Lutheranism

More importantly, the ruler of Luther's land, Frederick the Wise, refused to allow any of his subjects to be condemned without trial. Although Augustine was an early Church Father, writing in the fourth century, he had very little influence in the East. Angered, Charles V wanted to outlaw Luther and his followers, but he was warned by advisors that doing so outright would cause a revolt, since Luther had become so popular. It should perhaps also be mentioned that the Western churches have been especially influenced by Augustine and, to a lesser extent, Tertullian. Concerned about the "problem" of Luther, the Pope and Catholic officials decided to send Luther the papal bull called the "Exsurge Domine" in 1520, which called on Luther to recant and abandon his ideas. The doctrine of the Trinity is the basis for most if not all of Orthodox theology. Luther also gained some powerful enemies, including the Pope in Rome and the youthful Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. God is viewed first as three persons in perfect relationship with each other, then as a unity sharing a single divine essence.

As a result, Luther gained many supporters and followers from all levels of society, from peasants who considered him a folk hero, to knights who swore to protect him, to rulers of German lands who wanted more independence from papal interference in their domestic policies. Sin leads to relational separation from God, and repentance involves restoring the relationships between the penitent and God, and between the penitent and humanity. Between 1517 and 1520, Luther preached and published his scathing criticisms of the Catholic Church in books and pamphlets. His ideas were supported by many other Christian theologians, and they also had a certain populist appeal. The Eastern church generally has a much more relational approach. The symbolic beginning of the Protestant Reformation occurred on October 31, 1517, when professor Luther posted an open invitation to debate his 95 theses (statements) involving current Catholic dogma and practices upon the door of All Saints Church (customarily used as a notice board by the University) attached to the castle in Wittenberg, Saxony (Germany). Also, the West tends to first look at God in his unity, then in his three persons. Lutheranism as a movement traces its origin to the work of Martin Luther, a German religious scholar who sought to reform the practices of the Roman Catholic Church in the early 16th century. Sin is understood primarily as a legal violation, and salvation is legal forgiveness for the legal offenses.

See Protestantism for further discussion. The Western church (i.e., Roman Catholicism and Protestantism) generally has a legal flavor to much of its theology. The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. Phronema refers to how something "smells" or "feels". writer and radio host Garrison Keillor. There, Saint Gregory Palamas explained how God can be both utterly transcendent, yet make himself known to men. Seuss and John Updike. The last major theological milestone took place in the 14th century at the Hesychast Councils.

writers Dr. It is acceptable to elaborate and more fully explain traditional theology, however. travel writer Rick Steves. Theological innovation is always met with suspicion; if an idea is truly different from what the Church has always believed and taught, it is likely heretical. theologian Richard Charles Henry Lenski (immigrated from Prussia). That means that every effort is made to continue believing and practicing the same theology that Jesus gave to the Apostles and that the Apostles gave to the early Church Fathers. sports figures Troy Aikman, Dale Earnhardt, Lou Gehrig, and Tom Landry;. In general, the Orthodox Christian approach to scriptural interpretation and theology is patristic.

several current and former US governors, as well as several dozen US congressman and senators;. Eastern Orthodoxy has had a history in China and East Asia as well. musicians Kris Kristofferson and John Mellencamp;. The last jurisdiction currently has no canonical ties to the majority of Orthodox Christianaity and at best would be considered a fringe schismatic group by them. militaryman Norman Schwarzkopf;. The Antiochian Orthodox Church, The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, and the Holy Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church of America (formerly connected with the Vicar Bishop of the (Western) Orthodox Church of France-ECOF), all have Western Rite parishes. filmmaker John Woo;. These are Orthodox Christians who use the Western forms of liturgy yet are totally Orthodox in their theology.

entertainment journalists Mary Hart and Pat O'Brien;. During the past 50 years there have come into existence so-called Western Orthodox Churches (a term not in use by the majority of Orthodox Christians, including those within Western Rite Orthodox parishes) in North America. co-founder and CEO of Apple Computer Steve Jobs;. Note that this future American Orthodox Church will be a church of Americans, for people who consider themselves Americans and speak primarily or only the English or Spanish languages; people who retain their original nationality and/or whose primary language is not English will most likely remain members of their churches, and their churches' activities will continue. comedian Dana Carvey;. Some observers see this as a step towards greater organizational unity in North America. Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court William Rehnquist;. In June of 2002, the Antiochian Orthodox Church granted self-rule to the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America.

cartoonist Gary Larson;. There is also a general acknowledgment that this can be taken care of slowly over time. Macy, and Bruce Willis;. will need to be united under a single Metropolitan or Patriarch. actors David Hasselhoff, William H. There is a general acknowledgment that the situation, which is canonical neither in the spirit nor the letter of the law, should not continue as it is indefinitely, and that at some point all the Orthodox churches in the U.S. This figure includes both Brazilian LWF and non-LWF churches. (See list of Orthodox jurisdictions in North America.).

