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Eastern Orthodoxy
A Christian Faith that believes in Jesus Christ as both Son of God and God, and in the Seven Ecumenical Councils of the Church. God is defined as the Holy Trinity, which is One God in Three Persons (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit). The statement of the Orthodox Christian faith is the Nicene Creed.
752 Questions
What is the difference between orthodox and Christianity?
Russian Orthodox is a denomination of Christianity.
What holy book is used for the Orthodox Church?
There are two: 1) The Holy Bible, and 2) The Holy Tradition.
The Orthodox Church views the Holy Bible as being very important, and equal with the Holy Tradition (ie. the unwritten and oral traditions of Jesus Christ and the Church). The Holy Scriptures are a collection of Books of the New Testament that came out of the Holy Tradition of the Early Christian Church. The Bible did not just appear out of thin air, it was revealed by God and later put together by the holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church.
At the time when Jesus Christ established His Church in Jerusalem in 33 AD, there was no Bible. There were only the Old Testament scriptures. So for the first few centuries of its existence, the Church had no New Testament Scriptures at all, and for at least the first 500 years, there was no printed Bible as we have today. Most people could not even read or write and there was certainly no printing press at that time. The people would hear the Scriptures and hold the traditions they were taught by the priests and bishops at that time (2 Thess 2:15). Christ says, "blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it" (Luke 11:28).
What were sources of tension between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church?
There were several important points of controversy between the Eastern Orthodox church and the Roman Catholic church. Namely, they could not decide on the nature of the Holy Spirit, or what sort of authority the pope should have. Additionally, they could not agree on whether to base themselves out of Constantinople or Rome.
Which religion was split into Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic?
Catholic AnswerThere is no "Roman Catholic Church". It’s just Catholic, not Roman Catholic. Roman is an epithet first commonly used in England after the protestant revolt to describe the Catholic Church. It is never used by the official Catholic Church. The split between the Orthodox Churches and the Catholic Church is called the Eastern Schism by the Catholic Church. The Great Schism, in Catholic parlance, refers to the Western Schism otherwise known as the Avignon Papacy.
from A Catholic Dictionary, edited by Donald Attwater, Second edition, revised 1957
The Schism of the East: the estrangement and severance from the Holy See of what is now called the Orthodox Eastern Church was a gradual process extending over centuries. After a number of minor schisms the first serious, though short, break was that of Photius; from then on tension between East and West increased, and the schism of Cerularius occurred in 1054. From then on the breach gradually widened and has been definitive since 1472. There was a formal union from the 2nd Council of Lyons in 1274 until 1282, and a more promising one after the Council of Florence from 1439 to 1472. After the capture of Constantinople it was in the Turkish interest to reopen and widen the breach with the powerful Roman church; the patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem were dragged into this policy, Russia and the Slav churches stood out the longest of any: none of these churches, except Constantinople itself in 1472, formally and definitely broke away from the unity of the Church. But in the course of centuries the schism has set and crystallized into a definite separation from the Holy See of many million people with a true priesthood and valid sacraments. The origins, causes and development of the schism are matters of much complication, still not fully unraveled.
from
Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980
Separation of the Christian Churches of the East from unity with Rome. The schism was centuries in the making and finally became fixed in 1054, when the Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Cerularisu (died 1059), was excommunicated by the papal legates for opposing the use of leavened bread by the Latin Church and removing the Pope’s name from the diptychs or list of persons to be prayed for in the Eucharistic liturgy. A temporary reunion with Rome was effected by the Second Council of Lyons (1274) and the Council of Florence (1439) but never stabilized
Why are married priests allowed?
1. They don't. If a married clergy member of another religion wishes to be a part of the Catholic clergy they may become deacons, not priests. Deacons are defined as the servants of the servants of God (Priests). You can be married when becoming a Deacon, however if you are not married before becoming a Deacon you cannot get married after the fact. Many people may confuse the two, but these jobs are very different.
---- 2. The above answer is incorrect. The Catholic Church has (and does) by special permission allow certain Anglican and Orthodox married priests who convert to Catholicism to serve as Catholic Priests.
What are the seven rites of the Roman Catholic?
The seven sacred rites administered by the Catholic Church are baptism, communion, reconciliation, confirmation, marriage, holy orders, and last rights, also known as anointing of the sick. The sacred rites are also known as sacraments.
What year did the Greek Orthodox Religion begin?
If by 'Greek Orthodox' you mean the Eastern Orthodox Faith (of which Greek Orthodoxy is a part) then it began in the year 33 AD.
