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Servants Preparation Program

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Although this council started as an ecumenical council, it ended as a local one. ... Christ cannot have two natures since His humanity was absorbed by His divinity ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Servants Preparation Program


1
  • Servants Preparation Program
  • CMP 102, Denominations

2
Eastern vs. OrientalOrthodox Churches
  • And you shall know the truth, and the truth
    shall make you free.
  • (John 832)
  • Fr. Marcus Mansour
  • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church
  • Phoenix, Arizona
  • Servants Preparation 2005-2006

3
Introduction
  • The first division in the body of Christ took
    place in 451 A.D. when a break took place at the
    fourth council in Chalcedon
  • Although this council started as an ecumenical
    council, it ended as a local one. The reason is
    that the council excommunicated Pope Dioscorus,
    the Bishop of Alexandria, based on administrative
    grounds and not based on dogmatic errors.

4
Introduction
  • The 3rd ecumenical council defended the unity of
    Christ against the Nestorian heresy
  • The Pope of Alexandria, Cyril I, the Pillar of
    Faith, defended the unity of Christ against the
    two separate natures taught by Nestorius
  • In attacking this heresy, Eutyches, an
    archimandrite from Constantinople, taught that
    Christ cannot have two natures since His humanity
    was absorbed by His divinity

5
Introduction
  • Actually, this is another heresy which led to the
    Monophysite doctrine (one divine nature)
  • St. Cyril died in 444 A.D. leaving his successor,
    St. Dioscurus, to fight the new heresy
  • Although St. Dioscurus never accepted the
    doctrine of Eutyches, he has been labeled as
    Monophysite and hence, all the non-Chalcedonian
    churches (the churches which did not accept the
    Chalcedon Council) are considered to be
    Monophysites.
  • The result of the Chalcedon council is that there
    emerged two groups of churches, Chalcedonian and
    non-Chalcedonian

6
Introduction
  • The Chalcedonian churches continued together and
    conducted four more councils which they consider
    ecumenical, until the year 1054 A.D. when the
    Great Schism occurred
  • Two major issues, Romes claim to a universal
    papal supremacy, and her addition of the filioque
    (and the Son) clause to the Nicene Creed,
    caused the Great Schism.

7
Introduction
  • Thus, in 1054 A.D., the titles Catholic and
    Orthodox were officially used to differentiate
    between the Roman Catholic Church and the others.
    However, those others do not include the
    non-Chalcedonian Churches
  • In recent times, it is generally acknowledged
    that the non-Chalcedonian and the Orthodox are
    both confessing the same faith and traditions,
    except that of the Chalcedon council
  • Thus, both groups may be called Orthodox

8
Introduction
  • To distinguish between the two groups, one is
    called the Oriental Orthodox churches
    (non-Chalcedonian) and the other is called the
    Eastern Orthodox churches (east of Rome)

9
Oriental Orthodox Churches
  • The Oriental Orthodox family of churches includes
    Alexandria (the national Church under the
    leadership of H.H. Pope Shenouda III since 1971),
    Ethiopia, Eretria, Antioch (currently under the
    leadership of Mar Ignatius Zaka Awas I), India
    (Malankara), Armenia (Etchmiadzin and Antelias),
    for a total of seven churches

10
Eastern Orthodox Churches
  • The Eastern Orthodox family of churches
    (Byzantines) includes Constantinople, Alexandria
    (Malachite), Antioch (Malachite) Jerusalem,
    Russia, Greece, Romania, and most European
    countries east of Rome

11
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • The two families share the same faith and
    doctrine, even concerning the nature of Christ,
    which caused the division at the council of
    Chalcedon
  • In 1964, a dialogue between the two families took
    place and continued until a theological
    declaration was signed by both families in 1989
    at the Monastery of St. Bishoy in the desert of
    Egypt, based on the teaching of St. Cyril of
    Alexandria

12
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • A preliminary declaration to lift all anathemas
    between the two families has been presented in
    1990 to all churches of the two families to be
    approved by their local synods
  • Many churches have accepted the declaration,
    however, it will not take effect until all
    churches accept it
  • The following is the text of the 1990 historical
    declaration

13
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • Second Agreed Statement (1990)
  • The first Agreed Statement on Christology adopted
    by the Joint Commission of the Theological
    Dialogue between the Orthodox and Oriental
    Orthodox Churches, at our historic meeting at the
    Anba Bishoy Monastery, Egypt, from 20th to 24th
    June 1989 forms the basis of this Second Agreed
    Statement on the following affirmations of our
    common faith and understanding, and
    recommendations on steps to be taken for the
    communion of our two families of Churches in
    Jesus Christ our Lord, who prayed "that they all
    may be one".

14
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • Second Agreed Statement (1990)
  • 1. Both families agree in condemning the
    Eutychian heresy. Both families confess that the
    Logos, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity,
    only begotten of the Father before the ages and
    consubstantial with Him, was incarnate and was
    born from the Virgin Mary Theotokos fully
    consubstantial with us, perfect man with soul,
    body and mind He was crucified, died, was
    buried, and rose from the dead on the third day,
    ascended to the heavenly Father, where He sits on
    the right hand of the Father as Lord of all
    Creation. At Pentecost, by the coming of the Holy
    Spirit, He manifested the Church as His Body. We
    look forward to His coming again in the fullness
    of His glory, according to the Scriptures.

15
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • Second Agreed Statement (1990)
  • 2. Both families condemn the Nestorian heresy and
    the crypto-Nestorianism of Theodoret of Cyrus.
    They agree that it is not sufficient merely to
    say that Christ is consubstantial both with His
    Father and with us, by nature God and by nature
    man it is necessary to affirm also that the
    Logos, who is by nature God, became by nature
    Man, by His Incarnation in the fullness of time.

