All modern day Christian faiths can trace their roots to the same Christian church that existed for 1,000 years after Jesus Christ's death. In 1054, the Great Schism broke the church into two branches: The Roman Catholic Church (from which Martin Luther broke during the Protestant Reformation of 1517) and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
One major cause of the schism is what's known as the Filioque clause. In the Nicene Creed where it reads "We believe in the Holy Spirit ... who proceeds from the Father," the amended Roman Catholic version reads "We believe in the Holy Spirit ... who proceeds from the Father and the Son." Papal authority was the other major issue causing the split.
Members of the Orthodox Church consider it the very same church established by Christ and his apostles.
Churches under the umbrella of Eastern Orthodox, such as Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox, are in full communion with each other. The Orthodox Church is the second-largest Christian church in the world, the Roman Catholic Church being the largest.
Orthodox Christianity is based on the belief that God is the Lord of all and has revealed himself to mankind through the birth, death and resurrection of his son Jesus Christ. The Orthodox Church has seven Great Mysteries, which are Holy Communion, Baptism, Christmation (sometimes called Confirmation), Confession, Unction (anointing), Matrimony and Ordination.
One major cause of the schism is what's known as the Filioque clause. In the Nicene Creed where it reads "We believe in the Holy Spirit ... who proceeds from the Father," the amended Roman Catholic version reads "We believe in the Holy Spirit ... who proceeds from the Father and the Son." Papal authority was the other major issue causing the split.
Members of the Orthodox Church consider it the very same church established by Christ and his apostles.
Churches under the umbrella of Eastern Orthodox, such as Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox, are in full communion with each other. The Orthodox Church is the second-largest Christian church in the world, the Roman Catholic Church being the largest.
Orthodox Christianity is based on the belief that God is the Lord of all and has revealed himself to mankind through the birth, death and resurrection of his son Jesus Christ. The Orthodox Church has seven Great Mysteries, which are Holy Communion, Baptism, Christmation (sometimes called Confirmation), Confession, Unction (anointing), Matrimony and Ordination.