Six Things You Did Not Know About the Oriental Orthodox Churches

Most of the readers to this substack will know most of their Christian denominations. There are the Protestants of a gazillion varieties, Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and Greek/Eastern Orthodox, but there are also the Oriental Orthodox Churches.

Now I know the term “Oriental” has now passed from scholarly use, but this is the term that they used to designate themselves. But who are these Oriental Orthodox Churches?

Photo by Stefania C. on Unsplash

Thanks to my dear friend Elke Speliopoulos, below is a list of six things you probably did not know about Oriental Orthodox Churches.

For most of you, it will be a case of, “I literally know nothing about Oriental Orthodox Churches.” Well, in any case, here are six things from Elke that will lead you to say, “I learned something new today!”

First, the Oriental Orthodox are not the same group as Eastern Orthodoxy

While Eastern or Greek Orthodoxy is generally not well-known in the Western world, fewer people realize that the Oriental Orthodox churches split from the Eastern Orthodox churches in A.D. 451 around the time of the Council of Chalcedon.

Oriental Orthodox Churches adhere to a miaphysite Christology, stressing the unity of Christ’s two natures, whereas Eastern Orthodox churches hold to a dyophysite Christology (i.e., Chalcedonic). Since then, the two Orthodox groups have not been in communion with each other, meaning that members of an Oriental Orthodox church cannot participate in the Eucharist as part of the Divine Liturgy of an Eastern Orthodoxy parish and vice versa.

Second, among the Oriental Christians are six churches, three rites, one faith

The Oriental Orthodox comprise six churches:

1.      The Armenian Orthodox Church

2.      The Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch

3.      The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

4.      The Coptic Orthodox Church

5.      The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

6.      The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church

Many also consider the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church an Oriental Orthodox Church, however, they are not part of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches (SCOOCH). As such, they are excluded from the count above. The Indian Orthodox Churches are also in a schismatic relationship with the other Oriental Orthodox Churches.

Third, across the six Oriental Orthodox churches, three rites are in use:

1.      The Armenian Rite (used by the Armenian church).

2.      The West Syriac Rite (used by the Syriac Orthodox and Malankara churches).

3.      The Alexandrian Rite (used by the Coptic, Ethiopian, and Eritrean churches).

All of the differences in tradition do not change the fact that all stand by one faith, defined by the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed.

Fourth, Oriental Orthodox churches are spread all over the world.

One thing many of the Oriental churches have in common is the diaspora groups found in Western parts of the world. Whether war, genocide, or other contributing factors brought them there, many of the Oriental believers now worship in the West.

With this geographical change also comes the question of preserving the ancient languages. Some find this more manageable, some harder. In particular, the Syriac Orthodox Church struggles to hang on to ancient Syriac.

Fifth, the Oriental churches have varying liturgical traditions.

Among the Oriental churches, Armenian Christians use unleavened bread. All other Oriental Orthodox Christians use leavened bread. There are also differences in clergy vestments and how the Eucharist is served in churches.

Sixth, there is a difference in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed used in the West-Syriac rite.

One particularity in the Syriac Orthodox church is that the phrase “Mother of God” is added after “Virgin Mary” in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. This highlights one particular theological dispute of the early church councils which stressed that Mary gave birth to the God-man, not just the human Messiah.