Australian Census statistics show that there are 250,000 Lutherans living in Australia[4] (http://www.adherents.com/loc/loc_australia.html). One such organization is SCOBA, the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas, which comprises North American Orthodox bishops from nearly all jurisdictions. Canadian census statistics show that there are 640,000 self-described Lutherans living in Canada[3] (http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/demo32a.htm). However, there are also many "pan-orthodox" activities and organizations, both formal and informal, among Orthdox believers of all jurisdictions. That means there are 13.6 million American Lutherans.[2] (http://adherents.com/rel_USA.html#families). city. The American Religious Identification Survery (ARIS) found that 4.6% of Americans are self-described Lutherans. Today there are many Orthodox churches in the United States and Canada that are still bound to the Greek, Antiochian, or other overseas jurisdictions; in some cases these different overseas jurisdictions will have churches in the same U.S.

In 2003, the Latvian Lutheran church estimated the number of Lutherans in the country to be 556,000[1] (http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2004/35465.htm). The reasons for this are complex; nevertheless the Ecumenical Patriarch and the other jurisdictions remain in communion with the OCA. The EKD (Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland - German Evangelical Church) released a figure in November 2004 that said that 25.8 million Germans (31.3% of the national population) are Lutherans. However, recognition of this autocephalic status is not universal, as the Ecumenical Patriarch (under whom is the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (http://www.goarch.org)) and some other jurisdictions have not officially accepted it. Others – 20,000. Some of the Russian Orthodox remained in communion with Moscow and were granted autocephaly in 1970 as the Orthodox Church in America (OCA, though rarely referred to as "TOCA"). Guyana – 10,000. Some of the Russian Orthodox formed an independent synod that became the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR).

El Salvador – 10,000. The various national Orthodox communities thus were permitted as an emergency measure to look towards their immigrant homelands for ecclesiastic leadership rather than be tied to Russia. Chile – 20,000. In 1920 Patriarch Tikhon issued an ukase (decree) that Orthodox Christians under his leadership but outside of Russia should seek refuge with whatever Orthodox jurisdiction that would shield them from Communist control. Bolivia – 20,000. Among those who came were Orthodox lay people, deacons, priests, and bishops. Argentina – 50,000. One side effect was the flood of refugees from Russia to the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Brazil – 940,000 ⁶. The Russian Orthodox Church was devastated by the Bolshevik Revolution. Others – 30,000. This established missionary precedence for the Russian Orthodox Church in the Americas, and Eastern Orthodox Christians were under the omophor (Church authority and protection) of the Patriarch of Moscow. Bangladesh – 10,000. Among the first was Saint Herman of Alaska. Philippines – 30,000. The Russian Orthodox Church sent missionaries to Alaska beginning in the 18th century.

Japan – 30,000. Coptic Catholics (one of the autonomous Eastern Rite Catholic churches) also have a high-ranking bishop called the "Patriarch of Alexandria" in that city, but he does not claim the title of "Pope".). Hong Kong – 40,000. Those two lines of succession separated from each other in a schism in AD 451. Malaysia – 90,000. (In Alexandria, two primates call themselves "Pope" and claim to be the successor of the apostle Mark: the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria, also called the "Pope of Africa", and the Coptic Pope. Australia – 250,000 ⁵. Alexandria, for example, traces its papacy back to Mark the Evangelist, who founded the church in Alexandria in AD 40.

Papua New Guinea – 960,000. While Rome traces its papacy back to the Apostle Peter, Orthodox Antioch traces its Patriarchate to an even earlier foundation by the selfsame Apostle. India – 1.7 million. Orthodox Christians believe that they have preserved apostolic succession from the first Apostles. Indonesia – 4.3 million. Churches that call themselves Orthodox but are not recognized as valid by this group are termed "non-canonical" Orthodox Churches (though this too can be a complex relationship). Others – 20,000. Today there are approximately 15 separate autocephalous jurisdictions who recognize the validity of each other (though this relationship may be complicated); these are the "canonical" Orthodox Churches.

