List of Orthodox Churches
Encyclopedia
Orthodox Churches belong mainly to two groups, Eastern Orthodoxy
and Oriental Orthodoxy
. Apart from these two groups, some other quite unconnected Churches in the West also call themselves Orthodox. An example is the Celtic Orthodox Church
.
, were united and single until the Council of Chalcedon
in 451 AD, after which the theological interpretation of the Christ as dyophysite
and miaphysite divided them. The miaphysite body, corresponding largely to the patriarchates
of Alexandria
(Egypt
, Ethiopia
) and Antioch
(Syria
), and also Armenia
, rejected the Chalcedon council and has come to be known as the Oriental Orthodox Church. The dyophysite body later split into what are now the Eastern Orthodox Church
and the Roman Catholic Church
.
An earlier split, following on the Council of Ephesus in 431, divided these bodies from the Church of the East
, which developed in countries east of the Roman Empire
, such as India
, Iran
, and Iraq
.
The division between the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox families of churches was brought about over the definition by the Council of Chalcedon
that Jesus
exists "in two natures", one human and one divine, and that "both natures concur in one person and in one reality [hypostasis]. They are not divided or cut into two persons, but are together the one and only and only-begotten Word
, God, the Lord Jesus Christ." The Council of Chalcedon thus declared that Christ is one person in two natures "of one substance with the Father according to his divinity, of one substance with us according to his humanity ... in two natures without confusion, without change, without division, without separation."
The churches that accept the Council of Chalcedon's definition are known as Chalcedonian churches, and those that reject it as non-Chalcedonian or pre-Chalcedonian. The Chalcedonian churches in the East are known collectively as the Eastern Orthodox Church. (The Roman Catholic Church
in the West is also a Chalcedonian Church, since it accepts that council's definition, which was largely based on a document of Pope Leo I
.) Those that reject the Council of Chalcedon form what is known as Oriental Orthodoxy.
Dialogues aimed at achieving full communion
between the Eastern and the Oriental Orthodox are in progress, with the hope of overcoming the schism
that still divides them. These dialogues have led to a large measure of agreement, but not yet to full normal communion.
Apart from the use by the few parishes of Western Rite Orthodoxy
of adapted or specially composed liturgies based on Latin liturgical rites
, all the churches that form the Eastern Orthodox Church use the Byzantine Rite
liturgy
, celebrating it in different languages. The Oriental Orthodox Churches, on the contrary, use a great variety of liturgies.
Some churches of the Eastern Orthodox tradition are not in communion with the general body, usually because of disputes about the use of the Julian calendar
, but in some cases because of political problems. There is one such case also in Oriental Orthodoxy, namely that of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church
in India.
Eastern Orthodox Churches (in full communion
.jpg)
.
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
and Oriental Orthodoxy
Oriental Orthodoxy
Oriental Orthodoxy is the faith of those Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the First Council of Ephesus. They rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon...
. Apart from these two groups, some other quite unconnected Churches in the West also call themselves Orthodox. An example is the Celtic Orthodox Church
Celtic Orthodox Church
The Celtic Orthodox Church is an indigenous, Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Europe with representation in the United Kingdom since 1998. The head of the Church carries the title of Metropolitan of Dol and titular Bishop of Iona, with residence in Saint-Dolay The Celtic Orthodox Church is an...
.
Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox
The Orthodox churches, together with what is now the Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, were united and single until the Council of Chalcedon
Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon was a church council held from 8 October to 1 November, 451 AD, at Chalcedon , on the Asian side of the Bosporus. The council marked a significant turning point in the Christological debates that led to the separation of the church of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th...
in 451 AD, after which the theological interpretation of the Christ as dyophysite
Dyophysite
Dyophysite is a theological term used in understanding how the divine and human are related in the person of Jesus Christ, an area of study known as Christology...
and miaphysite divided them. The miaphysite body, corresponding largely to the patriarchates
Pentarchy
Pentarchy is a term in the history of Christianity for the idea of universal rule over all Christendom by the heads of five major episcopal sees, or patriarchates, of the Roman Empire: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem...
of Alexandria
Patriarch of Alexandria
The Patriarch of Alexandria is the Archbishop of Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt. Historically, this office has included the designation of Pope , and did so earlier than that of the Bishop of Rome...
(Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
) and Antioch
Patriarch of Antioch
Patriarch of Antioch is a traditional title held by the Bishop of Antioch. As the traditional "overseer" of the first gentile Christian community, the position has been of prime importance in the church from its earliest period...
(Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
), and also Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, rejected the Chalcedon council and has come to be known as the Oriental Orthodox Church. The dyophysite body later split into what are now the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
and the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
.
An earlier split, following on the Council of Ephesus in 431, divided these bodies from the Church of the East
Church of the East
The Church of the East tāʾ d-Maḏnḥāʾ), also known as the Nestorian Church, is a Christian church, part of the Syriac tradition of Eastern Christianity. Originally the church of the Persian Sassanid Empire, it quickly spread widely through Asia...
, which developed in countries east of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, such as India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
The division between the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox families of churches was brought about over the definition by the Council of Chalcedon
Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon was a church council held from 8 October to 1 November, 451 AD, at Chalcedon , on the Asian side of the Bosporus. The council marked a significant turning point in the Christological debates that led to the separation of the church of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th...
that Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
exists "in two natures", one human and one divine, and that "both natures concur in one person and in one reality [hypostasis]. They are not divided or cut into two persons, but are together the one and only and only-begotten Word
Logos
' is an important term in philosophy, psychology, rhetoric and religion. Originally a word meaning "a ground", "a plea", "an opinion", "an expectation", "word," "speech," "account," "reason," it became a technical term in philosophy, beginning with Heraclitus ' is an important term in...
, God, the Lord Jesus Christ." The Council of Chalcedon thus declared that Christ is one person in two natures "of one substance with the Father according to his divinity, of one substance with us according to his humanity ... in two natures without confusion, without change, without division, without separation."
The churches that accept the Council of Chalcedon's definition are known as Chalcedonian churches, and those that reject it as non-Chalcedonian or pre-Chalcedonian. The Chalcedonian churches in the East are known collectively as the Eastern Orthodox Church. (The Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in the West is also a Chalcedonian Church, since it accepts that council's definition, which was largely based on a document of Pope Leo I
Pope Leo I
Pope Leo I was pope from September 29, 440 to his death.He was an Italian aristocrat, and is the first pope of the Catholic Church to have been called "the Great". He is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452, persuading him to turn back from his invasion of Italy...
.) Those that reject the Council of Chalcedon form what is known as Oriental Orthodoxy.
Dialogues aimed at achieving full communion
Full communion
In Christian ecclesiology, full communion is a relationship between church organizations or groups that mutually recognize their sharing the essential doctrines....
between the Eastern and the Oriental Orthodox are in progress, with the hope of overcoming the schism
Schism (religion)
A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...
that still divides them. These dialogues have led to a large measure of agreement, but not yet to full normal communion.
Apart from the use by the few parishes of Western Rite Orthodoxy
Western Rite Orthodoxy
Western Rite Orthodoxy or Western Orthodoxy or Orthodox Western Rite are terms used to describe congregations and groups which are in communion with Eastern Orthodox Churches or Oriental Orthodox Churches using traditional Western liturgies rather than adopting Eastern liturgies such as the Divine...
of adapted or specially composed liturgies based on Latin liturgical rites
Latin liturgical rites
Latin liturgical rites used within that area of the Catholic Church where the Latin language once dominated were for many centuries no less numerous than the liturgical rites of the Eastern autonomous particular Churches. Their number is now much reduced...
, all the churches that form the Eastern Orthodox Church use the Byzantine Rite
Byzantine Rite
The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
, celebrating it in different languages. The Oriental Orthodox Churches, on the contrary, use a great variety of liturgies.
Some churches of the Eastern Orthodox tradition are not in communion with the general body, usually because of disputes about the use of the Julian calendar
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year .The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months...
