With the approaching Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox
Church our “Ask Father” series speaks on the differences, or in this case
similarities, between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox
Church. Defending the truth about God and the Church has never been an easy or
simple task. The Holy Fathers of the Church debated rigorously and sometimes succumbed
to name-calling. After 1,500 years of debate and disagreement the Eastern
Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox remain divided, but with hope of a
future healing of the ancient schism that divides us. We ask all our fans to
fervently pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as the Church gathers.
Though some Churches have indicated they will not attend the coming council, we
here at Be Transfigured remain hopeful that, if nothing else, understanding the
real history of the long-lasting debates in the Church will help to explain
that protecting the truth of Orthodoxy requires patience and prayer. DISCLAIMER: This episode of Be Transfigured
in not meant to be a complete discussion of the theological or ecclesiological
issues that exist between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox
Church, but is meant to be a general discussion to assist in our general
understanding of how the Church functions.