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The '''Orthodox Church''' is the one [[Ecclesiology|Church]] founded by [[Jesus Christ]] and his [[apostles]], begun at the day of [[Pentecost]] with the descent of the [[Holy Spirit]] in the year 33 A.D. 33. It is also known (especially in the contemporary West) as the '''Eastern Orthodox Church''' or the '''Greek Orthodox Church'''. It may also be called the Orthodox Catholic Church, the Orthodox Christian Church, the [[One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church|one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church]], the [[Body of Christ]], the [[Bride of Christ]], or simply '''the Church'''.
The [[bishop]]s of the Orthodox Churches trace unbroken [[Apostolic succession|succession]] to the very [[apostles]] themselves, therefore ultimately receiving their consecrations from our [[Lord]] [[Jesus Christ]]. All the bishops of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, no matter their titles, are equal in their [[sacrament]]al office. The various titles given to bishops are simply administrative or honorific in their essence. At an [[ecumenical council]], each bishop may cast only one vote, whether he is the Ecumenical Patriarch or simply an [[auxiliary bishop]] without a [[diocese]]. Thus, there is no equivalent to the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] [[pope|papacy]] within the Eastern Orthodox Churches.
The Orthodox Church historically stands in direct continuity with the earliest Christian communities founded in regions of the Eastern Mediterranean by the apostles of the Lord Jesus.
The destiny of Christianity in those areas was shaped by the transfer in A.D. 320 AD of the imperial capital from (Old) Rome to (New "Rome") Constantinople by Constantine I. As a consequence, during the first Eight Centuries of Church history, most major cultural, intellectual, and social developments in the Christian church also took place in that region; for instance, all [[Ecumenical Councils|ecumenical councils]] of that period met either in, or near Constantinople.
[[Missionaries]], coming from Constantinople, converted the Slavs and other peoples of Eastern Europe to Christianity (Bulgaria, 864; Russia, 988) and translated Scripture and liturgical texts into the vernacular languages used in the various regions. Thus, the liturgy, traditions, and practices of the church of Constantinople were adopted by all and still provide the basic patterns of contemporary Orthodoxy.
The schism came slowly. The first major breach came in the Ninth century when the Pope refused to recognize the election of [[Photius the Great|Photius]] as patriarch of Constantinople. Photius in turn challenged the right of the papacy to rule on the matter and denounced the filioque clause as a Western innovation.
The growing disputes between East and West reached another peak in A.D. 1054 AD, when mutual anathemas were exchanged. The sacking of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade (A.D. 1204 AD) intensified Eastern hostility toward the West.
Attempts at reconciliation at the councils of Lyon (1274 AD) and [[Council of Florence|Florence]] (1438-39 AD) were unsuccessful. When the papacy defined itself as infallible (First Vatican Council, A.D. 1870 AD), the gulf between East and West grew wider. Only since the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) has the movement reversed, talks are bringing serious attempts at mutual understanding.
==Beliefs and Practices==
:''More information: [[Introduction to Orthodox Christianity]]''
The Orthodox Church recognizes as authoritative the decisions of the seven ecumenical councils that met between A.D. 325 AD and A.D. 787 AD and defined the basic doctrines on the [[Trinity]] and the [[Incarnation]]. In later centuries Orthodox councils also made doctrinal definitions on [[Grace]] (1341 AD, 1351 AD) and took a stand in reference to Western teachings.
The Church keeps the early traditions of Christianity, infants receive the [[Eucharist]] and [[Chrismation|confirmation]], and the [[episcopate]] and the [[priest|priesthood]] are understood in the light of [[Apostolic succession]]. (Apostolic Succession is understood to be the passing on of the Holy Tradition by right-believing Bishops). Both married men and [[monks]] may become priests, but priests, bishops, and monks may not marry. The veneration of Mary, as [[Theotokos]] (Mother of God) is central to Orthodox Incarnational Theology, and the intercession of [[saints]] is also emphasized in the Orthodox [[Holy Tradition]].
===Published works===
The following are published writings that provide an introduction or overview of the Orthodox Church and its teachings:
'''From an Orthodox perspective'''
