The word orthodox, from Gk. orthodoxos "having the right opinion," from orthos ("right, true, straight") + doxa ("opinion, praise", related to dokein, "thinking"),^[1] is typically used to mean adhering to the accepted or traditional and established faith, especially in religion. ^[2]

The term did not conventionally exist with any degree of formality (in the sense in which it is now used) prior to the advent of Christianity in the Greek-speaking world, though the word does occasionally show up in ancient literature in other, somewhat similar contexts. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Orthodoxy is opposed to heterodoxy ("other teaching"), heresy and schism. Heterodoxy includes "any opinions or doctrines at variance with an official or orthodox position" Heresy is an introduced change to some system of belief especially a religion that conflicts with the previously established canon of that belief The word schism (ˈsɪzəm or /ˈskɪzəm/ from the Greek σχίσμα skhísma (from σχίζω skhízō, "to tear to split" People who deviate from orthodoxy by professing a doctrine considered to be false are most often called heretics or radicals, while those who deviate from orthodoxy by removing themselves from the perceived body of believers are called schismatics. Doctrine (Latin doctrina) is a codification of beliefs or "a body of teachings quot or "instructions" taught principles or positions as the Political radicalism or simply radicalism is adherence to radical views and principles in Politics. The distinction in terminology pertains to the subject matter; if one is addressing corporate unity, the emphasis may be on schism; if one is addressing doctrinal coherence, the emphasis may be on heresy.

Apostasy, for example, is a violation of orthodoxy that takes the form of abandonment of the faith, a concept largely unknown before the adoption of Christianity as the state religion of Rome. Faith is a Belief in the trustworthiness of an Idea. Formal usage of the word "faith" is usually reserved for concepts of Religion, as in A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially A lighter deviation from orthodoxy than heresy is commonly called error, in the sense of not being grave enough to cause total estrangement, while yet seriously affecting communion. Sometimes error is also used to cover both full heresies and minor errors.

The concept of orthodoxy is the most prevalent and even inherently pervasive in nearly all forms of organized monotheism, but orthodox belief is not usually overly emphasized in polytheistic or animist religions. For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple Gods (usually assembled in a pantheon) together with associated Mythology and Rituals Animism (from Latin anima ( Soul, Life) commonly refers to a religious belief that Souls or Spirits exist in Animals Often there is little to no concept of dogma, and varied interpretation of doctrine and theology is tolerated and sometimes even encouraged within certain contexts. Dogma (the plural is either dogmata or dogmas, Greek, plural) is the established Belief or Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Syncretism, for example, plays a much wider role in non-monotheistic (and particularly, non-scriptual) religion. Syncretism consists of the attempt to reconcile disparate or contradictory beliefs often while melding practices of various schools of thought The prevailing governing idea within polytheism is most often orthopraxy ("right practice") rather than "right belief". Orthopraxy is a term derived from Greek (grc ὀρθοπραξις meaning "correct action/activity" and is a religion that places emphasis on conduct both

Contents 1 Orthodox Groups 1.1 Christianity 2 Critical uses 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

Orthodox Groups

Some groups have laid claim to the word orthodox as part of their titles, most commonly in order to differentiate themselves from other, 'heretical' movements. Orthodox Judaism focuses on a strict adherence to what it sees as the correct interpretation of the Oral Torah. Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized According to Rabbinic Judaism, the oral Torah, oral Law, or oral tradition ( is the oral tradition received in conjunction with the written Torah Within Christianity, the term occurs in the Eastern Orthodox, Western Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches as well as in Protestant denominations like the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Western Rite Orthodoxy or Western Orthodoxy or Orthodox Western Rite are terms used to describe congregations and groups which are in communion with Eastern Oriental Orthodoxy is the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three Ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Church (disambiguation A religious denomination is a subgroup within a Religion that operates under a common name tradition and identity The Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC is a small conservative Presbyterian denomination located primarily in the United States.