If you are referring to the Church of Greece, then it began in the year 1850. However, Orthodox Christianity existed in Greece since New Testament times (from St Paul's travels to Athens) and for most of its history, Greece came under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The name "Greek Orthodox" should not be used to describe the whole Eastern Orthodox Church. People who are Greek and Orthodox belong to the same Orthodox Christian Faith. There is no nationality in the Orthodox Church. It is open to people of all backgrounds, races and cultures.
What common belief does roman Catholics Protestants and Eastern Orthodox followers share?
They are all Christians. Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox share a belief in the Trinity, Christ's deity, and basic doctrines such as Christ's Virgin birth. This puts the three main branches of Christianity in a separate category than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, the United Pentecostal Church, and the Unitarians, who each deny the Trinity and Christ's deity, or else redefine them in radically different ways. Protestantism and Orthodoxy largely agree against Catholicism on the following points: * Both Protestants and Orthodox agree that the Roman Pope is not infallible. Most Protestants no longer see any reason for the Papacy to continue to exist as an institution, while Orthodox are willing to give the Pope a "primacy of honor" due to the historical importance of Rome as a Christian center. But both agree that the Pope has no legitimate authority to manage other Churches. * Neither religion has a defined belief in Purgatory, the supposed in-between state where imperfect souls suffer to atone for their sins. Protestants tend to regard Purgatory as a heresy since they see it as a denial of the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice. Orthodox tend to see Purgatory as a mere speculation unworthy of the status of dogma. * Orthodoxy does not believe in "original sin," the inherited guilt that humanity has due to Adam and Eve's sin. With the rise of evangelical Protestantism, which generally practices adult baptism and believes in an "age of accountability" when children become moral agents capable of being guilty of sin, the concept of "original sin" no longer plays a significant role in much of Protestantism, although the Reformers did speak of it. * Orthodoxy places a great deal of emphasis on the concept of "theosis," the gradual process where human beings are spiritually transformed into God's likeness, as typified by Christ. "God became man so man could become God" expresses this concept (although one must be careful to note that this does mean that men merge monistically with the deity). In comparison, evangelical Protestants place an increasing amount of emphasis on a concept called Sanctification, the process whereby the Holy Spirit transforms a believer into the image and likeness of Christ. While there are differences in terminology between evangelical Protestants and Orthodox on this issue, the two doctrines are striking in their similarly and provide the occasion for rich discussion between the two groups. Catholicism, on the other hand, places much more emphasis on man being redeemed from a fallen state, with the idea being that redemption restores us to a primeval innocence we lost in the Garden of Eden. Evangelical Protestants speak of both redemption and sanctification, and so seem to bridge the gulf between Catholicism and Orthodoxy on this issue. * The Orthodox use the original version of the Nicene Creed which says that the Holy Spirit proceeds only from the Father. The Roman Catholic Church edited this creed in 1054 A.D. to say that the Spirit also proceeds from the Son. This addition prompted the schism between Rome and Constantinople. Protestants have tended to use the Catholic version of the Creed, if they use the creed at all, and have followed Catholicism's tendency to emphasis the Father and the Son more than the Holy Spirit. In recent decades, however, Protestants have come to emphasize the Holy Spirit more. * The Eastern Orthodox continue to baptize by full immersion, like the fastest-growing Protestant groups. However, they baptize babies, which many Protestant traditions do not do (although some do). * Eastern Orthodoxy and evangelical Protestantism seem to both emphasize Christ's risen, gloried state and His active spiritual presence. By contrast, Catholicism seems to emphasize Christ's death and physical agonies on the cross. The Catholic Mass spends a great deal of time discussing Christ's death and symbolizing it in the Eucharist, while Christ's resurrection and second coming are only referred to in passing. Catholic depictions of Christ usually depict him on the cross, often with a bleeding crown of thorns and distended limbs. Orthodox icons, by contrast, show the glorified, risen Christ surrounded with divine energy, while Protestants usually show an empty cross to signify Christ's resurrection and triumph over death.
Orthodoxy and Catholicism agree on the following points against Protestantism: * Both groups call their clergy "priests" and have bishop-led church governments, although the definition of "priest" seems to have some variation between the two churches. Orthodox, like Anglicans, say that "priest" is only a contraction of the Greek word for elder, "presbyter." Orthodox priests are considered symbols of the presence of Christ in the community. Catholic priests, by contrast, are considered mediators between men and God. This difference is expressed in the Churches' different methods of Confession - in the Catholic Church, the priest listens to the penitent's confession, declares that the penitent is forgiven, and assigns acts of penance. In the Orthodox Church, the priest is merely a witness to the penitent's direct confession to God.
