Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a family of Christian churches whose worship and teaching draw on the Scriptures, the early councils and the liturgical tradition. In the Divine Liturgy, worshippers hear Scripture, profess the Creed and gather for the Eucharist. Those acts offer a way into the history and teaching of the tradition, from fourth-century debates about Christ to the role of icons in prayer. Orthodox Church in America, “Nicene Creed” · Orthodox Church in America, “Holy Eucharist”
The Creed in the life of a parish
The Orthodox Church in America connects the Creed recited in its churches with the councils of Nicaea in 325 and Constantinople in 381. Nicaea addressed the relation of the Son to the Father, confessing the Son’s full divinity. Constantinople is associated with the fuller statement about the Holy Spirit. In Orthodox worship the Creed is called the Symbol of Faith. Its profession of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is made at baptism and recited in the Divine Liturgy. The same confession thus belongs to entry into the Church and to its recurring worship. Orthodox Church in America, “Nicene Creed”
The Eucharist and the invocation of the Spirit
In the Divine Liturgy, the assembly prays, hears Scripture and celebrates the Eucharist. One part of the Eucharistic prayer is the epiklesis, the invocation of the Holy Spirit upon the people and upon the gifts of bread and wine. The Orthodox Church in America describes the consecrated gifts as truly Christ’s body and blood and Communion as participation in his life. Its account also notes that churches in the Slavic tradition add the Prayer of the Third Hour at this point. That detail gives one example of variation within the shared liturgical structure. Orthodox Church in America, “Epiklesis” · Orthodox Church in America, “Holy Eucharist”
Why Orthodox Christians venerate icons
The Second Council of Nicaea in 787 addressed the use of sacred images. Its definition distinguishes the reverence given to icons from the worship due to God. It says that honor shown to an image passes to the person represented. This explains a gesture such as greeting or bowing before an icon of Christ or a saint. The act is directed through the image toward its subject. The council’s text also names homes as places for sacred images, placing them within ordinary devotional life as well as church services. Second Council of Nicaea, definition reproduced by the Orthodox Church in America
Great Lent and Pascha
Great Lent prepares worshippers for Pascha, the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. The Orthodox Church in America describes three linked practices during this period, fasting, prayer and almsgiving. Its explanation connects changes in eating with greater attention to prayer and the care of people in need. It also recognizes that the extent of the food fast may need to be adapted. In this account, the preparation for Pascha concerns how worshippers use their time and resources as well as what they eat. Orthodox Church in America, “Lenten Fasting”
Church jurisdictions and the separation from Rome
Eastern Orthodox Christians worship within multiple church jurisdictions. For example, the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States lists archdioceses and dioceses associated with Constantinople, Antioch, Serbia and other churches. The directory shows how distinct church administrations can be present in the same country. Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops, jurisdictions
The events of 1054 are a familiar date in accounts of the separation between Eastern Orthodoxy and Rome. In 1965, Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I issued a joint declaration describing the censures of 1054 as directed at particular people. They distinguished those censures from the broader rupture of communion that developed amid events before and after them. Their act removed the old sentences from church memory and expressed the hope of restoring full communion. Joint Catholic–Orthodox Declaration of 7 December 1965
Conclusion
Eastern Orthodox teaching can be seen in practices that connect a parish with the wider history of the Church. The Creed gives common words to its confession of faith. The Eucharistic prayer expresses what Orthodox Christians believe the Holy Spirit does in worship. Icons and the approach to Pascha carry that worship into homes and the rhythm of the year.
Published by Ralf. About our editorial process.
1 thought on “Eastern Orthodox Christianity | Creed, Liturgy and Icons”