, but in some cases because of political problems. There is one such case also in Oriental Orthodoxy, namely that of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church
Malabar Independent Syrian Church
The Malabar Independent Syrian Church, also known as the Thozhiyur Sabah , is a Christian church centred in Kerala, India. It is one of the churches of the Saint Thomas Christian community, which traces its origins to the evangelical activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century.Considered part...
in India.
Eastern Orthodoxy
Eastern Orthodox Churches (in full communionFull communionIn Christian ecclesiology, full communion is a relationship between church organizations or groups that mutually recognize their sharing the essential doctrines....
)
- Patriarchy of Constantinople
- Finnish Orthodox ChurchFinnish Orthodox ChurchThe Finnish Orthodox Church is an autonomous Orthodox archdiocese of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Church has a legal position as a national church in the country, along with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland....
- Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church
- Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western EuropePatriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western EuropeThe Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe is an exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Russian Orthodox tradition, based in Paris, and having parishes throughout Europe, mainly in France. The Exarchate is sometimes known as Rue Daru from the street...
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church of CanadaUkrainian Orthodox Church of CanadaThe Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada is an Eastern Orthodox Church in Canada, primarily serving Ukrainian Canadians. Its former name was the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada ...
- Korean Orthodox ChurchKorean Orthodox ChurchThe Korean Orthodox Church is an Eastern Orthodox church in Korea.In 1897 the Russian Orthodox Church resolved to send missionaries to Korea by decision of the Holy Synod in July 1897...
- Finnish Orthodox Church
- Patriarchy of AlexandriaGreek Orthodox Church of AlexandriaThe Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, also known as the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa is an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity.Officially, it is called the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria to distinguish it from the...
- Patriarchy of Antioch
- Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North AmericaAntiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North AmericaThe Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America is the sole jurisdiction of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in the United States and Canada with exclusive jurisdiction over the Antiochian Orthodox faithful in those countries, though these faithful were originally cared for by the...
- Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
- Patriarchy of JerusalemOrthodox Church of JerusalemThe Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem , also known as the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, is an autocephalous Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity. Headed by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, it is regarded by Orthodox Christians as the mother church of all of...
- Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount SinaiSaint Catherine's Monastery, Mount SinaiSaint Catherine's Monastery lies on the Sinai Peninsula, at the mouth of a gorge at the foot of Mount Sinai in the city of Saint Catherine in Egypt's South Sinai Governorate. The monastery is Orthodox and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
- Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai
- Patriarchy of Moscow and all RussiaRussian Orthodox ChurchThe Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
- Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow PatriarchateEstonian Orthodox Church of Moscow PatriarchateThe Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate is a semi-autonomous diocese of the Patriarchate of Moscow whose primate is appointed by the Holy Synod of the latter. Its official name in English is the Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate...
- Latvian Orthodox ChurchLatvian Orthodox ChurchThe Latvian Orthodox Church is a self-governing Eastern Orthodox Church under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Moscow. The primate of the church carries the title of Metropolitan of Riga and all Latvia...
- Moldovan Orthodox ChurchMoldovan Orthodox ChurchThe Moldovan Orthodox Church is an autonomous church under the Russian Orthodox Church, whose canonic territory covers the Republic of Moldova....
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is an autonomous Church of Eastern Orthodoxy in Ukraine, under the ecclesiastic jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate...
- Japanese Orthodox ChurchJapanese Orthodox ChurchThe Japanese Orthodox Church or The Orthodox Church in Japan is an autonomous church of Eastern Orthodoxy under the omophorion of the Russian Orthodox Church.-History:...
- Chinese Orthodox ChurchChinese Orthodox ChurchThe Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church is an autonomous Eastern Orthodox church in China. It was granted autonomy by its mother church, the Russian Orthodox Church in the mid-1950s.-Ancient Period:...
- Orthodox Church in AmericaOrthodox Church in AmericaThe Orthodox Church in America is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in North America. Its primate is Metropolitan Jonah , who was elected on November 12, 2008, and was formally installed on December 28, 2008...