* Both agree that bishops should be ordained in a line of "apostolic succession" going back to the original apostles. * Both churches seem to prefer established relationships between the Church and the State, and are adverse to Church/State separation. The fastest growing Protestant traditions, like the Baptists and evangelicals, are generally avid proponents of Church/State separation. (Note that Catholicism encourages separation of Church and State in America due to Catholics' numerical minority, but opposes it in countries where Catholics are the majority.)
* Both Orthodoxy and Catholicism teach that the sacraments have real spiritual power, such as the transformation of the bread and wine into Christ's literal body and blood, and that salvation is dependent to some degree on partaking in the sacraments. Protestants usually regard salvation as coming through repentance and faith, with the sacraments being symbolic of the grace one receives through faith. The most recent edition of the Catholic Catechism, however, did concede that baptism has its salvific power as a result of one's faith, and both Orthodoxy and Catholicism have exceptions such as "baptism by blood" and "baptism by desire" that largely make baptism unnecessary for salvation as long as the deceased person didn't decline or seek to avoid being baptized.
* Both Orthodoxy and Catholicism have strong traditions of church art that include the use of idealized human forms, including depictions of Jesus, while Protestants have few if any human images in their churches due to the superstitious abuse of these images that was prevalent at the time of the Reformation. * Catholicism and Orthodoxy each claim that they are the one true Church - and that the other is a schismatic body that can no longer claim to be the one true Church. * Both revere the Virgin Mary and allow prayers to saints (actually, prayers are allowed to all dead Christians). Catholicism has dogmatically defined several doctrines in regards to Mary, such as her Immaculate Conception, that are not held as dogmas by the Orthodox. * Both Catholicism and Orthodoxy assert that the Bible must be understood in the context of "Holy Tradition," although Catholicism asserts that tradition consists of beliefs that are not found in the Bible, whereas Orthodoxy tends to view tradition as springing from the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit over the course of Church history. * Protestant worship tend to be much simpler and Protestants easily adapt their worship styles to different time periods and cultures. Orthodox fiercely resist adapting their worship (although some do hold their services in the local language), and Catholicism similarly resisted change until they instituted a new form of the Mass during Vatican II.
Protestantism and Catholicism have the following points in common against Orthodoxy:
* Both Protestantism and Catholicism have strong missionary traditions that have spread their faiths across the globe. In comparison, Orthodoxy has performed little missionary work in recent times, and tends to be strongly associated with ethno-national groups such as Greeks and Russians. Catholicism retains some ethnic associations, such as among the Irish and Portuguese, but has believers in many countries where Catholics are not the majority (like Britain and Germany). Evangelical Protestantism has no ethnic identity whatsoever, and the ethnic associations of older mainline Protestant denominations, such as Anglicanism and Lutheranism, is largely diminished in modern times. The lack of missionary activity among the Orthodox is largely attributable to persecution from Communists and Muslims.
* Dating from the Reformation, some forms of Protestantism (particularly Anglicanism and Lutheranism, and to a much lesser degree, Calvinism) retained certain Catholic terms and ideas, such as infant baptism and belief in original sin. Other groups, like the Baptists and Anabaptists, largely jettisoned Catholic beliefs in total. In general, the larger number of Protestants in various denominations have moved more and more towards Baptist-like ideas, away from the Catholic remnants in their traditions, except for some within the Episcopal/Anglican Church. Meanwhile, Catholicism has dogmatically proclaimed more doctrines since the time of the Reformation, particularly in regards to Papal Infallibility and the role of the Virgin Mary, moving itself further away from doctrinal agreement with Protestants. The three branches of Christianity disagree with each other on which books belong in the Old Testament. Nearly all Protestants agree that the Old Testament should be limited to the Jewish Bible. Catholics add a number of books to the Jewish Bible, which they assert were viewed as authoritative by early Christians. The Orthodox also add these books, and several others, and assert that the Old Testament Christians should use is not the Masoretic Text of the Jewish Bible, but the ancient Greek translation of the Jewish Bible called the Septuagint, which disagrees with the Masoretic Text in many places. Orthodox think that this translation preserves the original wording of the text, which may have been lost or corrupted in the existing Hebrew manuscripts, or that the differences were inspired by God. It is worth noting that the Septuagint is frequently quoted in the New Testament. Many observers think that Orthodoxy places more emphasis on Christ's divine nature, as is evidenced by the unearthly quality of Orthodox icons, while Western expressions of Christianity place more emphasis on Christ's humanity, as evidenced by the more realistic art in Catholic churches, the tolerance of emotional expression in some Protestant churches, and the unparalleled amount of attention Catholicism places on Christ's physical suffering and death.
