2b.The Churches of the East

Question 1

Andrei Rublev

Answer 1

One of the foremost icon painters in the 1400s. He painted “The Trinity”.

Question 2

Briefly describe “The Trinity”.

Answer 2

Please print it out in color.

Question 3

What is the one word that describes Orthodoxy, and why?

Answer 3

Mystery. Unlike the Catholic Church, which focuses on the wording of doctrine, the Orthodox church focuses on the experience of doctrine. The Catholic Church focuses on the performance of liturgy and the theology that lies behind it, but the Orthodox church emphasizes the mystery between the divine and human encounter.

Question 4

Council of Chalcedon of 451

Answer 4

Declared Jesus fully human and fully God. Nestorius was accused of not believing that Jesus was both. Primarily because he believed that Christians in his day were too close to venerating Mary after they proclaimed her the Theotokos.

Question 5

Theotokos

Answer 5

Mother of God. Nestorius did not agree fully with this.

Question 6

monophysite

Answer 6

believing that Christ had only one nature, or that the two natures come together but that his godly nature supercedes his human nature. Churches that have this theology are Oriental Orthodox Churches

Question 7

Oriental Orthodox Churches

Answer 7

Churches that only acknowledge the first three Ecumenical Councils. They have a monophysite theology and believe that Jesus had only one nature. Basically, they reject the Council of Chalcedon that said that Jesus was fully God and fully human.

Question 8

Eastern Rite Catholic Churches

Answer 8

Catholic Churches that are in the “territory” of the Russian Orthodox Church. They are in full communion with the Catholic Church.

Question 9

Ecumenical Patriarch

Answer 9

The pontiff of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Traditionally he was resided in Constantinople, or modern day Istanbul.

Question 10

Justinian

Answer 10

Established the idea of canonical territory for the Russian Orthodox Church. The church and state worked together, symphonia.

Question 11

Symphonia

Answer 11

An idea established by Justinian. The church was responsible for moral and ethical descions and the Czar was responsible for power over life on earth.

Question 12

double headed eagle

Answer 12

There are two readings of this symbol. The first describes it as an example of symphonia (church and state), and the second states that the eagle on the right is Rome, and the eagle on the left is Constantinople.

Question 13

When did the Western and Eastern church split, and why?

Answer 13

The Great Schism of 1054. They excommunicated each other. Pope Leo excommunicated the Patriarch of Constantinople.

Question 14

Why all the renewed interest in the Orthodox Church?

Answer 14

1. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union has made this “unreached” region open to Protestants.
2. In response, the Orthodox Church has been very vocal about the west stealing their people. The church led the way in enacting laws that would limit Protestant and foreign church involvement in the region.

Question 15

When Orthodox and Catholic Churches speak of authority, what do they adhere to?

Answer 15

The Sacred Scriptures, and the Sacred Tradition. The Holy Tradition includes the writings of the early church fathers and the teachings of the ecumenical councils.

Question 16

What is the strength of the Sacred Tradition?

Answer 16

It focuses on a communal interpretation of scripture and is less prone to individual interpretations.

Question 17

What is the Orthodox view of theology?

Answer 17

It is intertwined. You can’t separate theology, Christology, and Pneumatology because together they complete the Christian doctrine.

Question 18

What is the differences of emphasis in western and eastern theology?

Answer 18

In the west we focus on the legal declaration that one has been forgiven, and in the east they focus on the need to repent.

Question 19

apophatic

Answer 19

The way of negation in Orthodox theology. You describe God for what he is not. You take things away to arrive at what is.

Question 20

filioque clause

Answer 20

In Orthodox Theology, the Father is unbegotten, the Son is begotten, and the spirit proceeds from the Father and not the Son. This is not believed by the Western Church, which states in the Nicene Creed that the Spirit proceeds from the Son.

Question 21

When does salvation begin in Orthodox theology?

Answer 21

in baptism

Question 22

What is Chrismation, and when does it happen?

Answer 22

Chrismation is the receiving of the Holy Spirit. In the Orthodox Church it happens at baptism, and in the Catholic Church during confirmation.

Question 23

What is the difference between the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Oriental Orthodox Churches.

