Christianity: Difference between revisions

* Eastern Orthodox—Established as a distinct entity in 1054 when the Pope and the Byzantine Patriarch mutually excommunicated each other (the question of who exactly broke off from whom is a millennium-old flame war, [[Serious Business|literally]]). Similar to Catholicism in theology and practice, the Eastern Orthodox Church is a collection of related churches, usually of an ethnic or cultural makeup. Whatever language this group traditionally used is the language of their religious ceremonies (as Latin was for the Roman Catholic Church until recently). The main triggers for the split were Papal supremacy and whether the phrase ''filioque'' (and the Son) should be inserted into the Nicene Creed, as Eastern Orthodoxy insists that it throws off the delicate balance of the Trinity's interrelationship, which they labored so hard to establish intellectually. A further divergence from Western Christianity arose during the Hesychast Controversy of the 14th century, which resulted in the official denial of absolute divine simplicity, a view held by Roman Catholics as well as most Protestants and which (ironically) is too complex to describe here. The most commonly known churches in this group are the Greek Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox church. Widely known for their practice of iconography, the making of small icons that depict saints, martyrs and other holy figures. Also on a different calendar than the Western churches, so that Easter (or Pascha, rather) and related holy days don't coincide with the ones being observed around them. (Convenient when Orthodox Christmas falls after Western Christmas - can you say clearance sale?) Like Catholics, Orthodox Christians recognize seven sacraments and venerate saints, many of whom they share in common with Catholics.▼

* Oriental Orthodox—Not to be confused with Eastern Orthodox, this is a collection of national churches structured similar to the Eastern Orthodox Church who do not accept the Council of Chalcedon (451). The Coptic (i.e. Egyptian), Ethiopian, Syrian, Indian and Armenian Churches are examples. Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestants sometimes label them as Eutychians (who believe that the human nature of Christ was united with and overwhelmed by the divine nature), but they self-define themselves as miaphysites (who believe in one ('mia') united nature ('physis') in which the human attributes are not overwhelmed). They consider the dyophysitism of Chalcedonian Christians to be at best crypto-Nestorian. (If you didn't understand any of that, don't worry, you've got something in common with 99% of us Christians). Much in the way that the Eastern Orthodox recognize the Patriarch of Constantinople as first among equals, the Oriental Orthodox recognize the Patriarch of Alexandria (who confusingly lives in Cairo), the head of the Coptic Church, as the first-among-equals "head" of the communion; despite the style "Pope," he actually has no authority over the rest of the churches (merely influence). The most recent Coptic Pope, Shenouda III, died in 2012.▼

** Assyrian Church of the East—On its own since 424, that while traditionally based in Mesopotamia it's expanded all over the world.▼

** Ancient Church of the East—Split off from the above over reforms in 1964, based in Baghdad.▼

** Chaldean Catholic Church—Technically a Rite in the Catholic Church that would fall under eastern Catholicism above this church left the Assyrian Church of the East in 1553 to join the Roman Church.▼