Protestant and Catholic churches each contain Liberal theological movements. These movements generally hold that the Bible is not infallible but is instead a fallible human document, and that the miracles in the Bible are likely fables or metaphors and not real historical events. Liberal theology is dominant in Protestant denominations like the United Church of Christ and the Episcopal (Anglican) Church in North America and Britain. Liberal Catholics flowered after Vatican II, but have largely been silenced by the papacies of John Paul II and Benedict. Liberal Protestantism has declined in North America as evangelical Protestantism has risen in numbers. Charismatic or neo-Pentecostal spirituality that involves speaking in tongues and active use of "spiritual gifts" like prophecy and faith healing has a following in most Protestant denominations and the Catholic Church.
Where are the names of the 7 archangels found in the bible?
If taken over all Christianity the following is a list of names used by archangels:
Michael
Gabriel
Raphael
Lucifer (before the fall from grace)
Uriel
Phanel (Orfiel, Ophaniel)
Zarachiel
Saraqael
Simiel
Selaphiel (Sealtiel)
Jegudiel
Barachiel
Jermiel
Azrael
Maalik
Jesus
Adam
Also it is believed that there are thousands of other unnamed archangels
Did Orthodox church is the second largest denomination?
The Orthodox Church is not a denomination. The Orthodox Church is the original Christian church, founded by Jesus Christ and His apostles. "Denominations" are the Christian groups which trace their histories back to splitting off from the Orthodox faith.
What do you call a pardon sold by a priest?
When and how did the Great Schism begin?
The "Eastern Schism" (as it is known in the Roman Catholic Church) or "Great Schism" (as it is known in the Orthodox Church) can be dated to 1054, when Cardinal Humbert and two papal legates delivered a bull of excommunication against Patriarch Caerularius of Constantinople (as well as Leo of Achrida and their adherents); other sources give the date of the schism as 1056. However, things are not really that simple. There were fractures before 1054 between Eastern and Western Christianity, and there were temporary reconciliations afterwards. For a more thorough coverage of the schism, from both the Orthodox and Roman Catholic viewpoints, see the first two links below. There was also a Western Schism (referenced in the previous answers listed here) which lasted from 1378 to 1417, but this was a division within the Roman Catholic Church and had nothing to do with Eastern Orthodoxy. See the other link below for more information on this event. Answer The Western Schism or Great Schism lasted from A.D. 1378 until A.D.1417 and began when the Roman mobs forced the College of Cardinals to elect an Italian as a pope. The cardinals declared the election invalid saying that they had voted under a lot of pressure. Later they elected a second Italian pope who refused to resign and the church faced the problem of being led by two popes. This problem became known as the Great Schism.
Answer This happened soon after the Great Schism of 1054 AD. The year 1054 AD is generally regarded as the final date of the split in the Universal Church, which began in the year 800 AD when Charlemange set himself up as a rival king to the Eastern Roman Emperor in Constantinople. The year 800 marks the beginning of the separation between the Latin West and the Orthodox East, which concluded in 1054 with the mutual excommunications by Cardinal Humbertus and Patriarch Michael I of Constantinople in the Church of Hagia Sophia. From 1054 onwards, the Western Christians became known as Roman Catholics and the Eastern Christians became known as the Orthodox Church. first of all, it is when did the great schism begin and i dont know
Answer2: As time passed, efforts were made to translate the Bible into the languages that people commonly spoke. Few could read the Bible in the Hebrew or Greek in which it was written. Almost 300 years before Jesus lived on earth, work began on translating the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. That translation is known as the Greek Septuagint. Some 700 years later, Jerome produced a famous translation known as the Vulgate. This was a rendering of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures into Latin, which was the common tongue of the Roman Empire of that time.
Later, Latin began to fade as a common language. Only the well-educated maintained familiarity with Latin, and the Catholic Church resisted efforts to translate the Bible into other languages. Religious leaders argued that Hebrew, Greek, and Latin were the only suitable Bible languages.
In the ninth century C.E., Methodius and Cyril, Thessalonian missionaries acting on behalf of the Eastern Church in Byzantium, promoted the use of Slavic as a church language. Their goal was to enable the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe, who understood neither Greek nor Latin, to learn about God in their own language.