- Russian Orthodox Church Outside RussiaRussian Orthodox Church Outside RussiaThe Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia , also called the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, ROCA, or ROCOR) is a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church....
- Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate
- Patriarchy of Pec and all SerbiaSerbian Orthodox ChurchThe Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
- Orthodox Ohrid ArchbishopricOrthodox Ohrid ArchbishopricThe Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric is an autonomous Eastern Orthodox archdiocese in the Republic of Macedonia...
- Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric
- Patriarchy of RomaniaRomanian Orthodox ChurchThe Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
- Metropolis of BessarabiaMetropolis of BessarabiaThe Metropolis of Bessarabia is an autonomous Eastern Orthodox Metropolitan bishopric of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The Metropolis of Bessarabia was created in 1923 and organized in 1925, when the Archbishopric of Chișinău was raised to the rank of metropolis...
- Metropolis of Bessarabia
- Patriarchy of BulgariaBulgarian Orthodox ChurchThe Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church with some 6.5 million members in the Republic of Bulgaria and between 1.5 and 2.0 million members in a number of European countries, the Americas and Australia...
- Patriarchy of Georgia
- Cypriot Orthodox ChurchCypriot Orthodox ChurchThe Church of Cyprus is an autocephalous Greek church within the communion of Orthodox Christianity. It is one of the oldest Eastern Orthodox autocephalous churches, achieving independence from the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East in 431...
- Orthodox Church of Greece
- Polish Orthodox ChurchPolish Orthodox ChurchThe Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church, commonly known as the Polish Orthodox Church, , is one of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Churches in full communion...
- Albanian Orthodox ChurchAlbanian Orthodox ChurchThe Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania is one of the newest autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches. It declared its autocephaly in 1922, and gained recognition from the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1937....
- Czech and Slovak Orthodox ChurchCzech and Slovak Orthodox ChurchThe Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia is a self-governing body of the Eastern Orthodox Church that territorially covers the countries of the Czech Republic and Slovakia...
http://www.pravoslavnacirkev.cz/ - Orthodox Church in AmericaOrthodox Church in AmericaThe Orthodox Church in America is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in North America. Its primate is Metropolitan Jonah , who was elected on November 12, 2008, and was formally installed on December 28, 2008...
Traditionalist Schisms
- Greek Old CalendaristsGreek Old CalendaristsGreek Old Calendarists are groups that separated from the Orthodox Church of Greece or from the Patriarchate of Constantinople, precipitated by disagreement over the abandonment of the traditional Julian Calendar.- History :Up until the early 20th century, the Eastern Orthodox Church used the...
Matthewites - Greek Old CalendaristsGreek Old CalendaristsGreek Old Calendarists are groups that separated from the Orthodox Church of Greece or from the Patriarchate of Constantinople, precipitated by disagreement over the abandonment of the traditional Julian Calendar.- History :Up until the early 20th century, the Eastern Orthodox Church used the...
Florinites - Holy Orthodox Church in North AmericaHoly Orthodox Church in North AmericaThe Holy Orthodox Church in North America or HOCNA is a canonical Orthodox Christian church located primarily in the United States and Canada, with additional communities in Europe, Africa and South America...
- Orthodox Church of Greece (Holy Synod in Resistance)Orthodox Church of Greece (Holy Synod in Resistance)The Orthodox Church of Greece, Holy Synod in Resistance, is a traditionalist Greek Orthodox jurisdiction following the traditional church calendar. They are separated from the Church of Greece, considering it to be in error since its adoption of the secular calendar in 1924...
- Old Calendar Romanian Orthodox ChurchOld Calendar Romanian Orthodox ChurchThe Old Calendar Romanian Orthodox Church is an Orthodox Church that uses the old-style Julian calendar. This church was split in 1925 by Metropolitan Glicherie, formerly a member of the Romanian Orthodox Church...
- Old Calendar Bulgarian Orthodox ChurchOld Calendar Bulgarian Orthodox ChurchThe Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria is an Orthodox Church which follows the traditional Orthodox liturgical calendar, or Julian Calendar...
