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One Flew over the Onion Dome: American Orthodox Converts, Retreads, & Reverts
Converts to the Orthodox Church are sometimes stunned by the ethnic ghetto they seem to have landed in. Cradle Orthodox are no less amazed by these zealous sometimes apparently nutty converts. And priests seem to often not have a clue as to how to deal with the mixed blessing of newcomers. How on earth can we all understand each other? More importantly what can we learn from each other?
153 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 2007
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December 17, 2025
Fr. Joseph Huneycutt, an Orthodox convert himself, describes his own insights and recounts his own experiences both personal and pastoral with American Orthodox converts.
This book discusses four specific groups within the Orthodox Church: cradle Orthodox, converts, reverts, and retreads. They are defined as follows.
• cradle Orthodox: someone baptized and chrismated into the Orthodox Church at a very young age and raised in an Orthodox household
• convert: someone received into the Orthodox Church after having first been a member of another Christian denomination or, less commonly, another religion
• revert: someone baptized, chrismated, and raised as an Orthodox Christian who left the Faith but who later then returned to the Orthodox Church
• retread: a member of the clergy who converted to Orthodoxy after having been ordained in another Christian denomination
The focus of this memoir is the convert and retread experience. The author is a retread, and as a priest, his parish is made up largely of converts from other Christian denominations. The cradle Orthodox mostly serve as a foil for converts. Reverts are occasionally mentioned but not deeply discussed.
The author highlights common "convert frustrations," frustrations for both the converts and the congregation, which are hurdles to joining and remaining in the Orthodox Church. (Circa 50% of converts leave Orthodoxy after 2 years, which the author dubs "The two year itch" (page 66). The longer the catechumen period -- one year has been cited as optimum, the more likely a person is to remain in the Church.) This book fills a unique space in speaking directly to converts and members of majority convert parishes on the topic of converts. As a member of a parish also under the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church of America (OCA), comprised mainly of converts, I found many of his observations about the differences in the mindsets between cradles and converts to be spot on.
One of the biggest struggles for Orthodox converts is giving up the intellectualization of religion that began in Western Christianity with Thomas Aquinas. For Eastern Christianity, religion is something to be lived and not something to be understood through reason. This difference manifests as "'Converts [wanting] Bible Study, Catechism, and continual teaching on Orthodoxy. Cradles, on the other hand, want [their priest] to visit their dinner table, bless their homes, know their family, and be present for family milestones'" (page 83). While it's important to know the foundational tenants, it is equally important to participate in the life of the Church without trying to understand it using deductive reasoning.
Orthodoxy is often described to the non-Orthodox as "a state of mind." (See Thinking Orthodox: Understanding and Acquiring the Orthodox Christian Mind for more information.) To be Orthodox, then one must cultivate an Orthodox mindset (phronema). This involves participating in the tradition and liturgical services and maintaining a prayer rule.
Converts struggle with the hierarchical nature of the Church and its deference for authority. This is particularly difficult for Americans who live in a hyper-individualistic society and were indoctrinated with the idea that rebellion is a virtue (page 33). In Orthodoxy, obedience is seen as a virtue. A priest is beholden to his bishop who is beholden to his patriarch. Orthodoxy itself is rooted in tradition, the scriptures, and the Church Fathers.
Another big stumbling block for Protestant converts is the Orthodox Church's rejection of Sola Scriptora (page 28). This doctrine promoted by Martin Luther allows for personal interpretation of the Bible by laymen and holds the Bible as the sole Christian authority. It is foundational for Protestantism. However, in Orthodoxy, the scriptures are viewed in the context of tradition and the teaching of the Church Fathers. The Bible does not play as big of a role in the daily life of Orthodox Christians as it does for Protestant Christians, and scriptures are generally read following to the lectionary calendar.
Another obstacle for Protestant converts is the Orthodox Church's rejection of the once saved, always saved doctrine (page 28). This is the belief that once a person accepts Christ has his/her savior, s/he enters into a relationship with God that guarantees eternal salvation. In Orthodoxy, only Christ can judge, and He will judge each person after his/her death, so we must spend our entire lives working towards salvation. This does lead to the tendency of very devote ascetics lamenting how everyone but him will be saved in a manner approaching a humble brag.
Abbot Tryphon of the All-Merciful Saviour Monastery on Vashon Island, WA, has described converts as "envelopes about to come unglued at any moment." I was reminded of this when reading Fr. Joseph's description of recent converts (the newly illumined) trying to "out-orthodox the Orthodox" (page 11) and embracing the most exotic, obscure, and fringes practices in Orthodoxy (page 10). "Some Converts, unable to distinguish Orthodox from weird, believe: the hairer the better, the dirtier the better, the smellier the better, the weirder the better." (page 50) Oftentimes, converts also confuse "asceticism" with Orthodoxy (page 47), and sometimes they embrace the ethnic culture of ethnic parishes mistaking it for Orthodox culture.
