What is the Difference? Eastern Orthodoxy

EASTERN ORTHODOXY

There are at least 13 independent and self-governing churches, including four ancient patriarchates that still exist in the Middle East: Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. The current number of Orthodox believers worldwide exceeds 200 million. Most of those who are heads of these churches are called patriarchs. Some go by the title of “archbisiop” or “metropolitan”. The Orthodox Church at Constantinople and its patriarch enjoy a certain “primacy of honor” but have no power to interfere in the internal affairs of the other Orthodox churches.

Those who are Orthodox dispute Rome’s claim to be the one true Church. Orthodoxy, believing that the Church on Earth has remained and must remain visibly one, naturally also believes itself to be that one visible church.

Orthodox place much stock in apostolic succession. They believe that the bishops continued in apostolic succession but do not grant the pope supremacy. All bishops share equally in the apostolic succession.

For the Orthodox, the Church is authoritative. The Church is everything. Believers are to listen to and obey the Church’s interpretation of Scripture. They put the Church over Scripture, saying Scripture is only part of a larger tradition that makes for a complete organic whole- the “fullness of the Christian faith”. They speak of an “internal norm” for determining authority- the Spirit of God living within the Church. “The Bible is not something set up over the Church; it is something that lives and is understood within the Church”. The Bible gets it’s authority from the Church, not vice versa.

The Orthodox observe the same seven sacraments practiced by the Roman Catholic Church but differ in certain points regarding interpretation and emphasis.

Confession is done in the open, sometimes in a special room set apart for confession. Both parties sit or stand, the priest to one side to emphasize that during confession the priest is not the judge but God Himself is. After hearing confession, the priest often gives advice and occasionally assigns a penance, but this is not essential and is often omitted.

The Orthodox pray to the saints, particularly to Mary, because these people have achieved deification. They view them as intercessors. Mary is considered the saint to have most completely achieved the goal of deification.

Another important part of Orthodox tradition is their use of icons-colorful stylized paintings of Christ, the apostles, Mary and other saints, which adorn the walls of any Orthodox Church. One reason for these icons is that they are an important part of the Church’s teaching of the faith. Those who lack learning or the time to study can enter the church and see on its walls all they need to know to understand their faith. The icons are considered a source of revelation equal to the Bible.

The Orthodox do not believe that man was created in communion and fellowship with God, but instead he was given the task of working toward it. When mankind fell in Adam, it was a “departure from a path”, not a drastic plunge from the state of blessedness.

The Orthodox see Christ’s sacrifice as a victory over sin and death. They view Christ’s death on the cross and God’s grace as the means to enable man to “become god, to obtain theosis” (deification or divinization).