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Oriental Orthodoxy in North America represents adherents, religious communities, institutions and organizations of Oriental Orthodox Christianity in North America, including the United States, Canada, Mexico and other North American states. Oriental Orthodox Christians in North America are traditionally organized in accordance with their patrimonial ecclesiastical jurisdictions, with each community having its own structure of dioceses and parishes. Most Oriental Orthodox Christians in North America belong to Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Indian, Syriac and some other communities, representing religious majority or minority within a particular community. Oriental Orthodox jurisdictions are organized within the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches. [1]
Historically, Oriental Orthodoxy was introduced to North America during the 19th century, mainly through emigration of Christians from the Middle East, Caucasus, North Africa and India. Honoring such diverse heritage, Oriental Orthodoxy in North America is traditionally organized in accordance with patrimonial jurisdictions of autocephalous Oriental Orthodox Churches, each of them having its own hierarchy with dioceses and parishes. [2] Armenian Apostolic Church has two jurisdictions in North America: under the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin there are three dioceses, two in the United States (eastern and western), and one in Canada; [3] while under the Holy See of Cilicia there are also two dioceses in the United States (eastern and western), and one in Canada (see: Armenian (Cilician) Diocese of Canada). Coptic Orthodox Church in North America also has several dioceses. [4] Syriac Orthodox Church in North America has its own hierarchy, with two dioceses in the United States (eastern and western), [5] two patriarchal vicariates (one for Canada and one for Central America), and also adding to that the autonomous Malankara Archdiocese of North America. Also, there are dioceses of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in North America, including Malankara Orthodox Diocese of Northeast America (for eastern regions of the United States and eastern regions of Canada), [6] and Malankara Orthodox Diocese of Southwest America (for western regions of the United States and western regions of Canada). [7] Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Eritrean Orthodox Church also have their jurisdictions in North America. [8]
Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in the Eastern Mediterranean region or locations further east, south or north. The term does not describe a single communion or religious denomination. Eastern Christianity is a category distinguished from Western Christianity, which is composed of those Christian traditions and churches that originally developed further west.
Full communion is a communion or relationship of full agreement among different Christian denominations or Christian individuals that share certain essential principles of Christian theology. Views vary among denominations on exactly what constitutes full communion, but typically when two or more denominations are in full communion it enables services and celebrations, such as the Eucharist, to be shared among congregants or clergy of any of them with the full approval of each.
An exarch was the holder of any of various historical offices, some of them being political or military and others being ecclesiastical.
A catholicos is the head of certain churches in some Eastern Christian traditions. The title implies autocephaly and, in some cases, it is the title of the head of an autonomous church. The word comes from ancient Greek καθολικός, derived from καθ' ὅλου from κατά and ὅλος, meaning "concerning the whole, universal, general"; it originally designated a financial or civil office in the Roman Empire.
Miaphysitism is the Christological doctrine that holds Jesus, the "Incarnate Word, is fully divine and fully human, in one 'nature' (physis)." It is a position held by the Oriental Orthodox Churches and differs from the Chalcedonian position that Jesus is one "person" in two "natures", a divine nature and a human nature (dyophysitism).
Non-Chalcedonian Christianity comprises the branches of Christianity that do not accept theological resolutions of the Council of Chalcedon, the Fourth Ecumenical Council, held in 451. Non-Chalcedonian denominations reject the Christological Definition of Chalcedon, for varying reasons. Non-Chalcedonian Christianity thus stands in contrast to Chalcedonian Christianity.
Alphabetical list of Eastern Christianity-related articles on English Wikipedia
The term Eastern Protestant Christianity encompasses a range of heterogeneous Protestant Christian denominations that developed outside of the Western world, from the latter half of the nineteenth century, and retain certain elements of Eastern Christianity. Some of these denominations came into existence when active Protestant churches adopted reformational variants of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox liturgy and worship, while others originated from Orthodox groups who were inspired by the teachings of Western Protestant missionaries and adopted Protestant beliefs and practices.
The immigration of the Copts to Canada might have started as early as the late 1950s. Due to an increasing amount of discrimination towards Copts in Egypt in the 1970s and low income in Egypt. Canada has been receiving a greater number of these immigrants, and the number of Coptic immigrants into Canada has been growing ever since.
Eastern Orthodoxy in North America represents adherents, religious communities, institutions and organizations of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in North America, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Estimates of the number of Eastern Orthodox adherents in North America vary considerably depending on methodology and generally fall in range from 3 million to 6 million.
Christianity has been, historically, a Middle Eastern religion with its origin in Judaism. Eastern Christianity refers collectively to the Christian traditions and churches which developed in the Middle East, Egypt, Asia Minor, the Far East, Balkans, Eastern Europe, Northeastern Africa and southern India over several centuries of religious antiquity. It is contrasted with Western Christianity, which developed in Western Europe. As a historical definition the term relates to the earliest Christian communities and their long-standing traditions that still exist.
The Copts began to immigrate to the United States as early as the late 1940s. Immigration to Canada was soon to follow, and in general, this was to be the case throughout North America in the coming decades. With hundreds of Coptic Orthodox churches in the United States alone, it is estimated that there are over one million Coptic Orthodox Christians in North America.
Oriental Orthodoxy is the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three ecumenical councils—the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the Council of Ephesus. They reject the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon. Hence, these Churches are also called Old Oriental Churches or Non-Chalcedonian Churches.
The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 50 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches adhere to the Nicene Christian tradition. Oriental Orthodoxy is one of the oldest branches in Christianity.
Oriental Orthodoxy is the second largest Christian denomination in Iraq after the collective Eastern Catholic Churches. It includes the Syriac Orthodox Church, headed by a patriarch in Damascus, and the Armenian Apostolic Church, which serves the population of Armenians in Iraq. A sizable population have fled from Iraq following the US invasion and subsequent conflicts. Most Oriental Orthodox Christians are of ethnic Iraqi-Assyrian heritage, who make up about 500,000. The other significant minority of Oriental Orthodox Christians are ethnic Armenians. Christians are present in Baghdad, Basra, Mosul and northern Iraq.
The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church is one of the Oriental Orthodox Churches with its headquarters in Asmara, Eritrea. It was given autocephaly by Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria, Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church, after Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993. Thus, the Eritrean Church accords a primacy of honor to the Coptic Church.
Oriental Orthodoxy in the Republic of Ireland is part of the Oriental Orthodox Christian tradition. Before the beginning of the 20th century, the presence of Oriental Orthodox Christianity in Ireland was minor, gradually increasing only in the second half of the century with immigration, mainly from the region of Middle East and India. Today, it is a growing community, well integrated into Irish society.
Oriental Orthodoxy in Germany is part of the Oriental Orthodox Christian tradition. Before the beginning of the 20th century, the presence of Oriental Orthodox Christianity in Germany was minor, mainly represented by Armenian communities. It was gradually increasing in the second half of the century with immigration, mainly from the region of Middle East. Today, it is a growing community, well integrated into German society.
Oriental Orthodox Churches are the churches descended from those that rejected the Council of Chalcedon in 451. Despite the similar name, they are therefore a different branch of Christianity from the Eastern Orthodox. Oriental Orthodoxy consists of several autocephalous and autonomous jurisdictions holding a single set of beliefs and united in full communion. However, they each have their own separate rites, and there are significant differences between their respective practices. Thus, there is more internal diversity of practice among the Oriental Orthodox than among the Eastern Orthodox.