Rwanda – 20,000. From about the fourth century the churches with the largest administrative base were Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. Botswana – 20,000. In general, the church is organized along national and regional lines in hierarchical fashion, with the "top" hierarchs or patriarchs recognizing one another's validity. Angola – 20,000. There is no single bishop or similar office that corresponds to the Roman Catholic Pope, nor is there a standing synod of bishops or patriarchs. Ghana – 30,000. Laypeople do develop loyalties to the particular jurisdiction they grew up with, or were first accepted into, but should the person choose to “switch jurisdictions” there is no penalty. Jurisdictions govern the priesthood and its administrative policies thus, bishops do not interfere in one another’s territories; as their authority does not extend beyond it.

Central African Republic – 60,000. There is only One Church regardless of nationality or culture. Liberia – 70,000. The different Orthodox jurisdictions are united in faith and in liturgy, but not necessarily in polity. Kenya – 90,000. The first thing to consider when dealing with "jurisdictions" is that they apply to the clergy, not to lay persons. Zimbabwe – 110,000. Main article: Eastern Orthodox Church organization.

of) – 140,000. Modern examples do exist: Saint Nectarios, Bishop of Pentapolis established a convent on the Isle of Aegina in Greece in 1904 and reportedly had a deaconess there. Congo (Democratic Rep. It is not known why the position of deaconess has mostly fallen out of use; there is no official reason why a woman could not occupy that position. Cameroon – 280,000. There also existed in the early church the official position of deaconess, which most Orthodox historians agree was not identical to the male diaconate. South Africa – 880,000. A married man cannot accept ordination without his wife's approval, and it is common for these dedicated women to be just as busy ministering to the faithful as their husbands.

Namibia – 920,000. Διάκονισα, literally deaconess) for the same reason. Nigeria – 1.3 million. Πρεσβυτερα, literally Priestess) and a deacon's wife “Diakonissa” (Gr. Tanzania – 2.5 million. A priest's wife is therefore called “Presbytera” (Gr. Ethiopia – 4 million. Nevertheless, Orthodox consider men and women equal before God.

Canada – 640,000 ⁴. Bishops are always celibate as they are selected from the ranks of monks (who are celibate). Bishops, priests, and deacons have always been men only because they represent Christ, who chose to be male. USA – 13.6 million ³. This also applies to the widowed wives of clergy, they do not remarry and usually become nuns. Others – 30,000. It is common for such a member of the clergy to retire to a monastery. Slovenia – 20,000. Widowed priests and deacons are not allowed to remarry.

Netherlands – 20,000. In general, or ideally, congregational priests should be married, as they will be dealing with married couples; unmarried priests should normally be in monasteries. Lithuania – 20,000. The Orthodox Church has always allowed married priests and deacons, provided the marriage takes place before ordination. Serbia – 50,000. The deacon also acts as an assistant to a bishop and bishops often travel with deacons accompanying them. Romania – 50,000. It should also be noted that in the Orthodox Church the position of deacon can be and often is occupied for life.

Poland – 80,000. Deacons can be archdeacons or protodeacons as well. United Kingdom – 120,000. Priests can be archpriests, archimandrites, or protopresbyters. Czech Republic – 150,000. In the Greek tradition, bishops who occupy an ancient See are called Metropolitan, while the lead bishop in Greece is the Archbishop. Estonia – 200,000. There are numerous administrative positions in the clergy that carry additional titles.

France – 260,000. Διάκονος, assistant), which became "deacon" in English (see also subdeacon). Russia, Belarus, Ukraine combined – 270,000. The other ordained roles are presbyter (Gr. Πρεσβυτερίος, elder), which became "prester" and then "priest" in English, and diakonos (Gr. Iceland – 270,000. Επίσκοπος), which became "bishop" in English. Hungary – 300,000. Since its founding, the Church spread to different places, and the leaders of the Church in each place came to be known as episkopoi (overseers, plural of episkopos, overseer - Gr.

