Eastern Orthodoxy

Brief Overview

The term Orthodox stems from Greek, meaning “right belief” or correct thinking. The Eastern Orthodox Church recognizes the authority of the Councils of Nicea 325 CE, Constantinople I (381), Ephesus (431) Chalcedon (451) Constantinople II (553), Constantinople III (680) and Nicaea II (787). These doctrines also align with the Western Church. In 1054, a Great Schism occurred between the East and West. The main contested issues were on papal authority and the Filioque. (Read my post for more on this splitting, and see more on the Ecumenical Councils).

• 

---

Beliefs

Worldview

• The Orthodox tradition believes that there are things far beyond the rational mind’s ability to comprehend.
• It believes in miracles
• It is focused on absolute truth, and it believes that there are invisible + visible components to our world
• It uses both Scripture and Tradition in order to interpret the inspired works of the Bible and reveal the faith
• Reject Belief in Rationalism 
  • The Orthodox Church believes that one solely relying on his own thoughts and his own beliefs is rather ego-centric. It does not believe that our will is better than any others. Although we are rational beings, we are to submit ourselves to God’s will, not our own.
• Reject Belief in Empiricism
  • Empiricists believe that our knowledge of the world can only come through scientific study and observation. While there is significant evidence supporting some Orthodox teachings historically and scientifically, absolute truth cannot be obtained by the mere senses. The Church believes in divine revelation and in faith, which should not have to be “proven.”
• Reject Belief in Humanism/Individualism
  • Individualists believe that one must find his or her “own” truth through a rational means. It is very subjective. Individualists reject the idea of faith or in supernaturally revealed texts, whereas the Orthodox Church supports both. The Church believes individualism is why our world is so secular today and not dependent on religion.
• Reject Belief in Relativism
  • The Church rejects the idea of judgement according to what is “true” for one person or another. Rather, it believes in objectivism, including universal moral absolutes, ethical principles, and universal truths.

Here is a very good elaboration of the Orthodox Worldview

---

Cosmology – Role of the Universe

• Genesis is not believed to be a literal understanding of the world being created in 6 days
• The world exists according to laws established by God
• God created the world out of Nothing
• Accepts Philosophical, Theological, and Scientific cosmological theories for a full understanding of the origins of the world
• The universe contains heaven and hell, but not purgatory
• There are 3 ages in the Christian understanding of time: The Age of the Father (before Christ), the Age of the Son (Christ’s life), and the Age of the Spirit (after Christ’s Ascension until the final judgement)

Christian Cosmological History

Cosmology with a Modern Perspective

---

Theology – Study of God

• God transcends space and time…He exists outside of it and within it
• Belief in the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) – The Holy Spirit precedes from the Father (but not the Son)
• God is one, spirit, all-powerful, infinite, perfect, self-sufficient (He created us out of love, not necessity), unchanging, living, and all-knowing

---

Anthropology – Role of Human Beings

• Human beings are inherently good
• The consequence of original sin is death, and we also bear this consequence (Catholic vs Orthodox notion of ‘original sin’)
• The Orthodox Church does not believe in inherited culpability, or in the “human condition;” however, we are subject to sinful tendencies
• All baptized believers are part of the Mystical Body of Christ (MBOC)
• We are all called to a life reject a sinful way of living, to recognize misguided assumptions made by our society, and to change our behaviors to be more like Christ (See Faith vs Works)
• The human person is a hylomorphic unity of body + soul

---

Soteriology – Salvation

• Salvation is through faith and works, but not in the “we must earn our salvation sense that many Protestants claim)
• It is a life-long journey in which one tries to become more like God
  • Purification – becoming sinless
  • Illumination – being filled with divine light, and shining His likeness in how we behave toward others
  • Divinization – The entire process of becoming like God
• Salvation is understood as freedom from the consequences of sin (death and eternal separation from God)
• In Baptism, we are cleansed of original sin & “born again” into a new life for Christ

---

Eschatology – the End of Times

• Eternal damnation or life is dependent upon one’s response to God’s love
• The Orthodox Church has a non-traditional notion of hell, where in fact… it may be in the same place as Paradise
• God is believed to be present in all things
• The Final Coming (Second Coming of Christ) is when all men will be judged.
• There is not a clear teaching on “what happens after death“

---

Sacraments and Rituals

Sacraments

Baptism and Chrismation

Baptism of adults and infants is by immersion in water three times in the name of the Trinity and is both the initiation into the Church and a sign of forgiveness of sins. Chrismation (similar to Catholic Confirmation) follows immediately after baptism and is by anointing with holy oil called Chrism, which is consecrated by the chief Bishop or Patriarch, which “seals them with the gift of the Holy Spirit”

The Eucharist

The Orthodox believe that by the consecration the bread and wine are truly changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. Communion is given in a spoon containing both the bread and the wine and is received standing. At the end of the Liturgy blessed, but not consecrated, bread is distributed to the congregation, and non-Orthodox are often invited to share in this as a gesture of fellowship.

