Oriental Orthodox Theology

God

The Holy Trinity

Oriental Orthodox Church affirms the doctrine of the Trinity: God is one in essence but Three in Hypostasis—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, sharing One Will, One Work, and One Lordship. This doctrine is essential to the faith, with a particular emphasis on the mystery and transcendence of God. In their liturgy and theology, the church maintains a sense of awe and reverence for the divine, seeing God's essence as beyond full human comprehension.

The Father

God the Father is called of the "Fountainhead of the Trinity". This does not mean that He is superior to the other Hypostasis, but it is referring to the fact that the other Two are defined by their relation to the Father, showing the inner mystical relations of the Holy Trinity.

The Son

God the Son is the "Word" or "Logos" of God, a concept that has its foundation in the first chapter of the Gospel of St. John. The Son is Begotten of the Father before all worlds. He is called "Light of Light," and "True God of True God". He is Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit

God the Holy Spirit, is called the "Wind" or "Breath" of God. He eternally proceeds from the Father, and is attributed with being the "Life giver" and the "Comforter".

The Holy Trinity in Scripture

Genesis 1:26: “And God said, Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.” The plural number here indicates that God is not one Person.

Genesis 3:22: “And the Lord God said, Behold, Adam is become as one of us, to know good and evil.” (These are the words of God before the banishment of our ancestors from Paradise.)

Genesis 11:6-7: Prior to the confusion of tongues at the building of the tower of Babylon, the Lord said, “Let us go down, and there confound their language.”

Genesis 18:1-3, concerning Abraham: “And the Lord appeared unto him at the oak of Mamre . . . And he (Abraham) lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood by him . . .and he bowed himself toward the ground and said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in Thy sight, pass not away, I pray Thee, from Thy servant.”

Matt. 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” St. Ambrose of Milan notes: “The Lord said, ‘In the name’ and not ‘in the names,’ because God is One.”

2 Cor. 13:14: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.”

1 John 5:7: “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one.”

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Incarnation

The Church believes in the mystery of the Incarnation. That the Son of God took flesh of the the Virgin Mary, by the Holy Spirit, who was sent by the Father. The Incarnation is symbolic of the Trinitarian work of God. At the time of the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel was sent to St. Mary, the Holy Spirit came to her and cleansed her of all impurities, so that the Son of God could enter her immaculate womb, and become perfect Man with perfect Soul. Because of her role in the Incarnation and the salvation of Mankind, and her relationship to God the Son, Mary is called the Mother of God or the God-bearer (Gr: Θεοτόκος Theotokos).

The Nature of the Son

The main historical theological difference between the Oriental Orthodox Church and the other Christian denominations, is its view on the Nature of the Incarnate Logos. The Oriental Orthodox Church believes that when Christ came down to Earth, His Divinity united with His Humanity, and thus He has One Incarnate Nature that is Fully Divine and Fully Human. The Church confesses that at the time of death of Christ, His Soul seperated from His Body, and His Divinity did not depart from either. The Church uses the formula from St. Cyril of Alexandria as proclaimed at the Council of Ephesus in AD 431, that is "One Nature of the Word of God made flesh" (Gr: μία φύσις τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου σεσαρκωμένη Mia physis tou theou logou sesarkomene). Thus this Christological view is known as Miaphysitism.

Sacraments

The Church believes in the 7 main sacraments being Holy Baptism, Holy Chrism, Holy Confession, Holy Communion, Holy Matrimony, Holy Priesthood and Holy Unction. All sacraments are conducted by priests or bishops.

Holy Baptism

Holy Baptism is how one enters the Church. Through it, the baptized is born again by the Holy Spirit, by being submerged in the water three times in the Name of the Holy Trinity. The Church allows infant baptism for the children of believers. The Sacraments of Chrismation and Communion are done alongside baptism. The only exception is in some churches, priests may opt not to baptize converts from other "Apostolic" Churches, who have already received baptism, in accordance to Ecumenical Agreements. Such individuals are admitted into the Oriental Orthodox Church with the sacrament of Holy Chrism.

Holy Communion

The Holy Eucharist is an essential sacrament when one communes with the Holy Body and the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, partaking in the sacrifice of the Lamb of God on Calvary, and through it we enter into full communion with God. The Church confesses that during the Divine Liturgy, the Bread and Wine transform into the True Body and True Blood of Jesus Christ.

Holy Confession

Through Holy Confession, one can obtain remissions of sins. This is done in front of a priest who according to Mathew 18:18, has the authority to "set loose and bind". Confession requires remorse for sins, and is usually a therapeutic session in order to reflect on ones sins, repent, and to be cleansed.

Salvation

Sacred Tradition

The Holy Bible

The Church views the Holy Bible as the Word of God. Different Oriental Orthodox Churches have different Biblical Canons, however all of them are respected by one another. The largest of these is the Ethiopian Canon, which is the largest in all of Christendom.

Ecclesiology

Synods of the Church

The only Synods that are considered Ecumenical Synods by the Church are the Councils of Nicaea(325), Constantinople(360) and Ephesus(431). These Synods have set the base for ecclesiology and theological studies of the Church.