Slovakia – 370,000. Ultimately, the dialogue was broken off (see 16th Century Lutheran & Orthodox Exchange in External links below). Austria – 380,000. sprinkling or pouring (Lutheran), and the immediate performance of chrismation and the giving of the Eucharist to those baptized (Orthodox), the meaning of the change in the Eucharist, and the use of unleavened bread, infallibility of the Church and of the Ecumenical Councils, veneration, feasts, and invocation of saints and their icons and relics, fasts and other ecclesiastical traditions. Latvia – 560,000 ². Both sides remained cordial and brotherly, but fundamental doctrinal differences came to light, specifically regarding Holy Tradition, the Procession of the Holy Spirit, free will, divine predestination, justification, the number of sacraments, baptism by immersion (Orthodox) vs. Norway – 3.9 million. Lutheran bishops led by Melanchthon sent delegates to the Patriarch of Constantinople to explore ecumenical possibilities, but the discussions went nowhere.

Finland – 4.6 million. Orthodoxy did not undergo the Reformation, and attitudes of the Protestant churches towards it have been ambiguous since the beginning. Denmark – 4.6 million. By this time Egypt was also under Muslim control, but Orthodoxy was very strong in Russia; and so Moscow, called the Third Rome, became a new major center of the Church at that time. Sweden – 7.2 million. In 1453, the last of the Roman Empire (with its capital at Constantinople) fell to the Ottoman Turks. Germany – 25.8 million¹. But because of the ascendancy of western ideas in modern literature, the Roman Empire of that period is now referred to as the Byzantine Empire and the Holy Roman Catholic Church is now the Orthodox Church, Charlemagne’s Frankish empire is now called the Holy Roman Empire and the Frankish church, the Roman Catholics.

Ambassador Publications (http://www.aflconline.org/parish-ed/index.html) (AFLC). The Orthodox argues that they remain the same while the Frankish church had fallen into heresy. Openbook Publishers (http://www.openbook.com.au/) (Lutheran Church of Australia). As far as the Orthodox countries were concerned, they were the Roman Empire, and that empire did not fall until the 15th century. Northwestern Publishing House (http://www.nph.net/) (WELS). Long after the Great Schism the Orthodox East continued to refer to itself as Roman Catholic, however, what we in modern times refer to as the Roman Catholic Church they would have called the Frankish Church, referring to Charlemagne’s supposed re-establishment of the Roman Empire. Augsburg Fortress (http://www.augsburgfortress.com/) and Fortress Press (http://www.fortresspress.com/) (ELCA). Even after the Emperor Constantine moved the capitol to Byzantium, any common man would have referred to himself as Roman.

Concordia Publishing House (http://www.cph.org/) (LCMS). The term Roman applied to all members of the Roman Empire. Amillennialism. Something also must be said about modern terminology in reference to the Orthodox and Catholic churches. The Real Presence of Christ's Body and Blood "in, with and under" the Bread and wine of the Lord's Supper. This is one of the reasons why nearly all Orthodox view the Pope with extreme suspicion.). Baptismal Regeneration. (Many things that were stolen during this time: relics, riches, and many other items, are still held in various Catholic churches in Western Europe and have yet to be offered back to the Orthodox Church.

Infant Baptism. In 2004, Pope John Paul II extended a formal apology for the sacking of Constantinople in 1204; the apology was formally accepted by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. Unlike Calvin, who explained how the reprobate come to be damned (double predestination), Luther said it was a mystery -- something which humanity cannot, and probably should not, comprehend. The sacking of the Church of Holy Wisdom and establishment of the Latin Empire in 1204 is viewed with some rancor to the present day. Single Predestination: God chose to save His children before the world was created, but does not predestine the lost to be damned. This Fourth Crusade had the Latin Church directly involved in a military assault against the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, and the Orthodox Patriarchate thereof. The final breach is often considered to have arisen as a result of the sacking of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade in 1204.

There were doctrinal issues like the filioque clause and the authority of the Pope involved in the split, but they were exacerbated by cultural and linguistic differences (Greek East and Latin West). In the 11th century the Great Schism took place between Rome and Constantinople, which led to the Church of the West, the Roman Catholic Church, to become distinct from the Churches of the East. Today the Russian Orthodox Church, in spite of 70 years of persecution under the atheistic government of the USSR, is the largest of the Orthodox Churches. Slavic missionaries had great success in part because they used the people's native language rather than Latin as the Roman priests did, or Greek.