- Churches of the Old BelieversOld BelieversIn the context of Russian Orthodox church history, the Old Believers separated after 1666 from the official Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon between 1652–66...
movement: - Russian Orthodox Old-Rite ChurchRussian Orthodox Old-Rite ChurchThe Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church is an Eastern Orthodox Church of the Old Believers tradition, born from a schism within the Russian Orthodox Church following the liturgical reforms of Patriarch Nikon in the second half of 17th century...
- Lipovan Orthodox Old-Rite ChurchLipovan Orthodox Old-Rite ChurchThe Lipovan Orthodox Old-Rite Church is the Romanian based jurisdiction of the Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy ....
- Russian Old-Orthodox ChurchRussian Old-Orthodox ChurchThe Russian Old Orthodox Church is an Eastern Orthodox Church of the Old Believers tradition, born of a schism within the Russian Orthodox Church during the 17th century . This jurisdiction incorporated those Old Believer groups which refused to accept the authority of Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy,...
- Pomorian Old-Orthodox ChurchPomorian Old-Orthodox ChurchThe Pomorian Old Orthodox Church is a branch of the priestless faction of the Old Believers, born of a schism within the Russian Orthodox Church in the 17th century.- Pomorian Agreement :...
Nationalist Schisms
- Abkhazian Orthodox ChurchAbkhazian Orthodox ChurchThe Abkhazian Orthodox Church is an Eastern Orthodox church outside the official Eastern Orthodox ecclesiastical hierarchy. It came into existence when the Sukhumi-Abkhazian Eparchy declared on 15 September 2009 that it no longer considered itself part of the Georgian Orthodox Church and that it...
- Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox ChurchBelarusian Autocephalous Orthodox ChurchThe Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, which has sometimes abbreviated its name as the "B.A.O. Church" or the "BAOC," aspires to be the self-governing national church of an independent Belarus, but it has operated mostly in exile since its formation, and even some publications of the church...
- Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Alternative synodBulgarian Orthodox Church - Alternative synodThe Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Alternative synod is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church which claims to be the sole legitimate Orthodox Church in Bulgaria....
- Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric
- Montenegrin Orthodox ChurchMontenegrin Orthodox ChurchThe Montenegrin Orthodox Church is an Orthodox Christian organization acting in Montenegro and Montenegrin emigration circles - e.g. the village of Lovćenac and the Montenegrin emigration colony in Argentina...
- Orthodox Church in ItalyOrthodox Church in ItalyThe Orthodox Church in Italy is an effort to establish a national Orthodox church in Italy, bringing all the Orthodox parishes and missions under an Italian Metropolitan, but only some independent groups have adhered to it...
- Russian Orthodox Church in AmericaRussian Orthodox Church in AmericaThe Russian Orthodox Church in America is a Russian Orthodox Christian group that claims continuation from the Russian Orthodox Church through Patriarchal Ukase and Synodal Charter....
- Russian True Orthodox ChurchRussian True Orthodox ChurchThe Russian True Orthodox Church is a denomination that separated from the Russian Orthodox Church during the early years of Communist rule in the Soviet Union. While the True Orthodox Church in Russia was never a single organization, many of its followers were labeled Josephites, after...
- Autocephalous Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kiev PatriarchateUkrainian Orthodox Church - Kiev PatriarchateUkrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate is one of the three major Orthodox churches in Ukraine, alongside the Ukrainian Orthodox Church , and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church...
- Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox ChurchUkrainian Autocephalous Orthodox ChurchThe Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church is one of the three major Orthodox Churches in Ukraine. Close to ten percent of the Christian population claim to be members of the UAOC. The other Churches are the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kiev Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Russophile Orthodox...
- Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church - CanonicalUkrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church - CanonicalUkrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Canonical is an independent Orthodox Church, that declares its canonical origin from the Polish Orthodox Church-History:...
- Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church of N.S.America 1921-Synod
- Croatian Orthodox ChurchCroatian Orthodox ChurchThe Croatian Orthodox Church was a religious body created during World War II by the Ustasha regime in the Independent State of Croatia .The reason for formation of this church was that Orthodox Christian Churches are state-based...
Oriental Orthodoxy
- Oriental Orthodox Churches (in full communionFull communionIn Christian ecclesiology, full communion is a relationship between church organizations or groups that mutually recognize their sharing the essential doctrines....
)- Armenian Orthodox Church
- Titular Armenian Patriarch of ConstantinopleArmenian Patriarch of ConstantinopleThe Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople also known as Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul is today head of The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople , one of the smallest Patriarchates of the Oriental Orthodox Church but one that has exerted a very significant political role and today still exercises...
- Titular Armenian Patriarchate of JerusalemArmenian Patriarchate of JerusalemThe Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem also known as the Armenian Patriarchate of St. James is located in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem. The Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem remains under the authority of the Catholicos of Armenia and of all Armenians of the Armenian Apostolic Church...
- Titular Catholicossate of the Great House of Cilicia
- Titular Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople
- Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
- British Orthodox ChurchBritish Orthodox ChurchThe British Orthodox Church is a small Oriental Orthodox jurisdiction, canonically part of the Coptic Patriarchate of Alexandria. Its mission is to the people of the British Isles, and though it is Orthodox in its faith and practice, it remains British in its ethos...
- French Coptic Orthodox ChurchFrench Coptic Orthodox ChurchFrench Orthodox Church redirects here. For the Chalcedonian body, see Orthodox Church of France.The French Coptic Orthodox Church is an Oriental Orthodox church and an outgrowth of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria.-History:...
- British Orthodox Church
- Syriac Orthodox Church of AntiochSyriac Orthodox ChurchThe Syriac Orthodox Church; is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Eastern Mediterranean, with members spread throughout the world. The Syriac Orthodox Church claims to derive its origin from one of the first Christian communities, established in Antioch by the Apostle St....
- Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church of India
- Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Church
- Brahmavar (Goan) Orthodox ChurchBrahmavar (Goan) Orthodox ChurchBrahmavar Orthodox Church is a part of theIndian Orthodox Church. This is a uniate faction from the Catholic Church formed under the leadership of Bishop Antonio Francisco Xavier Alvares in 1889 AD....
- Brahmavar (Goan) Orthodox Church
- Ethiopian Orthodox Church
- Eritrean Orthodox Church
- Armenian Orthodox Church
- Oriental Orthodox Church (not in communion)
- Malabar Independent Syrian ChurchMalabar Independent Syrian ChurchThe Malabar Independent Syrian Church, also known as the Thozhiyur Sabah , is a Christian church centred in Kerala, India. It is one of the churches of the Saint Thomas Christian community, which traces its origins to the evangelical activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century.Considered part...
of India - Antiochian Syriac Orthodox Church of Germany
- Malankara Orthodox Independent Syrian Church of India
- Malabar Independent Syrian Church
Others
Some small churches in the West use the word "Orthodox" in their titles but are quite distinct from these two families of churches. An example is the Celtic Orthodox ChurchCeltic Orthodox Church
The Celtic Orthodox Church is an indigenous, Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Europe with representation in the United Kingdom since 1998. The head of the Church carries the title of Metropolitan of Dol and titular Bishop of Iona, with residence in Saint-Dolay The Celtic Orthodox Church is an...
.
See also
- ChalcedonianChalcedonianChalcedonian describes churches and theologians which accept the definition given at the Council of Chalcedon of how the divine and human relate in the person of Jesus Christ...
- DyophysiteDyophysiteDyophysite is a theological term used in understanding how the divine and human are related in the person of Jesus Christ, an area of study known as Christology...
- MiaphysitismMiaphysitismMiaphysitism is a Christological formula of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and of the various churches adhering to the first three Ecumenical Councils...
- MonophysitismMonophysitismMonophysitism , or Monophysiticism, is the Christological position that Jesus Christ has only one nature, his humanity being absorbed by his Deity...
- List of Christian denominations
- List of Christian denominations by number of members