is, at best, spiritual milk. It can help nourish you as an Orthodox Christian or inquirer, but it can never replace the spiritual meat found in belonging to an Orthodox parish. To truly be Orthodox, you have to be in a parish community. Posting on Reddit while listening to your favorite Orthodox content creator does not cut it. Helpful online content should continually encourage listeners to get off the couch and go to Church. Unfortunately, online content can easily devolve into a form of processed spiritual junk food. Call it “Hamburger Helper” for the soul. Orthodox content sounds spiritual. It looks spiritual. But it isn’t real in the same way that Divine Liturgy and coffee hour are real, no matter how slickly the content is produced. If all you do is consume online content, then your soul will wither and die the same as your body would if denied real food.
Truly, may God bless the speakers and attendees of the conference in December! May He grant them the courage, wisdom, and discernment to address these questions, along with the many other difficult questions that modern technology has raised. This one conference is unlikely to fix everything that might be going wrong in Online Orthodoxy, but it could be the start of a much-needed process.
