Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church - Williamsburg, VA.

The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian communion in the world, estimated to number between 225-300 million total members. It is considered by its adherents to be the One, Holy,Catholic and Apostolic Church established by Jesus Christ and his Apostles nearly 2000 years ago. The Church is composed of numerous self-governing ecclesial bodies, each geographically and nationally distinct but theologically unified. Each self-governing (or autocephalous) body is shepherded by a Synod of independent bishops whose duty is, among other things, to preserve and teach the Apostolic and patristic traditions and related Church practices. All Eastern Orthodox bishops trace their lineage back to one of the twelve Apostles through the process of Apostolic Succession.

Today’s Eastern Orthodox Church traces its development back through Greek, Slavic, and Middle Eastern traditions, among others; back through Byzantine and Roman empires; back to the earliest church established by St. Paul and the Apostles. It clings tenaciously to its ancient traditions and practices believing in growth without change Orthodox Christians believe that the ultimate goal of every Christian is to become like God, to love perfectly, to become “LittleChrists” within Jesus Christ. This process is called theosis or deification.

The Biblical text used by the Orthodox includes the Greek Septuagint and the New Testament. It includes the Deuterocanonical Books, which are generally rejected by Protestants, and a few texts that are not in the Western canon. Orthodox accept scripture as the inspired Word of God, believing scripture was inspired by the Holy Spirit to its authors, speakers and editors.

Trinity Eastern Orthodox Christians believe in a God who is both three and one (triune). The Father is the cause or origin of the Godhead, from whom the Son is begotten eternally and also from whom the Holy Ghost proceeds eternally. The Holy Trinity is three, distinct, divine persons (hypostases), without overlap or modality among them, who share one divine essence (ousia)—uncreated, immaterial and eternal. Eastern Orthodox doctrine regarding the Holy Trinity is summarized in the Nicene Creed (Symbol of Faith).In discussing God’s relationship to His creation, Eastern Orthodoxy used the concept of a distinction between God’s eternal essence which is totally transcendent and His uncreated energies which is how He reaches us. It is also necessary to understand that this is an artificial distinction rather than a real one. The God who is transcendent and the God who touches us are one and the same (i.e. His energies are not some sort of thing that comes out of God or that he produces, but rather they are God himself inseparable from his being).