Essentially the Orthodox Church shares much with the other Christian Churches in the belief that God revealed himself in Jesus Christ, and a belief in the incarnation of Christ, his crucifixion and resurrection. The Orthodox Church differs substantially in the way of life and worship.
Why are icons important to the Orthodox Church?
Orthodox Christians view icons as visual representations of the people and stories of the Bible. … Orthodox Christians view icons as visual representations of God and do not believe that the images have a spiritual quality.
What are the parts of an Orthodox church?
The Church building is divided into three main parts: the narthex (vestibule), the nave (the temple proper) and the sanctuary (also called the altar or holy place). A major difference of traditional Orthodox churches from Western churches is the absence of any pews in the nave.
What is the purpose of the Orthodox Church?
The contribution of the Orthodox Church in realizing peace, justice, freedom, fraternity and love between peoples, and in the removal of racial and other discriminations.
Why is the Eastern Orthodox Church important?
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, as passed down by holy tradition.
What do icons mean in the Orthodox Church?
Thus, icons are words in painting; they refer to the history of salvation and to its manifestation in concrete persons. In the Orthodox Church “icons have always been understood as a visible gospel, as a testimony to the great things given man by God the incarnate Logos”.
How are Orthodox icons used in worship?
Icons are of great importance to Orthodox Christians. These beautiful and elaborate paintings are described as “windows into the kingdom of God”. They are used in worship both in the decoration of the church and for private homes. The icon is seen as both a form of prayer and a means to prayer.
How is Orthodox different from Catholic?
The Catholic Church believes the pope to be infallible in matters of doctrine. Orthodox believers reject the infallibility of the pope and consider their own patriarchs, too, as human and thus subject to error. … Most Orthodox Churches have both ordained married priests and celibate monastics, so celibacy is an option.
What came first Catholic or Orthodox?
The two were once one so originally there was no separation, and originally it was just the “Christian Church.” The Orthodox church is considered the original church now because they follow more of the old traditions than Roman Catholics do; more changes happened in the Catholic church after the east west schism than …
What is the meaning of Orthodox?
1a : conforming to established doctrine especially in religion orthodox principles the orthodox interpretation. b : conventional took an orthodox approach to the problem orthodox medicine. 2 capitalized : of, relating to, or constituting any of various conservative religious or political groups: such as.
What Bible does the Orthodox Church use?
The Orthodox Study Bible uses the New King James Version of the Bible as the basis for a fresh translation of the Septuagint text. The Septuagint is the Greek version of the Bible used by Christ, the Apostles, and the early church.
Who is the leader of the Orthodox Church?
The council is being organized by his rival, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christianity.
Can Orthodox priests marry?
Under Orthodox rules, a celibate priest cannot marry after ordination, and a non-celibate priest cannot remarry and remain a priest, even if his wife dies, he said. Widowers who remain celibate can become bishops, but that’s happened just once.
What is the difference between Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches?
The primary theological difference between the two communions is the differing Christology. Oriental Orthodoxy rejects the Chalcedonian Definition, and instead adopts the miaphysite formula, believing that the human and divine natures of Christ are united.
Why is the Orthodox cross different?
The Russian Orthodox cross differs from the Western cross. The cross usually has three crossbeams, two horizontal and the third one is a bit slanted. The middle bar was where Christ’s hands were nailed. … Thus bottom bar of the cross is like the scale of justice and its points show the way to the Hell and Heaven.
What makes a religion orthodox?
Orthodox means adhering to accepted norms and creeds – especially in religion. In Christianity, the term means “conforming to the Christian faith as represented in the creeds of the early Church.” The Orthodox Church is one of the three main Christian groups – the others are the Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches.