Hints of Orthodoxy in Seminary

It was at an Anglican seminary, Cranmer Theological House, that I was first introduced to Orthodox Christianity. Fr. Alexander Schmemann's book For the Life of the World was recommended to me by some of my fellow seminary students. I read For the Life of the World and liked what Fr. Alexander Schmemann said about the Eucharist, which I passed off by saying it was similar to John Calvin's view of the Eucharist. The Orthodox distinctives did not really stick to me at the time, but an Orthodox seed was planted. One of my seminary professors was very sympathetic to Orthodox theology. There were two things I distinctly remember this professor teaching that I did not agree with at the time. First, that Holy Scripture was part of the Tradition of the church, rather than torn apart like it often is in the West as Scripture and Tradition. Second, that confirmation (chrismation) belongs with baptism rather than separating baptism and confirmation like is practiced in the West. The last thing that I learned from the dean of our seminary was the Orthodox practice of paedo-communion (infants and young children partaking of Holy Communion) which the Western church stopped practicing in the Middle Ages. These three issues, along with Fr. Alexander Schmemann's book, would play a big part in my consideration of Orthodox Christianity in the future.