Fr. Joseph also correctly identifies Cradle Orthodox as rather lax in their adherence, which can be a stumbling block to converts. "The Convert may enter an Orthodox house with little or no icons on the walls. The Convert may dine with Orthodox Christians that interpret 'fasting' as a foreign word and giving thanks is reserved for Thanksgiving. The Convert may encounter Orthodox Christian who not only lack a home altar or prayer corner, but also seem to have no rule of prayer and no intention of confessing their sins. In time, the Convert may start to feel like a stranger in his new 'home' of Orthodoxy." (page 9) This may cause Converts to "look down their noses at others that are not as tradition-bound as they are and to see themselves as essential to the preservation of the True Faith!" (page 11), encouraging extreme and overzealous behaviors. On the other hand, it can also cause Converts to simply give up on their newfound faith, disheartened by their brethren's nominal participation (page 67).
Another hurdle is the Orthodox Church's teachings on sexuality, which haven't changed despite the sexual revolution of the 1960s. In a nutshell, if one is married, sex is allowed, and if unmarried, sex is not allowed. "Sexual relations are [reserved] for a man and a woman within the sacrament of holy matrimony" (page 46). In contemporary society, this belief is seen as out-of-date and can be a turn off to potential converts, especially young unmarried people.
In all his discussion of converts and conversion, Fr. Joseph doesn't explain how Orthodoxy evangelizes. The Orthodox do not go door-to-door handing out pamphlets. Instead, they seek to attract others by living the Faith. As St. Seraphim of Sarov explains, "Save yourself, and thousands around you will be saved." The Orthodox also participate in community outreach through charitable work, alms giving being one of the Pillars of Orthodoxy. Perhaps this was never mentioned because the target audience is recent converts to Orthodoxy. However, in the off chance someone interested in orthodox picked this book up, it would have been good to mention.
I would interested to know Fr. Joseph's opinions on members of the far right, alt right, red-pilled, and manosphere communities converting to the Orthodox Church because of the shared cultural values. This phenomenon begin in the 2010s and increased in the 2020s. As this book was published in 2006, this issue is not mentioned.
This book discusses four specific groups within the Orthodox Church: cradle Orthodox, converts, reverts, and retreads. They are defined as follows.
• cradle Orthodox: someone baptized and chrismated into the Orthodox Church at a very young age and raised in an Orthodox household
• convert: someone received into the Orthodox Church after having first been a member of another Christian denomination or, less commonly, another religion
• revert: someone baptized, chrismated, and raised as an Orthodox Christian who left the Faith but who later then returned to the Orthodox Church
• retread: a member of the clergy who converted to Orthodoxy after having been ordained in another Christian denomination
The focus of this memoir is the convert and retread experience. The author is a retread, and as a priest, his parish is made up largely of converts from other Christian denominations. The cradle Orthodox mostly serve as a foil for converts. Reverts are occasionally mentioned but not deeply discussed.
The author highlights common "convert frustrations," frustrations for both the converts and the congregation, which are hurdles to joining and remaining in the Orthodox Church. (Circa 50% of converts leave Orthodoxy after 2 years, which the author dubs "The two year itch" (page 66). The longer the catechumen period -- one year has been cited as optimum, the more likely a person is to remain in the Church.) This book fills a unique space in speaking directly to converts and members of majority convert parishes on the topic of converts. As a member of a parish also under the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church of America (OCA), comprised mainly of converts, I found many of his observations about the differences in the mindsets between cradles and converts to be spot on.
One of the biggest struggles for Orthodox converts is giving up the intellectualization of religion that began in Western Christianity with Thomas Aquinas. For Eastern Christianity, religion is something to be lived and not something to be understood through reason. This difference manifests as "'Converts [wanting] Bible Study, Catechism, and continual teaching on Orthodoxy. Cradles, on the other hand, want [their priest] to visit their dinner table, bless their homes, know their family, and be present for family milestones'" (page 83). While it's important to know the foundational tenants, it is equally important to participate in the life of the Church without trying to understand it using deductive reasoning.
Orthodoxy is often described to the non-Orthodox as "a state of mind." (See Thinking Orthodox: Understanding and Acquiring the Orthodox Christian Mind for more information.) To be Orthodox, then one must cultivate an Orthodox mindset (phronema). This involves participating in the tradition and liturgical services and maintaining a prayer rule.
