[Chrysostom]

How does that work among the Orthodox? What I mean by that is, you were already baptized, so do you receive the Christian name post facto upon your reception into the church or was your former baptism considered invalid and therefore you received your Christian name upon your baptism?

[TheProdigalModern]

Originally Posted by Chrysostom

How does that work among the Orthodox? What I mean by that is, you were already baptized, so do you receive the Christian name post facto upon your reception into the church or was your former baptism considered invalid and therefore you received your Christian name upon your baptism?

How that question is answered depends on jurisdiction, at least here in the U.S. Many of us eagerly await the day the Episcopal Assembly issues some standard rules of conduct for reception of converts.

Since I was received by the Antiochians, I was given my Christian name at my chrismation, which -- in non-theological terms -- is considered to "fill" any deficiencies my heterodox baptism may have had. Some jurisdictions, such as ROCOR, do not trust any baptism from a non-Orthodox confession (and there can be a case for this, but the history and the traditional praxis of the Church speaks against it), and others, such as the OCA and the Antiochians, have a list of "we trust these baptisms," "you might want to ask some questions about these baptisms" and "under no circumstances should you accept these."

The first is for the majority of traditionally Trinitarian confessions, the second is for those that have been traditionally Trinitarian but have been known to tinker with the baptismal formula and the third is for non-Trinitarian groups. Aside from some really sort of fundamentalist types, someone with a Trinitarian baptism is going to be received by chrismation unless the form of the baptism itself was deficient -- for example, I know of one man who was received by baptism because the "effusion" he received in a mainline church did not actually touch his body at any point; he was kneeling with his head under the font or something to that effect.

Going back to the initial question, I was actually chrismated as "V. Moses," and that is how I am communed in my home parish, but when I go elsewhere I just defer to "The servant of God, Moses". Most folks from our generation already have "Christian" names, so it's not as hard for them; all three of my children did, and for the youngest the hardest thing was picking which "John" would serve as his name day saint.

Does this help?

[slap_j]

Cherith Cutestory

[Rainer.]

Originally Posted by slap_j

Cherith Cutestory

But what if she smells you?

[TunerSteve]

Originally Posted by slap_j

Cherith Cutestory

I always cherish a cute story, that's why I read Nicholas Sparks.

[Chrysostom]

Originally Posted by TheProdigalModern

How that question is answered depends on jurisdiction, at least here in the U.S. Many of us eagerly await the day the Episcopal Assembly issues some standard rules of conduct for reception of converts.

Since I was received by the Antiochians, I was given my Christian name at my chrismation, which -- in non-theological terms -- is considered to "fill" any deficiencies my heterodox baptism may have had. Some jurisdictions, such as ROCOR, do not trust any baptism from a non-Orthodox confession (and there can be a case for this, but the history and the traditional praxis of the Church speaks against it), and others, such as the OCA and the Antiochians, have a list of "we trust these baptisms," "you might want to ask some questions about these baptisms" and "under no circumstances should you accept these."

The first is for the majority of traditionally Trinitarian confessions, the second is for those that have been traditionally Trinitarian but have been known to tinker with the baptismal formula and the third is for non-Trinitarian groups. Aside from some really sort of fundamentalist types, someone with a Trinitarian baptism is going to be received by chrismation unless the form of the baptism itself was deficient -- for example, I know of one man who was received by baptism because the "effusion" he received in a mainline church did not actually touch his body at any point; he was kneeling with his head under the font or something to that effect.

Going back to the initial question, I was actually chrismated as "V. Moses," and that is how I am communed in my home parish, but when I go elsewhere I just defer to "The servant of God, Moses". Most folks from our generation already have "Christian" names, so it's not as hard for them; all three of my children did, and for the youngest the hardest thing was picking which "John" would serve as his name day saint.

Does this help?

Yes, very informative, thanks V/M.