› ›

Different Orthodox?

jerryjerry
edited December 1969 in Non-Orthodox Inquiries
Are there different forms of Orthodox churches or are they all connected?

Comments

  • George_Mina_Awad
    There are two main Orthodox Churches.

    The Eastern Orthodox Church recognizes four ecumenical councils: the first council of Nicaea, the first council of Constantinople, the first council of Ephesus, and the council of Chalcedon. This includes the Greek Orthodox Church and the Russion Orthodox church.

    The Oriental Orthodox Church (Oriental meaning far eastern) recognizes those same councils, except for the council of Chalcedon. The Coptic Church is a member of the Oriental Orthodox church. So there is a bit of a division concerning the nature of Christ, but both churches have legitimate sacraments and a legitimate priesthood, coming straight from the Apostles.
  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    The Eastern Orthodox Church recognises 7 councils, and perhaps 8 and 9.

    Within the family of Churches which comprises our Orthodox communion there are the Armenian, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Syrian, Indian and Coptic. The British and French Orthodox are small communities within the Coptic Orthodox Church.

    There are increasingly positive relations between this Orthodox communion and the Eastern Orthodox.
  • jerryjerry
    The division of the Nature of Christ; is that in reference to the Nicean Creed?  I read where some made an amendment to the creed which caused a lot of division or is that a seperate issue?

    I agree with the Nicean Creed and do not want to deviate from that and if I decide to go to the next step, I want to make sure I'm in the right place.
  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    Hi Jerry.

    I'd read a few books rather than relying too much on odd snippets here.

    Be assured that the Orthodox Church has preserved the life and faith of the Church from the earliest times, and that it is not without good reason that we consider the teachings of this Church to be 'real Christianity', and the fulness of life in Christ.

    I am presently teaching some courses on Christology, Church History and Monasticism at www.lsocs.co.uk. These might be of interest and help to you.

    Otherwise I'd read The Orthodox Church by Kallistos Ware as a good introduction to Orthodoxy. Not perfect but good. Another good introduction to the Coptic Orthodox Church (the Orthodox Church of Alexandria) is Journey Back to Eden by Fr Mark Gruber. This is written by a Roman Catholic priest who spent a year in Egypt and so it is a good view from the outside as it were. I've given away more copies of that book than any other to enquirers.

    God bless

    Father Peter
  • qawe
    [quote author=jerry link=topic=13089.msg153773#msg153773 date=1332876880]
    The division of the Nature of Christ; is that in reference to the Nicean Creed?  I read where some made an amendment to the creed which caused a lot of division or is that a seperate issue?

    I agree with the Nicean Creed and do not want to deviate from that and if I decide to go to the next step, I want to make sure I'm in the right place.


    No this issue of the nature of Christ is a lot more technical than the Nicene creed. Both strands of orthodoxy fully accept the creed.  This division at Chalcedon is ultimately one based in semantics, we have an identical faith to one another in terms of the spirit of our faith, rather than the letter. (I mean this like the letter of the law vs the spirit of the law)
Sign In or Register to comment.