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The Orthodox Faith
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Top Links to Begin Researching and Learning About the Orthodox Faith
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What is Orthodoxy?
The
Orthodox Church was founded by our Lord Jesus Christ and is
the living manifestation of His presence in the history of the
mankind. The most conspicuous characteristics of Orthodoxy are
its rich liturgical life and faithfulness to Apostolic
tradition.
Orthodox
Christians believe that their Church has fully preserved the
tradition of the ancient Church in contrast to other Christian
denominations which departed from the common tradition of
first-millennium Christianity. The Orthodox Church numbers 300
million Christians.
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What is “Orthodox Christianity”?
From “A Short History of the
Holy Trinity Monastery,” Jordanville, N.Y. 1972.
Orthodox
Christianity is the Church just as it came out of the hands of
Christ, and just as the holy Apostles handed it down to us:
pure, undefiled, and unadulterated.
Over
two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to
earth and founded the Church through His Apostles and
disciples for the salvation of men. The teachings of the
Apostles and the Church spread far in the years which
followed; many Churches were founded, but all were united in
faith, worship and the partaking of the sacraments.
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Prologue
The
Orthodox Church is the oldest Christian body in the world. It is One,
Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic, meaning that the Orthodox Church
maintains an unbroken tradition from Jesus Christ and the Apostles to
today. It is the first Christian church. It is the Church that was
established by Jesus Christ and it is the institution found in the
pages of the New Testament.
So
just what is Orthodoxy? Orthodoxy literally means “true worship” or
“true belief.” We are Orthodox because we believe in the teachings as
defined in the Bible, the canons of the Seven Ecumenical Councils, and
the writings of the early Church Fathers. Our basic statement of faith
is the Nicene Creed and the Bible takes a prominent role in our
worship and beliefs.
For
the first millennia of Christian history, there was one Church.
However, in the eleventh century, the Western Church under the Pope of
Rome broke off from the Orthodox Church. The Pope asserted that he was
the head of the Church, while the Orthodox professed that Christ was
the head of the Church. This caused a disastrous and fractious ripple
which would echo throughout Christendom leading up to the Protestant
Reformation and to the present day.
For
centuries, Orthodoxy’s center was Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, immigrants from
these countries brought their faith to the New World. Because of North
America’s ties to Western culture and religion, Orthodox immigrants
were generally ignored. Today, the Orthodox Church is growing in the
Americas. People from other Christian traditions have become
frustrated with doctrinal, liturgical, and ethical innovations in the
churches that they were raised in. Many people are discovering the
spiritual realities of Orthodoxy and have found a home in the Orthodox
Church.
Unfortunately
many Americans have no idea what the Orthodox Church is or often
associate it with an ethnicity like “Russian Orthodox” or “Greek
Orthodox.” These “ethnic” labels are merely
a holdover from the 19th and 20th centuries when Orthodox
Christians first emmigrated to America.
In
fact, the canonical, or “official,” designation of the Church is "the
Orthodox Catholic Church." In this usage, “Catholic” means
“universal.” The “Orthodox Catholic Church" is the Church “for all
peoples, at all times, in all places” of the world. The English word
“catholic” derives from the Latin catholicus, which came from
the Greek adjective καθολικός (katholikos). The first use of
"Catholic" was by the church father Saint Ignatius of Antioch in his
Letter to the Smyrnaeans (circa 110 AD).
Whereas
the “Orthodox Catholic Church” is the “Orthodox Church for all
peoples, at all times, in all places,” the “Roman Catholic Church” is
a Roman, or Roman-based, Church for its adherents. The Roman Catholic Church
derives its authority from one man, the Bishop (Pope) of Rome, whereas
the Orthodox Church is founded on the Christian faith of the first
millennium. The Roman Catholic Church once held, and defended, this
Orthodox faith, but it departed from it at the beginning of the second
millennium.