Holy Orders

This sacrament includes the ordination of new priests and bishops. The Bishops in the Orthodox Church are believed to be the direct successors of the original Apostles, and they are very much a unifying focus in the Church. They must be celibate, whereas priests in the Orthodox Church are permitted to be married before, but not after, ordination.

Penance

The Mystery of Penance, or Confession, allows sinners to receive forgiveness. In Greek speaking Churches, only priests who have been blessed by the Bishop as ‘Spiritual Fathers’ can hear confessions. Children can receive their first Confession at the ‘age of reason,’ about 8, in which they can distinguish right from wrong. Confessions occur in an open area of the Church, apart from anyone’s ears. The priest does not forgive sins, but God does through the priest. The priest may give advice, and then he will say the prayer of absolution over the penitent (person receiving the sacrament).

Anointing of the sick/ Holy Unction

In Greek-speaking Churches this is performed annually for the whole congregation during Holy Week on the eve of Holy Wednesday. It can also be performed on individuals.

The Church anoints the sick with oil, following the teaching of St James in his Epistle (5:14-15).

This sacrament,’, remarks Sergius Bulgakov, ‘has two faces: one turns towards healing, the other towards the liberation from illness by death.

Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church

Marriage

Marriage is celebrated through the rite of crowning, showing the importance of eternal union of the couple. Marriage is seen as a permanent commitment between one man and one woman in life and in death, but divorce/remarriage can be allowed in certain circumstances.

---

Rituals

Fasting and prayer

There are four main fasting periods in the Orthodox Church:

• The Great Fast/ Lent
• The Fast of the Apostles: Eight days after Pentecost until 28th June. The ends with the Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
• The Dormition Fast which begins on 1st August and ends on the 14th August
• The Christmas Fast from 15 November to 24th December.

Also all Wednesdays and Fridays are expected to be days of fasting.

Orthodox Christians believe in the significance of both public and personal prayer.

---

Church Leadership

The head of the Eastern Orthodox Church is the Patriarch of Constantinople; however, he has no real authority over churches other than his own. He is viewed as an equal among other church Patriarchs. There are 15 autocephalous Churches, which are led by Patriarchs, Archbishops, or Metropolitans, based upon the Church’s tradition, and a few autonomous churches.

---

Role of Mary and the Saints

Mary is the virgin mother of Christ as well as someone who did not sin, although, her sinlessness is not due to the same understanding as the Roman Catholic tradition; it was her choice, and not because she was without sin her entire life. Thus, Orthodox traditions do not believe in the Immaculate Conception due to their different understanding of original sin.

Unlike Protestant branches however, the Orthodox Church does venerate Mary as well as the Saints. Worshipers constantly will ask for their intercessions. In fact, many churches are filled with icons representing these holy persons to assist veneration.

Icons

Icons are beautiful and elaborate paintings described as “windows into the kingdom of God”. They can be considered both iconic and presentational signs of God’s presence. They often have a gold leaf background and are usually on wood. They depict Christ Mary, scenes from the Bible, or the lives of the Saints. The icon is seen as both a form of prayer and a means to prayer.

Icons are venerated and often candles and oil lamps are burnt before them.

In most Orthodox churches the Altar is separated from the main body of the church by a solid screen (known as the iconostasis), which contains three doors, with the Holy Door in the center. The screen is decorated with icons, often of Christ, Mary, and the saint the Church is dedicated to.

Some fascinating articles about icons:

Why do Icons Weep?

Icons, Miracles, and Russian Orthodoxy

Icons of Mary, Mother of God (Theotokos)

---

Sacred Text and Writings

The Bible is the same as most Western Churches, except it’s Old Testament is based upon the ancient Jewish translation into Greek called the Septuagint.

Sacred Texts

---

Fascinating Articles:

What Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Disagree about

Catholics and Orthodox reuniting?

Britannica on Eastern Orthodoxy

Great Resources to Learn More:

The Orthodox Calendar

The Orthodox Service Liturgy:

• The Liturgy of St John Chrysostom (used on Sundays and weekdays)
• The Liturgy of St Basil the Great (used 10 times a year)
• The Liturgy of St James, the Brother of the Lord (sometimes used on St James’ Day)
• The Liturgy of the Presanctified (used on Wednesdays and Fridays in Lent and on the first three days of Holy Week)