# What about Oriental Orthodoxy?



## John Bunyan (Apr 10, 2012)

Some 4% of people self-defined as 'christians' belong to Oriental Orthodox Churches, making this groups almost half as large as Eastern Orthodoxy (10%) and larger than Methodism, Calvinism (both reformed and presbyterian) and Lutheranism, but seems to me that we knwo next to nothing about them.

So, besides being miaphysites (their major difference when compared to other christians), and not monophysites (they always make sure of stressing that fact), having an epicospal church polity and believing in apostolic succession, what are their major distintive beliefs?


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## Philip (Apr 10, 2012)

I recall that they have a slightly different canon (1 Enoch anyone?) and some of their churches use Syriac in the liturgy (like the Assyrian and Malabar Churches) but other than that, I confess ignorance.


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## John Bunyan (Apr 10, 2012)

Philip said:


> I recall that they have a slightly different canon (1 Enoch anyone?) and some of their churches use Syriac in the liturgy (like the Assyrian and Malabar Churches) but other than that, I confess ignorance.



Do you mean our 66 books +1 Enoch or the Roman Canon + 1Enoch or the Eastern Canon +1Enoch?


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## Unoriginalname (Apr 10, 2012)

John Bunyan said:


> besides being miaphysites (their major difference when compared to other christians), and not monophysites (they always make sure of stressing that fact)


I maybe wrong and I do not remember were I read this but I thought that this was somewhat of a misnomer and that their view of christology was (while slightly different) did not cross the line into miaphysitism. If I remember right in what ever I read part of the Christology debate with them had to do with a language issue that seemed to stem from the definitions of Chalcedon sounding different in the language of the Oriental Orthodox when compared to Greek. I am most likely getting my history wrong but maybe my misunderstanding will spark someone who knows what I am trying to say to correct me.


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## Philip (Apr 11, 2012)

John Bunyan said:


> Eastern Canon +1Enoch?



Yes.


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## Jake (Apr 11, 2012)

The canon depends on the particular branch of Oriental Orthodoxy. Here is a chart on Wikipedia that compares the canons of various churches (including the major branches of Oriental Orthodoxy), which I consdier detailed enough. 

Biblical canon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Ethiopian church (which is general considered part of Oriental Orthodoxy I believe) has a very interesting history and makeup, including a broader canon which has many books in the New Testament which are not even available in the believed originals languages. These are helpfulEthiopian Biblical canon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and thread with the 2nd post down being from an Ethiopian Orthodox about the canon, and information from the Ethiopian church's website about canon and helpful books.


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## John Bunyan (Apr 11, 2012)

Besides their big difference in relation to wich books should be considered canonical, what are their other issues? I mean, whats their soteriology, view of the sacraments, etc?


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