About the Orthodox Church

The Orthodox Church is the one Church founded by Jesus Christ and His apostles, begun on the day of Pentecost with the descent of the Holy Spirit in A.D. 33. The bishops of the Orthodox Churches trace unbroken succession to the very apostles themselves, therefore ultimately receiving their consecrations from our Lord Jesus Christ.

As with its Apostolic succession, the faith held by the Church is that which was handed by Christ to the apostles. Nothing is added to or subtracted from that deposit of faith which was "handed once for all to the saints" (Jude 3). Throughout history, various heresies have afflicted the Church, and at those times the Church makes dogmatic pronouncements (especially at ecumenical councils) delineating in new language what has always been believed by the Church, thus preventing the spread of heresy and calling to repentance those who would rend asunder the Body of Christ. Its primary statement of faith is the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed:

I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not created, of one essence with the Father through Whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; And He rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father; And He will come again with glory to judge the living and dead. His kingdom shall have no end.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Creator of life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke through the prophets.

In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come.

Amen.

Today the Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest Christian communion on earth, with some 220 million believers from across the globe in closely affiliated regional heads in communion with one another: Greek, Russian, the Middle East, the Far East, African, American, Australian, and more.

For more information, we recommend the Orthodox Church in America's "The Orthodox Faith," which may be found at:

https://www.oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith

This page links to a series of papers written by Father Thomas Hopko, of blessed memory. Father Tom was  the Dean of Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary from September 1992 until July 1, 2002 and taught dogmatic theology there from 1968 until 2002. In retirement, he carried the honorary title of Dean Emeritus.

We would also recommend the Orthodox Church in America's "Essential Orthodox Christian Beliefs," which may be found at the following link:

https://www.oca.org/cdn/PDFs/2023-0609-EOCB.pdf