Who Are You?

the name game

When I was received into the Evangelical Orthodox Church, I was given St. Basil as a patron saint. I was also given the option of taking his name as my own, which I did. At first, I only went by Basil at church. After a few months of this, though, I realized that I did not really want to explain to people I might invite to church why my name was different. (Notice that it was only theoretical.) So, I began going by Basil everywhere. When I introduce myself to strangers now, I use the name Basil.

This causes no small consternation for my old friends, who now think they don't know what to call me. I try to make it clear: I will never, never make a big deal about what you call me (as long as it's not <&expl;>head). If you have known me as Kevin, then Kevin is fine. If you have become comfortable with Basil, or that's the only name by which you've known me, that's fine, too. At church, some people call me Kevin Basil, which is a perfectly appropriate middle ground.

Most people do not understand the practice of taking a new name. Especially in the States, which is thoroughly Protestant, in essence if not always point of fact, the practice of taking new names at significant points has been all but abandoned. A few traditionalist Roman Catholic churches still keep the practice, as do many Orthodox churches. The history of the practice goes back to the very roots of our faith.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty. Live always in my presence and be blameless, so that I may make my covenant with you and give you many descendants." Abram bowed low, and God went on, "This is my covenant with you: you are to be the father of many nations. Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham; for I shall make you the father of many nations. I shall make you exceedingly fruitful; I shall make nations out of you, and many kings will spring from you ...For your part, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you, generation by generation. This is how you are to keep this covenant between myself and you and your descendants after you: circumcise yourselves, every male among you. You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin.... Every male... must be circumcised on the eighth day...." God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are to call her not Sarai, but Sarah. I shall bless her and give you a son by her. I shall bless her and she will be the mother of nations; from her kings of peoples will spring."

Genesis 17.1-6, 9-12, 15-16. (Look at other versions of this passage.)

In the preceding passage, God himself gives Abram a new name, Abraham. It signifies the new covenant relationship between Abraham and God. God also gives his wife Sarai the name Sarah, to indicate that she is an integral member of the covenant promise.

In the Gospels, our Lord gives some of his disciples new names to indicate the very same kind of thing. The most prominent is Simon Peter's acclamation of Jesus as the Son of God in Matthew.

When he came to the territory of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They answered, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." "And you," he asked, "who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Then Jesus said: "Simon, son of Jonah, you are favoured indeed! You did not learn that from any human being; it was revealed to you by my heavenly Father. And I say to you: you are Peter, the Rock; and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall never conquer it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven; what you forbid on earth shall be forbidden in heaven, and what you allow on earth shall be allowed in heaven." He then gave his disciples strict orders not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Matthew 16.13-20. (Look at other versions of this passage.)

Here Simon is given the name of Peter to signify the new relationship that is forming as a result of the revelation that Jesus is the Son of God. This fact is the foundation of the reality of the Church, and it's realization is the beginning of our union with him as the Church.

In the ancient Church, many converts came to Christianity who had names associated with pagan gods and goddesses, rituals and sacred sites. For many, the former associations were redeemed, as with St. Dionysius the Areopagite. For others, the former associations were simply too strong. Following the biblical tradition of bestowing new names on people at significant turning points, the Church began to give newly illumined (i.e., newly-baptized) Christians new names at their baptism. Hence, they became known as baptismal names, or Christian names. Often, the new name was of a martyr or a confessor already revered as a holy figure. Sometimes, as in the case of Sophia, and her daughters, Faith, Hope, and Charity, the names were of the virtues or other qualities of the righteous Christian.

Eventually, the practice came to be linked with the practice of having a patron saint. It has become pretty standard, though not entirely necessary, that a person's new name is the name of their patron saint, or vice versa. In my case, holy Basil the Great was given to me as a patron saint, as "[Christ's] friend, to pray for you," and I was told that I could take his name, if I wished.

For me, I had wanted to take a new name for some time. A Roman Catholic priest who helped me as I began this pilgrimage was Fr Ignatius Smith, OFM. He was an old Franciscan and had been ordained when the practice of giving new names at ordination was still common in the Roman Church. I had thought for quite some time that it would be cool to take Ignatius as a name. However, the name Basil was clearly a better fit, and it seemed to confirm that I had made the right decision in asking to be received into the Orthodox Church.

Update:
I have now been received into the Orthodox Church in America, and I decided to stick with St. Basil. It seemed like a pretty self-evident choice to me.