Eastern Orthodoxy

The Eastern Orthodox Church is a body of Christians that claims origins extending directly back to Jesus and his Apostles through unbroken Apostolic Succession. Its doctrines were formalized through a series of church councils in the following centuries. Toward the end of its first thousand years of existence differences developed between the Church in the Eastern and Western Roman Empire that ultimately led to the Great Schism in 1054 dividing Christianity into Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Today the Eastern Orthodox Church includes the the various national churches of Eastern Europe such as the Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox churches, and maintains a strong presence in these ethnic communities in countries such as the United States and Australia.

The Orthodox Church
RELATED TOPICS	History of Eastern Orthodoxy - Ecumenical council, Great Schism Eastern Orthodoxy Doctrine - Mysteries, Theosis, Justification by faith plus works Eastern Orthodox Hierarchy Regional Divisions of the Eastern Orthodox Church Index - Constantinople | Alexandria | Antioch | Jerusalem | Russia | Georgia | Serbia | Romania | Bulgaria | Cyprus | Greece | Poland | Albania | Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church | America
SERMONS, ESSAYS AND OPINIONS
CONTENTS

History of Eastern Orthodoxy

The Eastern Roman Empire, by edict from the Emperor Constantin the Great, officially declares Christianity as a legally permitted religion in 313.

Chalcedonian Schism (5th Century)] Primarily due to differing viewpoints of the dogmatic definitions from the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the Oriental Orthodox broke away from the Eastern Orthodox faith.

The Oriental Orthodox faiths are the following:

Coptic Orthodox Church

Armenian Apostolic Church

Indian Orthodox Church (Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church)

Syriac Orthodox Church or Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East

Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia

Tewahedo Orthodox Church, which consists of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as well as the Eritrean Orthodox Church, both in the African continent.

Schism with the Roman Catholic Faith (11th Century)

History tends to place 1054 as the date of the schism between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

However, the two churches were developing differences in certain specific beliefs for ages.

Eastern Orthodoxy Doctrine

Much Eastern Orthodox teaching is the same as that as that of other Christian churches, especially Roman Cahtolicism. However there are a number of significant differences in teaching. The Church teaches that its origins extend directly back to Jesus and his Apostles through unbroken Apostolic Succession. Its doctrines were formalized through a series of church councils in the following centuries. It teaches belief in the Trinity, Justification by faith plus works, Veneration of saints the Mysteries

Contents

Links

• OrthodoxWiki
• Wikipedia - Eastern Orthodoxy

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