Oriental Orthodox Churches

Oriental Orthodox Churches
Clockwise from top: Etchmiadzin Armenian Apostolic Cathedral, Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Enda Mariam Eritrean Orthodox Cathedral, Holy Trinity Ethiopian Orthodox Cathedral, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Catholicate Palace, Saint George Syriac Orthodox Cathedral.
Classification	Non-Chalcedonian
Orientation	Eastern Christianity
Theology	Miaphysitism
Polity	Episcopal
Structure	Communion
Language	Coptic, Classical Syriac, Ge'ez, Armenian, Malayalam, Koine Greek, local languages
Liturgy	Alexandrian, West Syriac and Armenian
Founder	Jesus Christ, according to sacred tradition
Separated from	Roman state Church
Members	50 million
Other name(s)	Oriental Orthodoxy, Miaphysite churches, Oriental Orthodox Communion

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Oriental Orthodoxy
Oriental Orthodox churches
Coptic Syriac Armenian Indian Cilicia Orthodox Tewahedo Ethiopian Eritrean
Independent churches Coptic: British Syriac: Malabar Independent
Autonomous churches Coptic: French Coptic Orthodox Church Armenian: Constantinople, Jerusalem Syriac: Jacobite Syrian Christian Church
History and theology History of Oriental Orthodoxy: Coptic history Tewahedo history Syriac history Saint Thomas Christians Ecumenical Councils: Nicaea I Constantinople I Ephesus I Ephesus II Ephesus III Dvin I Dvin II Dvin III Dvin IV Manzikert Capharthutha Shirakavan Hromkla Theology: Miaphysitism Non-Chalcedonian Christianity
Liturgy and practices Anaphora & Rites: Alexandrian Rite Anaphora of Saint Gregory Armenian Rite West Syriac Rite Liturgy of Saint James Liturgy of Saint Basil Liturgy of Saint Cyril Malankara Rite Holy Qurobo Calendars: Armenian Coptic Ethiopian Julian Gregorian Bible: Peshitta Coptic Bible Armenian Bible Orthodox Tewahedo Bible Cross: Coptic cross Armenian Cross St. Thomas Cross Ethiopian cross
Major figures Cyril of Alexandria Mor Addai Abgar V Gregory the Illuminator Nine Saints of Ethiopia Tiridates III Mar Awgin Athanasius of Alexandria Ephrem the Syrian Ezana of Axum Frumentius Shenoute Mesrop Mashtots Dioscorus of Alexandria Severus of Antioch Abraham of Farshut Yared Simon the Tanner Gregory of Narek Nerses IV Michael the Syrian Bar Hebraeus Tekle Haymanot Giyorgis of Segla Mar Thoma I Gregorios Abdal Jaleel Geevarghese Gregorios
Related topics Abuna Catholicos Maphrian Ethiopian titles Apostolic Church-Ordinance Coptic monasticism Coptic saints Debtera Coonan Cross Oath Ethiopian chant Fast of Nineveh Coptic fasting Tewahedo fasting Timkat
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The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysite Christology,^[1][2] with approximately 50 million members worldwide.^[3][4] The Oriental Orthodox Churches adhere to the Nicene Christian tradition. Oriental Orthodoxy is one of the oldest branches in Christianity.^[5]

As some of the oldest religious institutions in the world, the Oriental Orthodox Churches have played a prominent role in the history and culture of Armenia, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Western Asia and the Malabar region of India. As autocephalous churches, their bishops are equal by virtue of episcopal ordination. Their doctrines recognize the validity of only the first three ecumenical councils.^[6][1]

The Oriental Orthodox communion is led by its standing conference in which six churches are constituent members: the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria; the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch and its constituent autonomous Malankara Syrian Church; the Armenian Apostolic Church; the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church.^[7] The mainstream Oriental Orthodox are generally autocephalous national churches, namely the Coptic Church; the Syriac Orthodox Church along with its constituent autonomous Malankara Syrian Church in India; the Armenian Apostolic Church, comprising the autocephalous Catholicosate of Etchmiadzin in Armenia and the Catholicosate of Cilicia in the Levant and of diaspora; the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church;^[8] and also the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in India. The Malabar Independent Syrian Church—based in India—and the British Orthodox Church in the UK are independent Oriental Orthodox churches, having formerly been part of one of the mainstream Oriental Orthodox churches.^[9]

Oriental Orthodox Christians consider themselves to be the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ in his Great Commission, and that its bishops are the successors of Christ's apostles. Three rites are practiced by the churches: the western-influenced Armenian Rite, the West Syriac Rite of the Syriac Church and the Malankara Syrian Church of India, and the Alexandrian Rite of the Copts, Ethiopians and Eritreans.

Oriental Orthodox Churches shared communion with the imperial Roman church before the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD, and with the Church of the East until the Council of Ephesus in AD 431, separating primarily over differences in Christology.

The majority of Oriental Orthodox Christians live in Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, India, Syria, Turkey and Armenia, with smaller Syriac communities in Western Asia decreasing due to persecution.^{[unreliable source?]} There are also many in other parts of the world, formed through diaspora, conversions, and missionary activity.