Oriental Orthodox Churches

The Oriental Orthodox Churches are a communion of ancient Christian churches that reject the Council of Chalcedon’s definition of Christ’s two natures. They confess Christ’s full divinity and humanity in one united incarnate nature.

Miaphysitism: A Christological position that confesses Christ’s divinity and humanity united in one incarnate nature. This term describes the Christology Oriental Orthodox churches affirm, distinguishing it from the claim that Christ has two natures.
Coptic Orthodox Church: An Oriental Orthodox church rooted in Egypt, with a liturgical tradition shaped by the Coptic language. It is one of the largest churches in the communion and represents its Egyptian tradition.
First Council of Ephesus: A church council held in 431 that condemned Nestorius and affirmed Mary as Theotokos. Its Christological decisions and Cyril’s role shaped the debates that preceded Chalcedon.
Eastern Orthodox Church: A communion of autocephalous churches that accepts the first seven ecumenical councils, including Chalcedon. It shares ancient liturgies and episcopal traditions with the Oriental Orthodox Churches but accepts Chalcedon.
Council of Chalcedon: A church council held in 451 that defined Christ as one person in two natures, divine and human. Its definition became the point of doctrinal division between Oriental Orthodox churches and churches that accepted Chalcedon.
Armenian Apostolic Church: The national church of Armenia and an Oriental Orthodox church with an ancient liturgical tradition. Its history shows how the communion developed beyond Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean.
Second Council of Ephesus: A council held in 449 that restored Eutyches and was later repudiated by the Council of Chalcedon. Its disputed proceedings intensified the controversy that Chalcedon sought to resolve.
Catholic Church: The worldwide Christian church in communion with the bishop of Rome, recognizing the pope’s primacy. It accepts Chalcedon and has distinct structures of authority and communion from the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
Cyril of Alexandria: A fifth-century bishop and theologian whose Christological teaching shaped debates about Christ’s unity. Oriental Orthodox theology draws on Cyril’s language of the one incarnate nature of the Word.
Syriac Orthodox Church: An Oriental Orthodox church with roots in the Syriac-speaking Christian communities of the Middle East. Its West Syriac rite is one of the communion’s major liturgical traditions.

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