The success of the conversion of the Bulgarians facilitated the conversion of other Slavic peoples, most notably the Rus', predecessors of Belarusians, Russians, and Ukrainians. In a short time the disciples of Cyril and Methoduis managed to prepare and instruct the future Slav Bulgarian clergy into the Glagolitic alphabet and the biblical texts and in AD 893, Bulgaria expelled its Greek clergy and proclaimed the Slavonic language as the official language of the church and the state. Some of the disciples, however, reached Bulgaria where they were welcomed by the Bulgarian Tsar Boris I who viewed the Slavonic liturgy as a way to counteract Greek influence in the country. Their disciples were driven out of Great Moravia in AD 886.

Originally sent to convert the Slavs of Great Moravia, they were forced to compete with Frankish missionaries from the Roman diocese. This work was made possible by the work of Saints Cyril and Methodius, who translated the Bible and many of the prayer books into Slavonic. In the ninth and tenth centuries, Orthodoxy made great inroads into Eastern Europe, including Kievan Rus'. The end of that council is still celebrated as the "Triumph of Orthodoxy" in Orthodox churches today, and icons remain a central part of Orthodox faith and practice.

The use of icons was defended and upheld at the Seventh Ecumenical Council in Nicea in AD 787, called by Patriarch Tarasius and presided over by Empress Irene, where it was dogmatically established that Christians give honor not to the image itself but to the person the image represents. It was the Muslims who first opposed the Christian use of icons, though many Christians held a similar doctrine, based on Judaizing tendencies within the Church. Westerners tend to think of Christianity as the dominant social force for a long period of history, but Christians in three of the five ancient churches have been in Muslim-dominated societies for 13 centuries. In the 7th century the areas administered by the bishops of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem were conquered by Muslim Arabs, and the native Christians were treated as second-class citizens, or dhimmi.

An important symbol for Eastern Orthodoxy and its spread north to the Slavic peoples was the construction in the 530s of the Church of the Holy Wisdom ("Hagia Sophia"), a most impressive church building in Constantinople, under emperor Justinian I. Any of the original Patriarchs of Jerusalem, Antioch, Constantinople, Rome, or Alexandria can be called Pope as it is not an official title. The more common term today is Patriarch in order to distinguish them from the Pope in Rome who is not an Orthodox bishop. Note: The term Pope is simply an affectionate term for the lead bishop in a major patriarchate. The Oriental Orthodox are also sometimes referred to as "monophysites", "non-Chalcedonians", or "anti-Chalcedonians", although today the Oriental Orthodox Church denies that it is monophysite and prefers the term "miaphysite", to denote the "joined" nature of Jesus.

Those who disagreed with the Council of Chalcedon are sometimes called "Oriental Orthodox" to distinguish them from the Eastern Orthodox, who accepted the Council of Chalcedon. There was a similar split in Syria. Those that remained in communion with the other patriarchs were called "Melkites" (the king's men, because Constantinople was the city of the emperors) [not to be confused with the Melkite Catholics of Antioch], and are today known as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, until recently led by Pope Petros VII (who was killed in a helicopter crash on September 11, 2004), while those who disagreed with the findings of the Council of Chalcedon are today known as the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, led by Pope Shenouda III. Eventually this led to each group having its own Patriarch (Pope).

The Church in Egypt (Patriarchate of Alexandria) split into two groups following the Council of Chalcedon (451), owing to a dispute about the relation between the divine and human natures of Jesus. Some of them led to the calling of Ecumenical councils to try to resolve them. There were several doctrinal disputes from the 4th century onwards.
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The most ancient of the Orthodox churches of today are the Churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, Georgia, Antioch, and Jerusalem. The Orthodox jurisdictions with the largest number of adherents in modern times are the Russian and the Romanian Orthodox churches. They trace their lines back to the Apostles through a number of important ancient centers of Christianity: the cities of Alexandria, Jerusalem, Antioch, Constantinople, and the country of Greece. It holds true to the pronouncements of the Ecumenical Councils, and its numerous autocephalous jurisdictions share a spiritual unity that transcends any minor differences in style they may have.

Orthodox Christian culture reached its golden age during the Byzantine Empire and continued to flourish in Russia after the fall of Constantinople. Sometimes this was seen as negative, as when Patriarchs (often of Constantinople) were deposed by the emperor, or when the emperor sided with the iconoclasts in the eighth and ninth centuries. From that time forward, the Byzantine emperor exerted various degrees of influence in the church. Sometimes this was seen as positive, as in the calling of the Ecumenical Councils to resolve disputes and establish church dogma on which the entire church would agree. Widespread, organized persecution finally stopped in 313 when Emperor Constantine the Great so ordered it in the Edict of Milan.