Converts struggle with the hierarchical nature of the Church and its deference for authority. This is particularly difficult for Americans who live in a hyper-individualistic society and were indoctrinated with the idea that rebellion is a virtue (page 33). In Orthodoxy, obedience is seen as a virtue. A priest is beholden to his bishop who is beholden to his patriarch. Orthodoxy itself is rooted in tradition, the scriptures, and the Church Fathers.
Another big stumbling block for Protestant converts is the Orthodox Church's rejection of Sola Scriptora (page 28). This doctrine promoted by Martin Luther allows for personal interpretation of the Bible by laymen and holds the Bible as the sole Christian authority. It is foundational for Protestantism. However, in Orthodoxy, the scriptures are viewed in the context of tradition and the teaching of the Church Fathers. The Bible does not play as big of a role in the daily life of Orthodox Christians as it does for Protestant Christians, and scriptures are generally read following to the lectionary calendar.
Another obstacle for Protestant converts is the Orthodox Church's rejection of the once saved, always saved doctrine (page 28). This is the belief that once a person accepts Christ has his/her savior, s/he enters into a relationship with God that guarantees eternal salvation. In Orthodoxy, only Christ can judge, and He will judge each person after his/her death, so we must spend our entire lives working towards salvation. This does lead to the tendency of very devote ascetics lamenting how everyone but him will be saved in a manner approaching a humble brag.
Abbot Tryphon of the All-Merciful Saviour Monastery on Vashon Island, WA, has described converts as "envelopes about to come unglued at any moment." I was reminded of this when reading Fr. Joseph's description of recent converts (the newly illumined) trying to "out-orthodox the Orthodox" (page 11) and embracing the most exotic, obscure, and fringes practices in Orthodoxy (page 10). "Some Converts, unable to distinguish Orthodox from weird, believe: the hairer the better, the dirtier the better, the smellier the better, the weirder the better." (page 50) Oftentimes, converts also confuse "asceticism" with Orthodoxy (page 47), and sometimes they embrace the ethnic culture of ethnic parishes mistaking it for Orthodox culture.
Fr. Joseph also correctly identifies Cradle Orthodox as rather lax in their adherence, which can be a stumbling block to converts. "The Convert may enter an Orthodox house with little or no icons on the walls. The Convert may dine with Orthodox Christians that interpret 'fasting' as a foreign word and giving thanks is reserved for Thanksgiving. The Convert may encounter Orthodox Christian who not only lack a home altar or prayer corner, but also seem to have no rule of prayer and no intention of confessing their sins. In time, the Convert may start to feel like a stranger in his new 'home' of Orthodoxy." (page 9) This may cause Converts to "look down their noses at others that are not as tradition-bound as they are and to see themselves as essential to the preservation of the True Faith!" (page 11), encouraging extreme and overzealous behaviors. On the other hand, it can also cause Converts to simply give up on their newfound faith, disheartened by their brethren's nominal participation (page 67).
Another hurdle is the Orthodox Church's teachings on sexuality, which haven't changed despite the sexual revolution of the 1960s. In a nutshell, if one is married, sex is allowed, and if unmarried, sex is not allowed. "Sexual relations are [reserved] for a man and a woman within the sacrament of holy matrimony" (page 46). In contemporary society, this belief is seen as out-of-date and can be a turn off to potential converts, especially young unmarried people.
In all his discussion of converts and conversion, Fr. Joseph doesn't explain how Orthodoxy evangelizes. The Orthodox do not go door-to-door handing out pamphlets. Instead, they seek to attract others by living the Faith. As St. Seraphim of Sarov explains, "Save yourself, and thousands around you will be saved." The Orthodox also participate in community outreach through charitable work, alms giving being one of the Pillars of Orthodoxy. Perhaps this was never mentioned because the target audience is recent converts to Orthodoxy. However, in the off chance someone interested in orthodox picked this book up, it would have been good to mention.
I would interested to know Fr. Joseph's opinions on members of the far right, alt right, red-pilled, and manosphere communities converting to the Orthodox Church because of the shared cultural values. This phenomenon begin in the 2010s and increased in the 2020s. As this book was published in 2006, this issue is not mentioned.
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May 21, 2014Great book
I found this book hard to put down. It's funny and informational! I would recommend it to everyone I know!
I found this book hard to put down. It's funny and informational! I would recommend it to everyone I know!
September 21, 2017
Written by an Orthodox convert who became a priest, The book discusses people who convert and why.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews