The Eastern Orthodox Church
by Pastor Walter Snyder

Q: Can you tell me a bit about the Eastern Orthodox Church, please?

Q: What do the Russian Orthodox believe?

A: The Eastern Orthodox Church developed in the eastern Roman Empire. "Orthodox" means
"right teaching"; the name grew from the theological conflicts of the first few centuries AD. Its
history is intertwined with the Western Church, especially including Roman Catholicism, but
culture, language, and temperament contributed to differences which eventually resulted in a
major rift. Its various churches are led by Patriarchs, or senior bishops. They are self-governing
and without centralized authority. The ancient patriarchates are Constantinople, Alexandria,
Antioch, and Jerusalem. Later ones include Bulgaria, Serbia, Moscow, and Romania. Other
Orthodox churches look to these for direction.

Eastern theologians include Ignatius, Polycarp, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of
Nyssa, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Eusebius of Caesarea, John Chrysostom, Athanasius, Cyril
of Alexandria, and Cyril of Jerusalem. The East strongly influenced the first seven great church
councils, leading the defense against heresies of Arius, Nestorius, and others. As Islam spread, the
East's world-wide influence suffered and the Roman Church gained ascendency.

East-West conflicts included Easter's celebration, the Iconoclastic Controversy (involving the use
of certain types of art in worship and devotion), and wording about Jesus in the Nicene Creed (the
Filioque Controversy). In AD 1054 the leaders of East and West excommunicated each other's
bodies. Meanwhile, most deep theological exploration ended as John of Damascus summarized
the work of earlier fathers in a system of theology. The fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman
Turks in 1453 further weakened the Orthodox Church's influence. Due to its missionaries,
Orthodoxy spread eastward and the Russian Orthodox Church is over 1000 years old. It was
corrupted by communism and Soviet sponsored bishops but gained strength before the Soviet
Union broke apart and has largely returned to its pre-Communist roots.

East and West had basic doctrinal agreement during Christianity's first eight centuries, exceptions
including those named above. For much of the next 900 years, the Eastern Church accepted no
further creeds and did little to further formalize its doctrinal position. It kept to traditional forms,
viewing innovations as heresy. Thus, it didn't follow Roman Catholicism's later teachings on the
penitential system, clergy celibacy, and papal supremacy and infallibility. It considers the mysteries
(sacraments) as the heritage of Christ and His apostles where a visible sign combines with a
spiritual factor to benefit soul and body. Proper piety involves following a prescribed course of
action. The East uses icons (usually paintings, mosaics, or tapestries of Christ or the saints) for
worship and veneration. It teaches intercession, invocation, and veneration of the saints.

The Liturgy holds Eastern Orthodoxy together. Services, mysteries, other sacred acts, relics, and
icons unite the believer mystically with God. These visible, tangible means establish union with
God. The Divine Liturgy (the service of the Lord's Supper) stands above all else because the
others draw holiness from it, because Christ established it, and because it joins the believer, by
communion of the body and blood of Christ, directly to God.

After the Orthodox Church accepted the doctrinal decisions of the first seven ecumenical councils,
its system continued without change until anti-Roman and anti-Protestant writings came in the
17th Century. Its doctrine is preached and taught in its members' native languages.

Western Christians, whether Roman Catholic, Lutheran, or Protestant share much of the East's
doctrinal heritage. Even in areas of disagreement, many scholars think that misunderstanding each
other's terminology and perspective make the differences seem larger than they are.

The Eastern Church can teach the West much about perseverance during persecution. The
followers of Mohammed and Marx inflicted untold suffering on the Eastern Church. Russians,
Armenians, and others suffered deaths in the millions because of Islam and Communism.

Eastern Orthodoxy has recently been attracting many people from parts of Western Christendom.
Longing for stability and spiritual depth in worship. younger Protestants, especially from among
the Evangelical Churches, have swelled Eastern Orthodoxy's ranks in the United States. The rich,
formal language and ritual of the Liturgy contrasts with what they see as barren practice in much
of the West. They see greater spiritual benefit from standing through two, three, or more hours of
traditional, ritualistic, and solemn song, chant, prayer, and communion than in sitting through
ever-changing, hour-long, rock-inspired praise festivals. Rather than viewing the service as a
means to glorify, praise, or please God, they see it as a means for God to bless and glorify them.
They don't look for their church to have its finger on the pulse of current culture and trends.
Instead, they seek the lifeblood they share with generations gone before.

Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of
the book "What Do Lutherans Believe."

Ask the Pastor, © 2004 by Walter P. Snyder. It may be reproduced in totality, including this disclaimer,
by anyone, provided that no profit is generated by said republication and redistribution. Translations
into other languages should similarly note the United States and any appropriate international
copyrights, as well as God's Scriptural injunctions concerning the property of others.