Oriental Orthodoxy
The ancient Near East in the German common name churches can not be inferred from the term Ancient Near East, but an English translation of Ancient Oriental Churches, that actually refers to ancient Eastern Churches ( cf. spanish antigua iglesias orientales ). More recently, the designation of Oriental Orthodox Churches is preferred.
As ancient Near Eastern Churches Eastern Churches that are referred to, in essence, that after the Council of Ephesus ( 431 ), or after the Council of Chalcedon ( 451) separated from the Roman imperial church. In the " Altorientalen " it was the one to state churches outside the boundaries of the Eastern Roman Empire ( " national churches " ), on the other directed against the Constantinopolitan centralism regional movements in the Byzantine ruled Armenia, Egypt, Georgia and Syria, there both Greeks and Copts and Syrians united ( "Opposition churches "). The separation had besides dogmatic and political reasons. All these groups a unifying » Altorientalismus " there is neither theological nor historical.
Individual Church Communities
Among the Eastern Churches are counted
- In the west so-called " Monophysite " (more accurately " miaphysitischen " ) churches that are in communion with one another (hereinafter referred to as the Eastern Orthodox): Coptic Church ( in Egypt and the Diaspora ) British Orthodox Church
- French Coptic Orthodox Church
- Celtic Orthodox Church
- Brahmavar Orthodox Syrian Church ( in Goa)
- Assyrian Church of the East (also known as " Nestorians " ) with its Indian part of the Chaldean Syrian Church of the East and the
- Ancient Church of the East
Usually not to the Eastern Churches you count all the churches or particular Churches which have adopted the Chalcedonian or the Byzantine- Constantinopolitan Rite, the Georgian Orthodox Church, also not usually incurred in modern times Eastern Catholic Churches. A more comprehensive overview of all the Eastern Churches and its current rites membership offers the products pre-Reformation churches.
Contacts and cooperation
The Oriental Orthodox churches were built during many centuries of the respective patriarchy limits (main and daughter churches ) across only in very irregular contact with each other. Only Copts and Ethiopians had relatively regular and close connection, as the Metropolitan of Ethiopia ( " Abuna " ) until the 20th century, an expatriate from the Alexandrian Patriarch Copt was always ordered. The self-understanding of the " Monophysite " churches as part of a denomination originated largely in the 20th century. From 15 January to 21 January 1965, leaders and clerics of all Oriental Orthodox churches met in Addis Ababa to attend a conference. This was the first meeting since the Council of Ephesus. The churches reiterated their cooperation and formed structures for it.
Living in Germany altorientalistische Christians are represented since 2013 by the Central Oriental Christians in Germany.
Teaching
The Oriental Orthodox churches are similar in doctrine and liturgy of the Byzantine Orthodox churches, but put more emphasis on the unity of the divine and human natures in Jesus Christ. They recognize only three ecumenical councils: First Council of Nicaea (325 ), First Council of Constantinople Opel (381), Council of Ephesus (431 ). As the fourth ecumenical council - that separates Orthodoxy from the non- Orthodox - applies in the Reich and its successor churches the Council of Chalcedon (451 ).
The Assyrian " Church of the East " will recognize only the first two of these councils and differs markedly in its liturgical order of the other churches. As the only Eastern Church knows (now ) only a few icons. Theologically, it forms a counterpoint to the other Eastern Churches - it puts the emphasis on unmixedness the divine and human natures in Christ and titled Mary as " Mother of Christ ", not as "Mother of God ".
Sacral languages
The sacred language, the respective ancient vernacular language ( Syriac - Aramaic, Coptic, Armenian, Georgian, Ge'ez, Altnubisch ). Some churches use other languages in worship, notably Arabic, Malayalam and modern Western idioms.
Current Situation
Through waves of refugees, emigration, and conversions to Islam, the Eastern Churches have lost in their home countries, many members. With the exception of today's Republic of Armenia and Ethiopia they are minority churches today. At the same time but they have spread in western culture. The Assyrian Church has even have to move its headquarters to Chicago now.