Our place within the history, typika and traditions of the church
1. Introduction 2. Intro to Religion 3. The House 4. The Family 5. Offices 6. Life in The Family 7. Icons & Iconography 8. Ecumenism
1. Introduction 2. Our Fundamental Theology 3. Biblical References 4. Our place

In the context of the fundamental theology, sits the history of the church and the typikon. The history of the church comes in two forms - the primary and secondary. The primary is church tradition which is passed from generation to generation. It's not always written, church tradition is passed through the offices. The secondary - but in many ways as important as the primary - is the church's written and oral history. The is the history left by past Mothers and Fathers. Some histories are told to us. However, many of the Fathers of the church were very well educated, and left a long list of written history. The two meet in the Typikon - a written instruction of church practice (including tradition). A study of typikon reveals something not often seen by the average person - there is more than one. While, the Greek and Russian are the most popular, there is also a Celtic Typikon, and an Egyptian Typikon, along with a Syrian, an African, and an Indian.

Central to the typikon are the canons, written at the early church ecumenical councils (of which there were seven). The canons, often incorrectly viewed as law (re: canon law), were written in a series of councils ranging from about 300 AD to about 800 AD. The canons are the standards in practice that were supposed to cross all Typkon. The Canons dealt with heresy that sometimes arose in various Typikon. The correctness of the canons determined the difference between the church and The Church. The problem often being that the church views itself as The Church. Those clerks of the church - who view themselves as The Church - use the canons as law. When, in reality they are a complications of all the church typikon - a pan typikon (if you will) of that time, that kept the church within (and connected to) the Church. A study of the canons shows a living church (house) that evolved and is continuing to evolve.

It's within these standards; church history, typika, and canon that this house lives. This page will attempt to chronicle this House's place. However, due to the complexities of this subject - just basic information will be available here. For more an indepth understanding please see the St. Nektarios School of Theology and HOCNA - the Journal.

As of Apr.2007:

  1. God is our Father and we are his children.
  2. The Saints are the Family of God, whose Houses dwell in the House of the Lord.
  3. St. Nektarios is a Family member.
  4. The House of St. Nektarios is in the House of the Lord
  5. Dr. Daniel Carras is a Family member, who is building this house of St. Nektarios, is following in the Apostolic Tradition. Keeping this House within the House of the Lord and in the Apostolic Family.
  6. This house follows the Typikon, known as the Greek Typikon (The Greek Typikon common to early church (with Greek as the common language) and not the local Greek Typikon.
  7. The original Greek Typikon contains the entire evolution of the church - charge with keeping the past while keeping alive. Canons, from local typikons formed the common practices developed during the ecumenical councils.
  8. The canons, formed at these councils, detail with heresies and problems facing the church. However, the tempation of the church (via its heirarchs) to view itself as the Church and assuming the Authority of the Church was never shaken. Abuse by heirarchs, and the evolution of the vicarage, caused a schism in 1054 AD which created the Roman Catholic church. Despite repeated attempts to correct the vicarage tempation, the orthodox synods today still have yet to resolve this problem.
  9. Listed below is our changes to the Typikon (and the canons) to deal with the vicarage problem.
  10. The duties of Family members in a house
    1. The Church is the House of the Lord
    2. The Houses of the Saints dwell in the House of the Lord
    3. It's the Apostolic Tradition to build houses within the Houses of the Saints and the Lord.
    4. All members of these Houses and houses are Family members born into the Family.
    5. All Family members are equal, although the relationship with the Father and the Family may differ.
    6. To be a Family member, all houses must be within a House.
    7. A house with a name of a Family member is not a house within the Family, if it does is not in the fundamental theology of the House
    8. A house of this state (that contradicts the fundamental theology) is disconnected from the Family, and none of it's family are members of the Family.
    9. A house with the name of a stated Family member, is not a house of the Family, if the stated Family member's house was not in the House of the Family.
    10. The House:
      1. A study of the word Church, shows that it comes from middle english chirche, kirke derived from the greek kyriakon [Kuriakon] (house of the Lord) .

