The Oriental Orthodox Church is a communion of six churches within Eastern Christianity that rejected the teachings on the nature of Christ by the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD. These churches are the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
The key Christological difference between the Oriental Orthodox churches and the rest of Eastern Christianity, known as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is over the nature of Christ. The Oriental Orthodox insist that Christ has one unified nature that is both divine and human, rejecting the Eastern Orthodox teaching that Christ has two natures, one divine and one human, that exist in hypostatic union. This Christological dispute originated with the Council of Chalcedon.
Here is a brief overview of the key events and beliefs of the Oriental Orthodox churches:
Background on the Council of Chalcedon
In 451 AD, the Council of Chalcedon was held to address various Christological controversies. The Council affirmed that Christ has two natures that exist together in one person or hypostasis. However, the Oriental Orthodox rejected this dyophysite Christology, believing that it ran counter to the Christology of Cyril of Alexandria which emphasized the unity of Christ’s personhood.
The Oriental Orthodox argued that recognizing Christ’s humanity separately from his divinity divided him into two persons, which they saw as equivalent to Nestorianism. They preferred a miaphysite Christology which viewed Christ as having one nature out of the union of divinity and humanity, rather than two separate natures.
The Oriental Orthodox Churches
The six churches that rejected Chalcedon and hold to miaphysitism are:
- The Coptic Orthodox Church – Based in Egypt and lead by the Patriarch of Alexandria. The Coptic Orthodox Church dates back to the first century AD and the apostolic ministry of Mark the Evangelist in Alexandria. It has around 20 million members worldwide.
- The Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch – Traces its origins to the first century AD and venerates the apostle Peter as its founder. Its members number around 5 million worldwide.
- The Armenian Apostolic Church – Regarded as having been founded by the apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus during the first century AD. It has around 9 million followers.
- The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church – Based in India and derives from the missionary activity of Thomas the Apostle. It has around 2.5 million members.
- The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church – Formed in the mid-20th century through a merger of various groups within Eritrea. It has around 2 million adherents.
- The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church – Traces its origins to the fourth century Byzantine mission of Frumentius to Axum. It is the largest Oriental Orthodox church with around 45 million followers.
Distinctive Theological Views
In addition to their distinctive miaphysite Christology, the Oriental Orthodox churches share other common theological convictions, including:
- Emphasis on apostolic succession and patristic tradition
- Veneration of saints and intercession of the Theotokos (Mary)
- Practice infant baptism, chrismation, and other sacraments
- Hold to divine liturgies traceable back to great antiquity
- Monasticism is emphasized along with ascetic disciplines
- Have retained their ancient languages (Coptic, Classical Syriac, Ge’ez) for liturgy
There is diversity among the Oriental Orthodox churches on matters like observance of dietary laws and Sabbath, prayers for the dead, clergy marriage, and calendar. But they share a common core based on rejection of Chalcedon Christology, apostolic succession, liturgical heritage, and other traditions.
Relationship to Other Christian Groups
The Oriental Orthodox Church stands in contrast with the Eastern Orthodox Church, which condemned its miaphysite position as heretical. Attempts at reconciliation have taken place, such as an agreement in 1990 where mutual lifting of anathemas was agreed to, but full restoration of communion has not occurred.
In the 16th century a portion of the Syriac Orthodox Church entered into communion with the Roman Catholic Church, forming the Syriac Catholic Church as part of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Some other small breakaway groups from the Oriental Orthodox also entered into union with Rome.
Dialogue is ongoing between the Oriental Orthodox and the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant churches. The varying degrees of distance in faith and practice leads to different levels of mutual recognition and reconciliation between them.
In 1964, the Oriental Orthodox entered into full communion with the Church of the East based on common Christological understandings, though this agreement was short-lived.
Recent Developments
Here are some noteworthy recent events and changes within the Oriental Orthodox churches:
- In 1959 the Armenian Apostolic Church formally joined the World Council of Churches.
- The Ethiopian church opened membership to Africans beyond Ethiopia in 1970.
- The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church held its first Holy Synod in 2002 after gaining autonomy from the Syriac Orthodox Church.
- Dialogues between Oriental Orthodox and Roman Catholic leaders resulted in a Common Christological Declaration in 1994 to address theological differences.
- Efforts at reclaiming ancient Christian sites such as the Deir Sultan monastery in Jerusalem have caused tensions with other groups in recent decades.
- Persecution in the 20th century saw mass killings of Oriental Orthodox Christians in Armenia and Ethiopia.
The 20th century was difficult for Oriental Orthodoxy but was also marked by great strides in ecumenism and self-governance. The 21st century presents opportunities for greater unity and cooperation with fellow apostolic churches, along with new challenges of secularism and dwindling adherence among youth.
Conclusion
In summary, the Oriental Orthodox churches uphold several key tenets:
- They reject the dual nature Christology of Chalcedon, affirming instead a miaphysite understanding of Christ as having one divine-human nature.
- They share a common liturgical, spiritual, and theological heritage traceable back to the earliest apostolic church.
- Their divisions from Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism stem from the Council of Chalcedon, though bridges continue to be built.
- Oriental Orthodoxy encompasses six churches worldwide with over 60 million devout members led by patriarchs and ancient traditions.
- Though facing modern challenges, these churches retain the faith of historic Christianity shaped by Greek theology, early church fathers, resistance to imperial power, and indigenous culture.
This ancient apostolic communion continues to live out its faith with devotion to the living Christ, adherence to Holy Tradition, and hope in the reconciliation of all believers in the one true faith delivered once for all to the saints. Their witness is an important part of the rich heritage of the undivided church.
