Orthodox churches?

[Shrew]

What are the differnences between

1.) the various orthodox churches (Russian orthodox, Greek orthodox,...)
2. the orthodox churches and the catholic church ?

What are the differences in their theologies?

 

[Quintessence]

The other day I was poking around Pew Research and this article of theirs may be of interest to you - Orthodox Christianity in the 21st Century

 

[Jainarayan]

What are the differnences between

1.) the various orthodox churches (Russian orthodox, Greek orthodox,...)
2. the orthodox churches and the catholic church ?

What are the differences in their theologies?

I was Eastern Orthodox for about 10 years and remember some things.

1. Those are "national" churches, churches within a certain national jurisdiction. The EOC is composed of several autonomous and autocephalous churches, all in communion. Lines overlap and blur in the US, for example, where there are jurisdictions of the Greek, Russian, Serbian, Romanian, Egyptian et. al. Orthodox churches, and the Orthodox Church in America, formerly part of the Russian Orthodox Church, but granted autocephaly (self-ruling, and not under the rule of another church) in 1970 or 1972. There is no head of the EOC, like a Pope, but each church has a "ruling" bishop, "metropolitan" (a bishop of a large area or city), or in the case some churches, a Patriarch (Russia, Jerusalem, Romania and/or Bulgaria, Constantinople/Istanbul). The Patriarch of Constantinople is called primus inter pares, "first among equals". He's given a place of honor and respect, though he has no spiritual or administrative power over any other church or bishop.

2. Theology... not much difference as I remember, except for the one that was the defining point in the Schism of 1054 between the eastern and western churches (Constantinople and Rome, respectively). There are other differences, but seemingly not as insurmountable as this, and the sniping over the primacy of the bishop of Rome. It is the 'filioque clause', the line in the Nicene Creed which states "... and from the son" (filioque) in the western version. It is absent in the eastern version, since it's believed the Holy Spirit proceeds from only the Father, not the Father and the Son.

Personally I view the argument over the filioque as analogous to the argument between Lilliputians (Little-Endians" and Big-Endians) over which end of the egg to open. I look at it that way because to me it's like the differences in the schools of Vedanta... no one really knows the truth, and won't know until we get "there". Same with the filioque... both churches claim to know the truth and to be guided by the Holy Spirit, but they can't both be right.

 

[Shiranui117]

What are the differnences between

1.) the various orthodox churches (Russian orthodox, Greek orthodox,...)
2. the orthodox churches and the catholic church ?

What are the differences in their theologies?

Ooh boy oh boy oh boy I love this topic

A couple threads you might like:

Catholic=/=Roman.
Ask me anything about Eastern Catholicism
Orthodoxy & Catholicism
Ask an Orthodox Christian

1: Short answer: The various Orthodox churches just differ according to culture, language used in the Liturgy, and administrative structure. Greek Orthodox, Antiochian Orthodox, Bulgarian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, Romanian Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, etc. all believe the exact same things. If you're Greek you can go to a Russian church and vice-versa, no problem.

2: There are a few differences between Orthodox and Eastern Catholics, and many differences between Orthodox and Roman Catholic. I hope the above threads will help. If you'd like I can explain some more. I've been somewhere between Orthodox and Catholic for years, so I've had a good bit of experience with both.

 

[metis]

Same with the filioque... both churches claim to know the truth and to be guided by the Holy Spirit, but they can't both be right.

First of all, let me congratulate you on an excellent post.

To the above, this same exact issue was not settled in the very early church, nor was it settled over the many centuries afterward, nor is it a settled issue now, so I don't expect it to be a settled issue in the future. IMO, I believe it's quite acceptable not to know the answers to all questions, and I wish that churches would be willing to admit and act as if they don't know all the answers.

 

[syo]

What are the differnences between

1.) the various orthodox churches (Russian orthodox, Greek orthodox,...)
2. the orthodox churches and the catholic church ?

What are the differences in their theologies?

there is a major difference between catholics and orthodox. orthodox do not acclaim the pope.

 

[metis]

there is a major difference between catholics and orthodox. orthodox do not acclaim the pope.

Yes and no. The #1 cause of the 1054 Great Schism was who was actually going to be the pope, and what eventually became called the "Orthodox" wanted their own "patriarchs" instead with the Patriarch of Constantinople being considered the first amongst equals.

 

[Jainarayan]

there is a major difference between catholics and orthodox. orthodox do not acclaim the pope.

The Pope (of Rome, there is a Pope in the Coptic Church) is respected and seen as the Bishop of Rome, one of the great sees of Christendom, and as a patriarch, but not as having primacy over the other churches or their clergy. I think every pope and patriarch from Paul VI and Athenagoras have met and even issued joint statements of fraternity. They just can't get over the filioque and who wears the bigger hat and has the fiercer robes (personally I think the Orthodox hats and veils are fieeeerce! ).

 

[syo]

Yes and no. The #1 cause of the 1054 Great Schism was who was actually going to be the pope, and what eventually became called the "Orthodox" wanted their own "patriarchs" instead with the Patriarch of Constantinople being considered the first amongst equals.

orthodox deny the Papal infallibility. they don't put much emphasis on st. Peter, like the catholics do.

 

[metis]

orthodox deny the Papal infallibility. they don't put much emphasis on st. Peter, like the catholics do.

But they do with their councils, as do the Catholics, so there ain't that much of a difference, especially since the pope can only exercise infallibility in conjunction with the council of the bishops.

 

[whirlingmerc]

What are the differnences between

1.) the various orthodox churches (Russian orthodox, Greek orthodox,...)
2. the orthodox churches and the catholic church ?

What are the differences in their theologies?

The tend to go with the original filial phrase 'the father sent the son and spirit' rather than 'The father together with the son sent the spirit' Both are Biblical but each might emphasize things a bit differently

I have heard that the eastern orthodox are a bit less punitive sounding and focus on things like Jesus as victor where Catholic and Protestant tend to have views of salvation often in a legal court setting
There are many stunning similarities as well I think many orthodox priests marry and memorize all the psalms as part of training

Some superficial things are infant baptism bunking completely three times, standing up through the entire service and icons