Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church is one of the oldest religious institutions in the world, teaching that it is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church established by Jesus Christ and his Apostles. It is composed of several self-governing ecclesial bodies, each geographically and nationally distinct but theologically unified. Each self-governing (or autocephalous) body, often but not always encompassing a nation, is shepherded by a Holy Synod whose duty, among other things, is to preserve and teach the apostolic and patristic traditions and the faith handed down from the Apostles.
History[edit | edit source]
The Eastern Orthodox Church's history can be traced back to Jesus Christ and the Apostles, but it is specifically the church of the Seven Ecumenical Councils and the Byzantine Empire. Its patriarchates, reminiscent of the pentarchy, and autocephalous and autonomous churches reflect a variety of hierarchical organisation. It recognizes seven major sacraments, of which the Eucharist is the principal one, celebrated liturgically in synaxis. The church teaches that through consecration invoked by a priest the sacrificial bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ.
Theology[edit | edit source]
Eastern Orthodox theology is based on the Nicene Creed, and the church teaches that it is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic church established by Jesus Christ in his Great Commission, and that its bishops are the successors of Christ's apostles. It maintains that it practices the original Christian faith, passed down by Sacred Tradition. It regards itself as the custodian and the interpreter of the Seven Ecumenical Councils, held between the 4th and the 8th century.
Liturgy[edit | edit source]
The Eastern Orthodox Church operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops in local synods. The church has no central doctrinal or governance authority analogous to the Pope in Rome, but the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is recognised by all as primus inter pares ("first among equals") and regarded as the spiritual leader of the church.
See Also[edit | edit source]
- History of the Eastern Orthodox Church
- Theology of the Eastern Orthodox Church
- Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church
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