In its early years thousands died under persecution only to increase the strength and witness of the church. The Apostles created bishops through the laying on of hands and taught the traditions of how this power could be passed on. John. The only Apostle to survive into old age and die a natural death was St.

Much of their history is preserved by the church including their eventual martyrdom. The Apostles traveled in different directions spreading the witness of Christ Jesus throughout the empire. From its founding the Church spread quickly throughout most of the Roman Empire, despite much official opposition. This places a fairly heavy responsibility on the laity to educate themselves on the teachings of the Church.

It is therefore, the responsibility of the laity to reject a bishop who begins to turn toward teachings other than the ones the Church has always believed. Obedience to a bishop is required only if he, in fact, upholds the teachings of the Church. The measure of the legitimacy of a bishop and his jurisdiction is in how closely and carefully he upholds the teachings of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Therefore attachment to a single, specific hierarch, such as the Ecumenical Patriarch (of Constantinople) is not a litmus test for Orthodoxy, as there have been heretics and schismatics in even that venerable position.

There is no single leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church other than Jesus Christ. Jurisdictions and positions of authority are administrative only. In administrative power, all Bishops of the Orthodox Church are equal; there is no Orthodox equivalent of the Roman Catholic Papacy. Another example is the philosophical differences between the New Calendarists and the Moderate Old Calendarists.

An example of this is the lack of communion between the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and the Moscow Patriarchate (the Orthodox Church of Russia), the conflict arising early in the 20th century due to a serious distrust of the soviets. In such a case the normal response is to refrain from con-celebration of the services and communing mysteriologically (sacramentally); they do not, however, consider the other groups to be without Grace and outside the body of the church. The term "full communion" can be misleading in this instance since there have often existed within the Church legitimate groups that for legitimate reasons disagree with another jurisdiction's position. Most importantly, these groups recognize that the Grace of God is present and working within the other.

The various jurisdictions of the Orthodox Church are distinct in terms of administration and local culture, and for the most part, exist in full communion with one another. UNIAT" (see photograph here). CHURCH / SIMPSON, PA. CATH.

Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Simpson, Pennsylvania, whose cornerstone, adorned with a Russian-style cross, reads (in Russian, with some of the words abbreviated): "Russian Greek Catholic Church / of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul", followed (in English) by "MAY 7, 1905 / RUSSIAN GR. It appears in papal documents such as Ex Quo of Pope Benedict XIV,[1] (http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/pope0247m.htm) and can be seen on some Eastern Catholic church buildings, such as Ss. Catholics too use the term, though less frequently. Orthodox often apply to such Churches the term Uniate, to which they sometimes give pejorative overtones.

Several of these came into communion with Rome through schisms from Eastern or Oriental Orthodox Churches, a fact that explains the identity of their liturgy with that of the Church from which they sprang. Particularly in Ukraine and "Ruthenia" (a Western term for some of the Slavic areas west of Russia), they did so through the Union of Brest. Eastern Catholic Churches include the Armenian Catholic Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Eparchy of Krizevci, the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church, the Maronite Church, the Romanian Catholic Church, the Ruthenian Catholic Church, the Syrian Catholic Church, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Since this liturgy originated in Constantinople, the Catholic Churches that use it are often called, even officially, Greek Catholic. Others have, instead, a liturgy identical with one of the diverse liturgies of the Oriental Orthodox Churches or that is individual. However, some of them use the same Byzantine liturgy used by the various Churches that make up the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Eastern Catholic Churches (on which, see Eastern Rite) are Churches in full communion with the See of Rome and thus not part of the Eastern Orthodox Church. At first glance this may seem a trivial disagreement, but ultimately the question took hundreds of years to solidify because of its extreme complexity and eventually lead to this early split. The term "Theandric" was taken by the main body of the church to mean "God/Man" and therefore really two natures, God and Man unified, while the remainder thought of it as one single nature. The main theological problem is usually traced back to the 5th century, with Saint Cyril's referring to the nature of Christ as being "One Theandric Nature".