Answer 23

The Eastern Orthodox Churches accepted the Council of Chalcedon, and the Oriental Churches rejected it.

Question 24

deification

Answer 24

Or “theosis”. In Orthodox theology, this is the process of becoming more like Christ, or entering into life with God. The Western Church focuses on the juridicial terms of atonement, where we sinned and Christ’s death atoned for us to rectify the situation. But in Orthodox theology that process is more personal. It is entering into a full life with God.

Question 25

iconostasis

Answer 25

the doorway into the eternal. A door or gate the front of an Orthodox church where only the priest can go through on behalf of the people.

Question 26

icon

Answer 26

doorways into the eternal. They help you meditate on who God is. In Eastern Orthodox Theology and in Protestantism, the use of statues is similar to idols. But the Orthodox Church uses icons.

Question 27

Pantocrator

Answer 27

The enthroned Christ that is present in Orthodox Churches. He holds a copy of the gospel in his left hand, and his right hand he holds two fingers up to signify his two natures.

Question 28

Communion of Saints

Answer 28

The Church is composed of all believers, past and present. Death does not separate us.

Question 29

Peter the Great

Answer 29

Russian leader who tried to destabilize Istanbul during the Ottoman Empire. He had strong ties to the West. He tried to get the Greeks in Turkey to rebel, but he didn’t have the support of west European nations who didn’t trust where he was coming from.

He changed the dynamic between Church and State in Russia. Basically gave himself power over the Church.

Question 30

Coptic Church

Answer 30

Egyptian Church

Question 31

Ethiopian Orthodox Church

Answer 31

Part of the Oriental Orthodox Church family. They have a Jewish influence and still practice Sabbath, circumcision, and abstain from some foods.

Question 32

Mar Thoma Church

Answer 32

The Church of India. They believe the Apostle Thomas founded the church in the 1st century. Originally Nestorian in the theology. Roman Catholicism is introduced in 1498 with the arrival of Vasco de Gama.

Question 33

When did Orthodoxy enter Russia?

Answer 33

In 986. Vladimir visited Haggia Sophia and returned convinced that everyone should be a Christian.

Question 34

Nikon

Answer 34

Attempted to reform the Russian Orthodox Church but failed.

Question 35

Essay Question: 2. Recent years have seen Orthodox leaders and Roman Catholic leaders holding conversations with one another about their differences. Some of these differences date from the 4th Century Council of Chalcedon. Others of them date from the great schism of the 11th Century. Based upon the lecture and your readings, outline the major differences between the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Oriental Orthodox Churches.

Answer 35

Oriental Orthodox Church:

• Rejected Council of Chalcedon, which stated that Jesu was fully human and fully God. They only accept the decisions of the first three councils.
• most likely reject Theotokos
• therefore it is more menophysite in its theology
• Coptic Church
• Ethiopian Church, which is traditionally more Jewish.
• Malankara Syrian Church
• Armenian Orthodox Church

Eastern Orthodox Church: Accepted the Council of Chalcedon.
-Rejected Vatican I

Question 36

Essay Question: 3. Outline and describe the major differences between the Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholic Church.

Answer 36

Orthodox Churches:

• Mystery. In terms of Liturgy, they focus on the mystery of the interaction between God and humans.
• Historically, located in the East (Constantinople).
• Ecumenical Patriarch
• focus is on the need for one to repent.
• icons, not statues
• Reject Vatican I.
• Christmation at baptism
• reject Immaculate Conception

Catholic Churches:
In Liturgy, they focus more on the theology that is represented in the Liturgy. 
-Rome
-Pope
-Focus is on the juridicial part of atonement, in other words, the need to declare one as being forgiven. 
-statues are ok
-Accepted Vatican I
-Chrismation at confirmation
-Accept Immaculate Conception

Question 37

Essay Question: 4. Churches and States always affect one another, whether there is a strong relationship between them or an attempt to see that they are separated from one another. Orthodox Churches have traditionally had a stormy relationship with the State, sometimes being viewed as the moral arm of the State, at other times being viewed as an enemy to be destabilized or even destroyed by the State. Please state, then explain, three lessons you have learned about Church-State relations from your readings and the lecture on the Churches in the East.

Answer 37

Still need to think this one through