These missionaries, however, met with fierce opposition from German priests, who sought to impose Latin as a defense against the expanding influence of Byzantine Christianity. Clearly, politics were more important to them than people's religious education. Increasing tensions between the Western and Eastern branches of Christendom led to the division between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy in 1054.
True, the Orthodox Church has historically always taught and preached in the local language of the people (as this is a requirement of the Bible) and has done so for many centuries, especially during the height of the Byzantine Empire. Unfortunately, this has not happened as much in recent decades, due to the political and economic decline of many traditionally Orthodox nations.
What date do Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas?
Those who follow the Julian (Old Calendar) celebrate Christmas on 7 January.
Those who follow the Gregorian (New Calendar) celebrate Christmas on 25 December.
Generally speaking, most Greek churches now use the New Calendar, while the Russians and Serbians continue to use the original Julian Calendar.
Armenians celebrate Christmas on January 6.
How many followers are there in Orthodox Christianity?
There are currently approximately 225-300 million Orthodox Christians throughout the world today.
What is the difference between Greek Orthodox Church and Ukrainian Orthodox Church?
The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian church. All Christian churches share the belief that Jesus Christ is God, born on Earth as a man, and that salvation, or freedom from sin, is to be attained by following Christ as one's personal Lord and Saviour.
Just as doctrine varies among other Christian churches, the Orthodox Church has doctrine that sets it apart. Some notable points are the Orthodox perspectives on the meaning of salvation, the concept of heaven and hell, and whether the Bible is to be interpreted literally.
If you would like to investigate the differences between Eastern Orthodoxy and other Christian churches such as Catholicism and various Protestant denominations, a wealth of information is available at the Orthodox Church of America's website, which you will find in the related links section.
What was the split between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox called?
The break between the Orthodox churches and Rome is called the Great Schism. This means breakage or split and implies internal violence- like the words schizophrenia- split personality disorder, and not too removed from Seismic- dealing with earthquake shocks. It was a Big shock in l054. a Massive Nebula was also discovered in that year and was visible in Daylight in the Middle East- I believe it was the Crab Nebula, might have been then forming as a Nova of a spent star. Coincidence indeed.
What language did the eastern orthodox speak?
There is not one specific language used in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The language which should be used in the services depends on which country the Orthodox Church is in, and also on the language spoken by the majority of the people in a congregation. For example, Orthodox Churches in Japan use Japanese for their services, and Orthodox Churches in the USA, Britain and Australia should use English for their services. However, where there is a specific need to accommodate the needs of a particular parish, the language spoken by those parishioners can also be used.
The Orthodox Church does not believe that there is such a thing as a 'holy language' or a 'liturgical language' because the Bible states that the language to be used in the church must be one that is understood by the people (I Corinthians 14:19).
What will be the holiday shopping hours for Target this holiday season?
FYI
Almost all major department stores are open on New Year's Day (as opposed to Christmas, where nearly all major dept stores are closed). The hours of operation may vary from branch to branch.
(Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Kroger's and Kohl's retail stores are all examples of stores that will be open on New Year's Day.)
If New Year's falls on a Sunday...
there are certain Blue Laws that may apply (especially in NJ) so be sure to check for your store's local hours.
For 2011
Most Targets hours' on New years Day are 8:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M
What is the proper form of address with respect to an Eastern Christian Orthodox priest?
In a formal way you can write down "Rev.", but less formal is "Fr.". If you address a priest while you are speaking with him, he is called "Fr. ...". For example: "Father Robert". This is how it is done in the USA. I am not sure if you address a priest differently outside the USA.
What christian religion doesn't have a Christmas tree?
Yes. Although they do not celebrate Christmas for Santa Claus, presents, etc they still follow the traditions that most people follow. They will usually put a tree up if they have small children.
Did the eastern orthodox church fight in the crusades?
No, it has never been in a war, and it has never conducted a Crusade or an Inquisition.
What purpose did icons serve in the Eastern Orthodox church?
Icons were (and still are) important because they have been used continuously in the church for over 2,000 years.
Icons are holy images that declare the presence of the kingdom of God in the church. They are not only 'visual aids' but representations of the living saints who we honour. Honouring the righteous saints of God is confirmed in the Bible. (Prov. 10:7, Rev 5:8, 8:3-4).
Jesus Christ Himself is also referred to in the Bible as "the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15 and 2Corinthians 4:4).
Honouring the holy icons is an essential part of our Faith, as confirmed by the Church Fathers and the Bible. (Seventh Ecumenical Council, 787 AD, Exodus 26:31, Hebrews 9:5).
Icons are honoured/venerated, but they are not worshipped. Only God is worshipped.
