ORTHODOXY
Eastern Christianity
The Orthodox Church embodies and expresses the rich spiritual treasures of Eastern Christianity. It should not be forgotten that the Gospel of Christ was first preached and the first Christian communities were established in the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. It was in these eastern regions of the old Roman Empire that the Christian faith matured in its struggle against paganism and heresy. There, the great Fathers lived and taught. It was in the cities of the East that the fundamentals of our faith were proclaimed at the Seven Ecumenical Councils.
The spirit of Christianity which was nurtured in the East had a particular flavour. It was distinct, though not necessarily opposed, to that which developed in the Western portion of the Roman Empire and subsequent Medieval Kingdoms in the West. While Christianity in the West developed in lands which knew the legal and moral philosophy of Ancient Rome, Eastern Christianity developed in lands which knew the Semitic and Hellenistic cultures.
While the West was concerned with the Passion of Christ and the sin of man, the East emphasized the Resurrection of Christ and the deification of man. While the West leaned toward a legalistic view of religion, the East espoused a more mystical theology. Since the Early Church was not monolithic, the two great traditions existed together for more than a thousand years until the Great Schism divided the Church.
Today, Roman Catholics and Protestants are heirs to the Western tradition, and the Orthodox are heirs to the Eastern tradition. Orthodox Christians of the Eastern Churches call themselves Orthodox. This description comes to us from the fifth century and has two meanings which are closely related.
The first definition is “true teaching.” The Orthodox Church believes that she has maintained and handed down the Christian faith, free from error and distortion, from the days of the Apostles.
The second definition, which is actually the more preferred, is “true praise.” To bless, praise, and glorify God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the fundamental purpose of the Church. All her activities, even her doctrinal formulations, are directed toward this goal. Occasionally, the word Catholic is also used to describe the Orthodox Church. This description, dating back to the second century, is embodied in the Nicene Creed, which acknowledges One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
From the Orthodox perspective, Catholic means that the Church is universal and also that she includes persons of all races and cultures. It also affirms that the Church has preserved the fullness of the Christian faith. It is not unusual for titles such as Greek, Russian, and Antiochian to be used in describing Orthodox Churches. These appellations refer to the cultural or national roots of a particular parish, diocese, or archdiocese.
Diversity in Unity
The Orthodox Church is an international federation of patriarchal, autocephalous, and autonomous churches. Each church is independent in her internal organization and follows her own particular customs. However, all the churches are united in the same faith and order.
The Orthodox Church acknowledges that unity does not mean uniformity. Some churches are rich in history, such as the Church of Constantinople, while others are relatively young, such as the Church of Finland. Some are large, such as the Church of Russia, while others are small, such as the Church of Sinai. Each Church is led by a synod of bishops.
The president of the synod is known as the Patriarch, Archbishop, Metropolitan, or Catholicos. Among the various bishops, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is accorded a "place of honour" and is regarded as "first among equals." In America and Western Europe, where Orthodoxy is relatively young, there are a number of dioceses and archdioceses which are directly linked to one of these autocephalous Churches.
The word “orthodox” literally means “right praise.” And this is very important for modern Christians to understand because it implies something more than simply right belief. Orthodoxy involves right belief, but it’s not simply head knowledge. You will remember the accounts in the Gospel when the demons rightly identify Jesus—even when he doesn’t want to be identified—as the Son of God. The demons know exactly who he is! They had right belief. But they were far from orthodox.
To be orthodox is to live into the truth of God’s full revelation in Jesus Christ. And to live into that truth, our hearts, our lives, our focus must be set on the worship of God. St. Paul pointed to this reality of a life lived in praise when he wrote to the Romans, “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (12:1). In other words, offer to God everything that you are: your very selves, holy and acceptable. And he even calls this “spiritual worship.” Paul goes on in the next verse to tie this spiritual worship to what we might call right belief. He writes, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Together, these verses point to “right praise.”