16
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • Second Agreed Statement (1990)
  • 3. Both families agree that the Hypostasis of the
    Logos became composite by uniting to His divine
    uncreated nature with its natural will and
    energy, which He has in common with the Father
    and the Holy Spirit, created human nature, which
    He assumed at the Incarnation and made His own,
    with its natural will and energy.

17
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • Second Agreed Statement (1990)
  • 4. Both families agree that the natures with
    their proper energies and wills are united
    hypostatically and naturally without confusion,
    without change, without division and without
    separation, and that they are distinguished in
    thought alone.

18
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • Second Agreed Statement (1990)
  • 5. Both families agree that He, who wills and
    acts, is always the one Hypostasis of the Logos
    incarnate.
  • 6. Both families agree in rejecting
    interpretations of Councils which do not fully
    agree with the Horos of the Third Ecumenical
    Council and the letter (433) of Cyril of
    Alexandria to John of Antioch.

19
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • Second Agreed Statement (1990)
  • 7. The Orthodox agree that the Oriental Orthodox
    will continue to maintain their traditional
    Cyrillian terminology of one nature of the
    incarnate Logos, since they acknowledge the
    double consubstantiality of the Logos which
    Eutyches denied. The Orthodox also use this
    terminology. The Oriental Orthodox agree that the
    Orthodox are justified in their use of the
    two-natures formula, since they acknowledge that
    the distinction is in thought alone. Cyril
    interpreted correctly this use in his letter to
    John of Antioch and his letters to Acacius of
    Melitene (PG 77, 184-201), to Eulogius (PG 77,
    224-228) and to Succensus (PG 77, 228-245).

20
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • Second Agreed Statement (1990)
  • 8. Both families accept the first three
    Ecumenical Councils, which form our common
    heritage. In relation to the four later Councils
    of the Orthodox Church, the Orthodox state that
    for them the above points 1-7 are the teachings
    also of the four later Councils of the Orthodox
    Church, while the Oriental Orthodox consider this
    statement of the Orthodox as their
    interpretation. With this understanding, the
    Oriental Orthodox respond to it positively.

21
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • Second Agreed Statement (1990)
  • In relation to the teaching of the Seventh
    Ecumenical Council of the Orthodox Church, the
    Oriental Orthodox agree that the theology and
    practice of the veneration of icons taught by
    that Council are in basic agreement with the
    teaching and practice of the Oriental Orthodox
    from ancient times, long before the convening of
    the Council, and that we have no disagreement in
    this regard.

22
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • Second Agreed Statement (1990)
  • 9. In the light of our Agreed Statement on
    Christology as well as of the above common
    affirmations, we have now clearly understood that
    both families have always loyally maintained the
    same authentic Orthodox Christological faith, and
    the unbroken continuity of the apostolic
    tradition, though they have used Christological
    terms in different ways. It is this common faith
    and continuous loyalty to the Apostolic Tradition
    that should be the basis for our unity and
    communion.

23
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • Second Agreed Statement (1990)
  • 10. Both families agree that all the anathemas
    and condemnations of the past which now divide us
    should be lifted by the Churches in order that
    the last obstacle to the full unity and communion
    of our two families can be removed by the grace
    and power of God. Both families agree that the
    lifting of anathemas and condemnations will be
    consummated on the basis that the Councils and
    Fathers previously anathematized or condemned are
    not heretical.

24
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • Second Agreed Statement (1990)
  • We therefore recommend to our Churches the
    following practical steps
  • A. The Orthodox should lift all anathemas and
    condemnations against all Oriental Orthodox
    Councils and Fathers whom they have anathematised
    or condemned in the past.
  • B. The Oriental Orthodox should at the same time
    lift all anathemas and condemnations against all
    Orthodox Councils and fathers, whom they have
    anathematised or condemned in the past.

25
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • Second Agreed Statement (1990)
  • C. The manner in which the anathemas are to be
    lifted should be decided by the Churches
    individually.
  • Trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit, the
    Spirit of Truth, Unity and Love, we submit this
    Agreed Statement and Recommendations to our
    venerable Churches for their consideration and
    action, praying that the same Spirit will lead us
    to that unity for which our Lord prayed and
    prays.

26
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • Although the Coptic Orthodox Church, and most of
    the Oriental Orthodox churches have accepted this
    declaration by their holy synods, not all the
    Eastern Orthodox churches have approved it by
    their holy synods yet
  • Thus, the full union of the two families did not
    take place yet
  • Only baptism has been accepted based on the 1998
    declaration of the one faith. Thus, we in the
    Coptic Orthodox church accept the baptism of the
    Eastern churches, but not the same with respect
    to the other sacraments. We pray that the full
    unity may take place by Gods will

27
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • It is worth noting that within the family of the
    Eastern churches, the see of Constantinople (used
    to be called New Rome) is the head of the
    family, and its bishop is called the Ecumenical
    Patriarch
  • All other churches are each headed by a Patriarch
    or an Archbishop, who is elected by his own
    people and affirmed by the Ecumenical patriarch
    of Constantinople
  • The main liturgy used in the Eastern rites
    service is the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

28
Eastern vs. Oriental Churches
  • Some practices of the Eastern churches which need
    some more discussion with the Oriental churches
    are
  • A- The acceptance of any Christian baptism
  • B- Performing marriages between couples of which
    one partner is Orthodox and the other is not, but
    still a Christian
  • C- Fasting before partaking in the Holy Communion
    is only three hours
  • D- Serving communion to women at any time, even
    during the menstrual cycle
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