Questions for Eastern Orthodox

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

Guest1

New member
Why are you Eastern Orthodox and not Oriental Orthodox or part of the Assyrian Church of the east?

How did you determine Eastern Orthodoxy was the right way to go with these options?
 
They both taught heresy in that they either thought God could change as in the Orientals, or that Jesus Christ was not really God as in the Nestorians. Plus they do not have the great saints like Maximus the Confessor, John of Damascus, Gregory Palamas, and others. To be fair, I did not spend much time trying to find writings from their saints after they left the Church that speak on their defense of these views of the nature of Christ. I am also very uninformed about the history of saints like St. Isaac the Syrian and others that are claimed to be Nestorians, I have read his writings and love them, but they don’t discuss this topic of division. I did read Theodoret of Cyrus and St. Cyril of Alexandria’s debates on the topic and clearly St. Cyril makes the most sense against Nestorianism. I know that Theodoret was not a Nestorian, but he did try to make sense of them as not being completely wrong, which he later had to renounce. As for mono-physites, I don’t exactly know why they thought that Christ could not have two natures and thought it best to split from the Church.

Why do you ask?
 
As a Coptic Orthodox Christian, what do you mean by “they thought God could change”??

But the Christology we have been holding to since even before Chalcedon is basically summed up by the following confession in our Divine Liturgy:

“Amen amen amen I believe I believe I believe and confess to the last breath of this is the life giving flesh that Your only begotten Son took from our lady the lady of us all the holy Theotokos St. Mary, And made it one with his divinity without mingling, without confusion, and without alteration. He confessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, and gave it up for us on the holy wood of the cross, of His own will for us all. Truly I believe that his divinity parted not from his humanity for a single moment nor the twinkling of an eye, given for us for salvation remission of sins and eternal life to those who partake of him. I believe I believe I believe that this is true Amen.”
 
Well that is very good. Maybe it would have been better to ask why the Oriental Orthodox split from the Orthodox Church.
 
@pacloc I think you mean split from the Eastern Orthodox Church. Oriental Orthodox churches are fully Orthodox in Theology. It was a general misunderstanding and mutual excommunication from both sides. Today, our bishops have agreed that we hold to the same theology, and we are actively working toward unity. 🙂
 
Last edited:
So as a Coptic you’re Oriental orthodox ? May I ask you the same question?☺️ Why are you what you are and not the other options? Even why are you not Catholic? ☺️
 
Last edited:
@Guest1 I mean I was born and raised in the Coptic Orthodox Church. I do know of people who have been part of both churches who were in a place where the only accessible Orthodox Parish was one of the different rite than the one they belonged to (Eastern or Oriental) and they obtained permission from both their home Father of Confession as well as the parish priest to receive Holy Communion there. If I were ever in that position I would likely try to do the same thing. I am in agreement with the bishops in that I do not see a theological difference, and my attachment to the Coptic Church is largely due to a sentimental attachment to the Church in which I was raised, but I see all the Eastern Orthodox Christians as my brothers and sisters, and I regularly pray that full communion is speedily achieved.
 
Last edited:
Many factors enter into the question. Convenience is definitely one, but there is the history too.

Pray. Read. Pray some more. Attend Services.

But whatever you do, Don’t base it off of what you read on an internet forum.
 
If you don’t mind me asking how different is the Coptic view concerning the bread and the wine different from Catholicism? Do Coptic Orthodox believe in transubstantiation?
 
It is heresy to separate His human nature from His Divine Nature.
 
We believe that the Eucharist is the true Holy Body and Precious Blood of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. We do not use terminology such as “transubstantiation” or “consubstansiation” to try to explain how/when it happens, but rather this is rendered to as “Divine Mystery”. This is the belief of all Orthodox Churches both Eastern and Oriental. 🙂
 
Last edited:
I’ll be honest, I’m not exactly sure what you mean. Do you mind my asking for you to elaborate or give an example of what you mean please? 🙂
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top