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More Links to Our Parish’s Web Pages
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An Introduction to the “Orthodox Church”
The
Orthodox Church was founded by our Lord Jesus Christ. It is
the Body of Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:12, 27). It is
the living manifestation of His presence in the history of the
mankind.
The
most conspicuous characteristics of Orthodox Christianity are
its faithfulness to the Apostolic tradition and its rich
liturgical life. Orthodox Christians believe that their Church
has preserved the tradition and continuity of the ancient
Church in its fullness. It is a simple objective, or academic,
fact that the Orthodox Church today maintains and continues
the faith and practices of first-millennium Christianity.
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Our Orthodoxy
From the book:
“Simple Preaching for a Simple Priest” (1986) by Archimandrite
Ioannikios, excerpt translated from the original Greek by Fr.
Emanuel Hatzidakis, 1992.
Our
Orthodoxy is the Christian Church just as it came out of the
hands of Christ and just as the holy Apostles handed it down
to us: undefiled, unadulterated, virginal. Our
Orthodoxy is the pure, Apostolic Christianity. Orthodoxy is
the Church of the Holy Fathers, who paid homage to her, lifted
her up, glorified her and interpreted the holy Gospel
correctly, clearly, with the illumination of the holy Spirit.
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Orthodox Christianity Worldwide
The
one, holy, catholic, and Apostolic Orthodox Church is a
worldwide communion of over 300 million faithful. They are
distributed geographically among fifteen self-governing,
autocephalous Churches, all of which are united in faith,
theology, tradition, and worship.
In
the United States, eight of the fifteen Churches are
represented by local jurisdictions that serve the Orthodox
faithful. The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the
United States of America is comprised of all the active,
canonical Orthodox bishops of every jurisdiction.
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I'm Orthodox: What Does that Mean?
“30 Questions and Answers, A
Concise and Practical Guidebook,” Metropolitan Sotirios of
Canada, Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto
(Canada)
“In
order for us as Orthodox Christians to follow the words of
Christ recorded by Matthew the Evangelist, we must be properly
educated about the Truth of God and His Church, which is the
Kingdom of Heaven realized on earth...this small Question and
Answer-formatted guidebook was developed to help inform the
faithful – and those interested in learning about Orthodoxy –
about our Christian faith, which alone leads man to salvation
in Christ.
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Links to Web Pages of the Orthodox Parishes in Colorado
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About Orthodoxy
Saint Tikhon Orthodox Christian Mission, Parker
An Introduction to the Orthodox Church
Saint John the Baptist Parish, Craig
How to Become an Orthodox Christian
Holy Theophany Parish, Colorado Springs
Beliefs of Orthodox Christianity
Holy Theophany Parish, Colorado Springs
The Holy Orthodox Church
Saint Andrew Parish, Delta
What We Believe
Archangel Michael Parish, Colorado Springs
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About Our Faith
Archangel Michael Parish, Pueblo
Orthodox Christian Doctrine
Saint Mark Parish, Denver
What to expect when I visit the Orthodox parish
Saint Catherine Parish, Greenwood Village
12 Things to Know – First Visit to an Orthodox Church
Archangel Michael Parish, Colorado Springs
What to Expect (When you Visit the Parish)
Saint Tikhon Orthodox Christian Mission, Parker
Church Etiquette
Saint Tikhon Orthodox Christian Mission, Parker
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12 Reasons Why I Became and/or Remain an Orthodox Christian
Ancient Faith Radio
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Links to Other Web Pages
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The Orthodox Faith
The Orthodox Church in America, Syosset, NY
What is Orthodox Christianity?
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, New York, NY
What is the “Orthodox” Christian Church
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, Sacramento, California
What is the Orthodox Church?
Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox Church, Pasadena, CA
What Orthodox Christians Believe
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, Englewood, New Jersey
About the Orthodox Faith
Archangel Gabriel Antiochian Orthodox Church, Lafayette, Louisiana
What is Orthodox Christianity?
St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church, Emmaus, PA 18049
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Orthodox Church in America,
Diocese of the West
