This church confesses the Trinity and the full deity of Christ in the creeds of the state church councils. But its teaching that grace comes through its sacraments, with tradition sharing Scripture's authority, departs from the Gospel itself on how a sinner is justified. We judge the teaching, not each member's heart.
Where It Came From
These churches trace their foundations to the apostolic age: by tradition, to Mark in Alexandria, Thomas in India, and Thaddeus and Bartholomew in Armenia. Like the Eastern Orthodox, they claim unbroken continuity with the apostles through their bishops. Theologica holds that the hierarchical churches of the East developed gradually, as in the West, and that Christ's churches of baptized believers remained distinct from them. Armenia became the first kingdom to adopt Christianity officially, early in the fourth century. These churches separated from the state church of Rome and Constantinople after the Council of Chalcedon (451), a council of state-church bishops called by the emperor Marcian, believing its language of two natures leaned toward the error of Nestorianism.
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In Their Own Words
This profile describes the tradition from its own official documents and standard teaching:
- The Nicene Creed
- The decrees of the Councils of Nicaea (325), Constantinople (381), and Ephesus (431)
- Cyril of Alexandria, Third Letter to Nestorius with the Twelve Anathemas
- Common Declaration of Pope Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III (1973)
- Agreed Statements of the Joint Commission of the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches (1989, 1990)