A few of the fundamental tenets upon which our Holy Orthodox Church functions are as follows:
The Orthodox Church has two great sources of authority:
HOLY SCRIPTURE AND HOLY TRADITION
Holy Scripture
comprises the writings of both the New and the Old Testaments. The New Testament reveals the human and divine nature of Jesus Christ, and His sacred teachings that we are charged to follow. The Old Testament is a history of the Hebrew people. It contains, among other sacred writings, the prophecies and the writings of the Prophets that foretold the coming of the Messiah. It therefore serves as an introduction to the revelation and the saving message of the New Testament.
Holy TraditioN
of which Holy Scripture is a part, includes the writings, teachings, and acts of the apostles, saints, martyrs, and fathers of the Church, and her liturgical and sacramental traditions throughout the ages, the oral tradition of the early Church, and the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils. All of this collective wisdom and experience through the centuries are combined to form this second great source of sacred authority.
THE CREED
The Creed contains the Church's basic summary of doctrinal truths to which we adhere as Orthodox Christians. It consists of the twelve articles of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, or the "Pistevo," which is recited at each Divine Liturgy as follows...
I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of
heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of
God, begotten of the Father before all ages;Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten,
not created, of one essence with the Father
through Whom all things were made.Who for us men and for our salvation
came down from heaven and was incarnate
of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man.He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate,
and suffered and was buried;And He rose on the third day,
according to the Scriptures.He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father;And He will come again with glory to judge the living
and dead. His kingdom shall have no end.And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Creator of life,
Who proceeds from the Father, Who together with the
Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, Who
spoke through the prophets.In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the age to come. Amen.
THE SACRAMENTS
The Sacraments are Seven in number. They are the visible means by which the invisible Grace of the Holy Spirit is imparted to us.Four Sacraments are obligatory:
Baptism
Chrismation
(anointment with holy oil)
Confession
Holy Communion
Matrimony
Holy Orders
(Ordination)
Unction
- (anointment of the sick)
THE CHURCH CALENDAR
The Church Calendar begins on September 1st and ends on August 31st. Each day is sacred for the Orthodox Christian. The Church venerates at least one saint or sacred event in the life of the Church every day of the year. There are, however, several major feast days observed annually, and of these, Easter, or Pascha, is the most important.
THE DIVINE LITURGY
The central worship service of the Church is the Divine Liturgy, which is celebrated each Sunday morning and on all holy days. The Liturgy is also the means by which we achieve union with Jesus Christ and unity with each other through the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
ECUMENISM
While the Orthodox Church considers herself the Mother Church of Christendom, she cooperates with other churches in programs of educational, philanthropic, and social endeavors insofar as this is consistent with her theology. Orthodoxy has become a major force in the universal ecumenical movement of which she was a prime mover through the encyclical of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in 1920.
Key Theological Orthodox Beliefs
The Trinity & Apophatic Theology
God is understood as the Holy Trinity, approached through apophatic theology (negative theology), acknowledging that God is ultimately beyond human comprehension and definition.
Christology & Theosis
Orthodoxy emphasizes the Incarnation (God becoming human) and theosis, the transformation and deification of humanity by grace, allowing humans to become by grace what God is by nature.
Scripture & Tradition
Orthodox dogma is rooted in Holy Scripture and Sacred Tradition, which includes the teachings of the Church Fathers, the decisions of the Seven Ecumenical Councils, and the liturgy.
The Church & Sacraments
The Church is viewed as the Body of Christ and an ark of safety, with sacraments (mysteries) being the primary means of communion with God.
Heaven & Hell
These are not viewed as physical places or simply rewards/punishments, but as different experiences of God’s omnipresent grace—experienced as light/joy or darkness/anguish based on one's spiritual state. [1, 2, 3, 5]Worship and Life
Liturgical Life
Theology is not just theoretical but lived, with the Divine Liturgy as the peak of theological expression.
Icons: Icons are vital, functioning as windows into the divine and representing the sanctification of matter.
Pastoral Approach
Orthodoxy maintains a strict adherence to tradition, yet often focuses on pastoral care, with a holistic view that connects theology with lifestyle (praxis).