        2. Looking at the Greek terms surround house/home

      2. Home in Greek is OikiaVoV
      3. A house is OikoV [eekos]
      4. At home is Oikon [eekon]
      5. At home is Oikoi[eekee]
      6. Economy, husbandry, to care for, management of domestic affairs is Oikonomia [eekonomeea]
      7. the world or universe is Oikoumenh [eekoumenee]
      8. Now we can get the understanding of the word ecumenism, as referring to the common house. Or more specifically the philosphy (ism) of the common house.
      9. The ecumenical councils were established to ensure that common house stayed common - and in particular in common (within) the House of the Lord - that is the House of the Father.
      10. The basic house structure;
        1. A house (on Earth) is in the House (of a Saint or any member of the Family of God)
        2. The House is in the House of the Lord
        3. As well, the house can be directly in the House of the Lord
      11. The basic house structure applied;
        1. the house of St. Nektarios is in the House of St. Nektarios
        2. The House of St. Nektarios is in the House of the Lord
      12. A house is common to the House, if (and only if) the house is born into a House (of a Saint - a Heavanly Family member) through baptism.
      13. A house is born into a House when Family members (of a house) are born into a House (and the house of a House) through baptism.
      14. House geneolgy can traced back to its Apostolic roots, without a break.
      15. If the chain of birth, into a House (and house) is broken then house founded on this break is not in a House (nor of a House).
      16. House geneology;
        1. The house of St. Nektarios, was built by Dr. Daniel Carras
        2. Dr. Daniel Carras (PhD/ThD) was born into the house of St. Nektarios in Toronto
        3. The house of St. Nektarios in Toronto was built by Fr. Panagiotes Carras (ThD)
        4. The house of St. Nektarios in Toronto is the house of HOCNA (The Holy Orthodox Church in North America)
        5. The house of HOCNA was in house of old ROCOR (Under St. Philaret)
        6. Old ROCOR was in the House of St. Philaret and St. John (of Shanghi)
        7. The Houses of St. Philaret and St. John, are related to the House of St. Nektarios
        8. The Houses of the Saints Philaret, John, and Nektarios, are in both the House of the Russian Fathers and the Greek Fathers.
        9. Both the Houses of the Russian and Greek Fathers are in the House of St. Constantine Emperior of Rome (~300AD).
      17. Disconnection and estrangement from the Family and The House of The Lord;
        1. A Family member, who leaves a Family house, and enters (as a part of) a broken house (or another house not of the House lineage) has become estranged from the Family.
        2. A Family member, who does not attend, visit for an extended period a Family house is also said to be estranged from the Family.
        3. An estranged Family member, who has left the house (within the Houses) is disconnected from the house.
        4. houses not of the above genelogy are not in the House of the Lord, nor in any of the Family members' Houses. As such, members of such houses are not members of the Family. Even if they are named as such.
        5. The geneology of the House is both physical and spiritual. Thus a house, that has broken the Fundamental Theology of the House, has disconnected itself from the House and the geneology of the House. Consequently, no member of the house - born into the house after disconnection - is a member of the Family. Even if they call themselves Christains
        6. Even if the fundmental theology of a house, defines itself in contradiction to the Fundamental Theology of the House, the members of the house need not count themselves as enemies of the house - but as friends.
        7. A friend may call himself Family, if and only if, they are born into a house within the lineage of The House. This can only occur, if a friend finds a house within the lineage of The House that he (the pronoun of human) can be born into.
        8. An enemy of The House, is a person who takes a position that destroys a house (or houses) within the lineage of The House.
        9. It is possible for a house to reject the Family, but remain within the House. Such a house, does not break from the Fundamental Theology, but rejects the structure of a family. Instead, it chooses the structure of a state (in the Kingdom of Heaven) or as servants in a house of the House or as servents of The House.
    11. Definition - Office: something performed for another - a service [1951]
    12. Definition - Officer:  someone who performs a service.
    13. In this house, there are two basic catagories of service (office)
      1. Apostolic
      2. Non-Apostolic
    14. The Apostolic Office:
      1. Definition - Apostolic Officer: the (an) officer who builds a house within the House of the Lord, maintaining the lineage of The House.
      2. An Apostolic Officer can take the position as father (in the image of the Lord) and founder of the house. The need to be the father of the house, extends from the Father of the House of the Lord. As such, he is a Family member who chooses to be to perform the services of a father of the house. The standards and practices of The House, throughout the history of Houses (and subsequent houses), called the Canons and Typikon provide only for male lineage. Even though there were women Apostles. [Title Fr. ; Education Level ThD]
      3. A ThD (A Doctor of Theology) is the basic education level of a Father of the Apostolic Office
      4. Definition - Metropolitan Apostolic Office, an Apostolic Officer at the head of a house in a large city
      5. Definition - Monastic Apostolic Office, an Apostolic Officer who founds monasteries.
      6. Definition - Patriarch Apostolic Office: an Apostolic Officer heading a house that sets the standards for other houses (or contains other houses) - the head patriarchal (father) figure of the house and/or houses.
    15. The non-Apostolic Office:
      1. The Apostolic Services Office - In this office, a male Family member services the office of Apostolic service, but does not have the requirements of the Apostolic Office. Here the title is still Father, but he would assist the Apostolic Officer by performing the services of The Father, but has none of the Family duties of building the house.
      2. The Brotherhood and Sisterhood of the house - this is any Family member (of a house) participates in the on going activities of the house, and in the general maintanence. The brotherhood and sisterhood, function as brothers and sisters of the house, instead of the structure of church council.
  11. Dr. Daniel Carras, lives in the Apostolic Tradition in building this house. In building the house, and being of the lineage (geneology) of the Family - Daniel is the Apostolic Officer of the House of St. Nektarios.
  12. This Typikon follows from the Greek Typikon, with just the differences being listed here.