The Assyrian Church of the East is also often included among this group, although it does not belong to the Oriental Orthodox Communion, and indeed, adheres to the doctrine of 'Nestorianism', directly opposed to the doctrine of the Oriental Orthodox. These are all labelled 'monophysite' by some of the Eastern Orthodox, although they reject this label, preferring the term 'miaphysite'. Oriental Orthodox churches include the Coptic Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Malankara Orthodox Church, and the Armenian Church. The earlier conflict between the Imperial Church and what are now called the Oriental Orthodox churches was established many centuries before at the fourth and fifth ecumenical councils. And, in some fundamental aspects, the Oriental Orthodox churches are as dissimilar from the Eastern Orthodox churches as they are from the Roman Catholic Church.

The Great Schism was not the first division to occur in the church, though it was by far the most significant. The general Orthodox consensus is that Roman Catholics are both schismatics and heretics, although a minority of Orthodox Christians believe that the difference in reality is smaller than it appears superficially. The See of Rome considers the Eastern Orthodox churches to be in schism. After the split, Roman Catholics defined other dogmas that the Eastern Orthodox also considers heretical, among them papal infallibility, the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary, and purgatory.

The primary causes of Orthodox differences with Rome include the addition to the Symbol of Faith (Nicean Creed) of the Filioque clause, papal claims to authority over all Christians (papal primacy), and other doctrinal and liturgical developments approved by the See of Rome. There has been talk in recent years of doing exactly that in order to clarify the church's position on certain modern issues though nothing definite has been set. Because of its conciliar nature, in order to make such a pronouncement, the Orthodox Church would be required to convene another ecumenical council, the last of which was held in 787 AD (though some Orthodox regard there to have been eight or nine ecumenical councils, the last one thus being in the 9th or 14th c., respectively). This sort of centralized communication is neither typical of nor appropriate to Eastern Orthodoxy.

Therefore, a lack of a definitive, authoritarian, "Church-wide" statement cannot be taken to mean that the Eastern Orthodox Church necessarily espouses or rejects a specific belief. This is not surprising, since such general, authoritarian statements are simply unheard-of within Eastern Orthodoxy, even upon issues with little to no internal disagreement. To date, however, there has not been a final statement on behalf of the whole Orthodox Church, with regard to the status of Rome. The Roman Catholic Church, on the other hand, views the Patriarch of Rome as the head of the Church and ascribes to him all-encompassing—indeed, infallible—authority on Christian matters.

As positions of political power changed within the Roman Empire, so did the leadership of the ecumenical councils, ultimately reorienting itself to the Patriarch of Constantinople. This, in the view of the Orthodox, is the same position held by the Roman Pope during the first of the ecumenical councils. The Patriarch of Constantinople currently enjoys the honorary title of "First Among Equals"; which simply means that in council, he occupies the position of president in what is otherwise a democratic organization. The churches differ, however, in their ecclesiology: the Orthodox Church views all bishops as equal, and rejects the idea that one patriarch may have authority over another's jurisdiction.

Both churches also continue to claim apostolic succession. Both churches, to signify the universality of the Church, retain the term "Catholic". Both churches claim to be the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, and reject the other's claim to this title. The term "Orthodox" was adopted by the Eastern Church to signify its adherence to, and preservation of, the original apostolic traditions, teachings, and style of worship. The division of the Church into separate churches is regarded as having occurred in 1054 in what is known as the Great Schism, though their divergence began as much as two centuries earlier.

There is nothing within the Church that is automatic (latae sententiae). Likewise, the prescription for sin must be filtered through human understanding in order to be effective. Sin does not exist as an abstract entity and must be approached on an individual basis. The Fathers of the Orthodox Church are not legalistic in their views of sin.

Rules and laws are deėmphasized in the Orthodox Church in favor of guidelines with love, compassion and mercy considered in all things. All theological concepts must be in agreement with the consensus of the Fathers in order to be considered truth. It tends to consider truth to be seen in the "Consensus of the Fathers" (the golden thread of agreement that runs back through the patristic writings of the Church Fathers back to the early Church and the Apostles). The Orthodox Church does not seek any conflict with science.

While many parts of the Old Testament are considered edifying (teaching moral lessons about hospitality and the result of sin) it is not a requirement that everything be taken literally. The Eastern Orthodox Church holds the Old Testament (Septuagint) in high esteem (as the New), including the Psalms (which are a part of daily services) and the prophecies leading up to the incarnation of Christ. This, however, does not in any way diminish their respect and devotion toward Scriptures, but rather puts it into perspective as the texts accepted by the Church as most important. Eastern Orthodoxy has an extensive oral tradition that predates the actual texts of the New Testament, hence, it does not consider itself to be "bibliocentric"; which is the case with most forms of Protestantism.

