A Western Appreciation of Orthodox Worship

Orthodox liturgical worship reached its present form by the fifteenth century, a remarkable synthesis of architecture, art, and ritual. Its gradual development from the fourth century was influenced by a number of factors: the adoption of Christianity by the Roman empire, doctrinal definition, eastern religious sensibility, and monasticism. Because of historical circumstances, Orthodoxy became a liturgical presentation of Christianity closely bound up with ethnic and national identity. Impressive though the final synthesis is as a tradition of worship involving the whole human person, in some respects further developments might be appropriate in light of the contemporary context of Christianity.