This authority is held to be intrinsic to the whole Church in all her members and mediated by the Holy Spirit dynamically in Tradition. Eastern Orthodox ecclesiology is "Christocentric", viewing Christ Jesus as the head of the Church, and the Church as his body; with authority derived directly from this relationship. Eastern Orthodox distinctives include the Divine Liturgy, Mysteries, organization into self-governing jurisdictions, and an emphasis on the preservation of Tradition, which it holds to be Apostolic in nature. It claims to be the original Christian church founded by Christ and the Apostles, and traces its lineage back to the early church through the process of Apostolic Succession.

The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is a Christian body whose adherents are largely based in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, with a growing presence in the western world. SCOBA. Eastern Orthodox Church calendar. Orthodox.

Caesaropapism. History of Europe. History of the Balkans. History of Christianity.

Christianity. Hesychasm. Monasticism. Liturgical year.

Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Old Believers (in general, but some Old Believers in the USA have entered Communion with ROCOR). Macedonian Orthodox Church (recognizes all other mainstream Churches but is not recognised by any of them). Belorussian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece - the Paleoimerologites. See also: Ecumenism Awareness (http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/), a website from one of the aforementioned groups. The Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria. The Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania.

The Orthodox Church of Greece (Holy Synod in Resistance) (http://www.synodinresistance.gr/indexen.htm). John the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco (http://www.stmaryofegypt.org/library/st_john_maximovich/index.htm). Homilies and Writings of St. John the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco (http://www.saintjohnwonderworker.org/lifeidx.htm).

The Life of St. On the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/ephraim_roca.aspx) by Elder Ephraim of the Holy Mountain. John of Shanghai and San Francisco. The Meaning of the Russian Diaspora (http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/meaning_diaspora.aspx) by St.

John of Shanghai and San Francisco, the Wonderworker. History of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/roca_history.aspx) by St. For more on the history of the Soviet-inspired schism in the Russian Church, please visit:. Since the fall of Communism the two parts of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate and Russian Synod) have begun talks on re-union.

Since the establishment of Communism the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia remained free and an outspoken critic of the Soviet Union and it's persecution of the Christians in Russia. The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, (also called the Russian Church Abroad, the Russian Synodal Church, the White Russian Church, ROCOR, or the Synod) is that part of the Russian Orthodox Church that exists outside the borders of Russia. Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric (under the Patriarchate of Belgrade). Metropolia of Western Europe (under the Patriarchate of Moscow).

Ukrainian Orthodox Church (under the Patriarchate of Moscow). Chinese Orthodox Church (under the Patriarchate of Moscow). Japanese Orthodox Church (under the Patriarchate of Moscow). Estonian Orthodox Church (http://www.orthodox.ee/indexeng.php) (under the Patriarchate of Moscow).

Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church (http://www.orthodoxa.org/) (under the Patriarchate of Constantinople). Finnish Orthodox Church (under the Patriarchate of Constantinople). Orthodox Church of Mount Sinai (under the Patriarchate of Jerusalem). Orthodox Church in America (autocephaly not universally recognized).

Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church. Albanian Orthodox Church. Polish Orthodox Church. Church of Greece.

Orthodox Church of Cyprus. Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Romanian Orthodox Church. Serbian Orthodox Church.

Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church. Russian Orthodox Church. Orthodox Church of Jerusalem. Orthodox Church of Antioch.

Orthodox Church of Alexandria. Orthodox Church of Constantinople. And the two-week long Fast proceeding the Dormition (death or repose) of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary). It begins on Monday following the first Sunday after Pentecost and extends to the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29th.

The Fast of Saints Peter and Paul which varies in length from 2 to 6 weeks depending on the date of Pentecost which itself falls 50 days after Pascha. The Great Fast (Lent) which consists of the 6 weeks (40 Days) preceding Palm Sunday, and Great Week (Holy Week) which proceeds Pascha (Easter). The Nativity Fast (Advent or Winter Lent) which is the 40 days preceding the Nativity of Christ (Christmas). The Acquisition of Virtues.

Selflessness. Almsgiving. Obedience. Fasting.

Prayer. The Mystery of the Eucharist. The Mystery of Repentance (or confession).