Christianity

See also: Orthodox Christianity

In classical Christian usage, the term orthodox refers by to a set of doctrines which gained prominence in the 4th century AD. The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to The Eastern Orthodox Church: the Eastern Christian churches of Byzantine The Roman Emperor Constantine I initiated a series of ecumenical councils to try to standardize what was then a relatively disorganized religion. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus (27 February ca. 272 &ndash 22 May 337 commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or Saint Constantine This is a general introduction to ecumenical councils For the Roman Catholic councils, see Catholic Ecumenical Councils. The most significant of these early debates was that between the Homoousian doctrine of Athanasius and Eustathius (Trinitarianism) and the Heteroousian doctrine of Arius and Eusebius (Arianism). Homoousian (from the Greek όμοιοs meaning same and ουσία meaning essence or being is a technical theological term used in discussion of the St Eustathius redirects here see also Saint Eustace. Eustathius of Antioch, sometimes surnamed the Great, was a Bishop SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных In 4th century Christianity, the Anomœans, also known as Anomeans, Heterousians, Aetians, or Eunomians, were a Sect Arius ( AD ca 250 or 256 - 336 was a Christian priest from Alexandria Egypt in the early fourth century whose teachings now called Arianism Eusebius of Nicomedia (died 341 was a bishop of Berytus (modern-day Beirut) in Phoenicia, then of Nicomedia where the imperial court resided in Bithynia Arianism is the theological teaching of Arius (c AD 250-336 who was ruled a heretic by the Christian church at the Council of Nicea. The Homoousian doctrine gradually won out in the Roman Church and came to be referred to as orthodoxy in most Christian contexts, since this became the viewpoint of the majority (although, of course, many non-Trinitarian Christians still object to this terminology). Following the Great Schism in the Roman Church, both the Western and Eastern Churches continued to consider themselves uniquely orthodox and catholic. The East-West Schism, or the Great Schism, divided medieval Christendom into Eastern (Greek and Western (Latin branches which later became known as the The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Over time the Western Church gradually identified itself more with the "Catholic" label and Westerners gradually associated the "Orthodox" label more with the Eastern Church (in some other languages the "Catholic" label is not necessarily identified with the Western Church). The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings It is important to note that, in addition to the Eastern Orthodox Church, there also exists a separate Oriental Orthodox communion, as well as other smaller communions that are commonly associated with the "Orthodox" label. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Oriental Orthodoxy is the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three Ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the

The Eastern Orthodox Churches uses the original form of the Nicene Creed created at the First Council of Constantinople in 381, in contrast to the Roman Catholic church, which uses the Nicene creed with the addition of the phrase 'and the Son' (see Filioque clause). The Nicene Creed (ˈnaɪsiːn is an ecumenical Christian statement of faith accepted in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Assyrian Church of The Second Ecumenical Council the first held in Constantinople was called by Theodosius I in 381 which confirmed the Nicene Creed and dealt with other matters such Filioque, a Latin phrase meaning "and (from the Son" In Western Christianity, it was added to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed This change is one of many causes for the Great Schism formalized in 1054 by simultaneous proclamations of "Anathema" from the leadership of the Orthodox Churches in the East and the Bishop of Rome (Pope) in the West. Anathema (in Greek Ανάθεμα meaning originally something lifted up as an offering to the gods later with evolving meanings it came to mean to be formally This emphasis on the use of the original "creed" is shared today by all Eastern Orthodox churches.

The orthodox church has relations with the Catholic church but also has many differences. The Roman Catholic Church considers the Eastern Orthodox to be in schism and not in full communion with the Holy See. Full communion is a term used in Christian Ecclesiology to describe the relationship of communion, with mutually recognized sharing of the same essential The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic But the Roman Catholic Church does not consider the Eastern Orthodox church to be schismatic and heretical. Although the Roman Catholic Church recognizes that the Eastern Orthodox church has valid sacraments and full apostolic succession many Roman Catholics do not even know that Eastern Orthodoxy exists. Recent declarations between the two churches in recent years have brought the two churches closer together than they had been for centuries. A joint commission of Orthodox and Catholic theologians agreed that the Pope has primacy over all bishops, though disagreements about the extent of his authority still continue. The Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue reached the agreement in a meeting in Ravenna, Italy in October 2006. ^[3]

Confusingly, the term "Western Orthodox" is used to refer to Uniate Catholic churches in communion with the Roman See, also known as Eastern Catholic Churches. This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See Today "Western Orthodox" will probably refer to groups of apostolic Orthodox Christians in the United Kingdom, USA, and perhaps smaller numbers in Denmark, Finland, France, Germany and the Netherlands, who wish to be Orthodox and yet want a western and Latin rite. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Latin Rite is one of the 23 Sui iuris Particular Churches within the Catholic Church. It can also refer to the Orthodox churches that have implemented a Western rite such as the Antiochian Orthodox church. The Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, also known as the Eastern Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East, the Antiochian Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Patriarchate

In Ukraine and Romania there are Uniates called Greek Catholics who have the Byzantine rite, but accept the primacy of the Pope, and so are called Byzantine Catholics. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite, is the liturgical rite used currently (in various languages The Greek Byzantine Catholic Church is a Sui iuris Particular Church within the Catholic Church and uses the Byzantine liturgical rite Also, in Lebanon and Syria are groups called Maronites and Melkites in a similar situation. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Maronites ( الموارنة,, Syriac: ܡܪܘܢܝܐ, Latin: Ecclesia Maronitarum) are members of one of the Syriac The term Melkite (also written Melchite) is used to refer to various Christian churches and their members originating in the Middle East. Their numbers are relatively small when compared to the size of the Orthodox Churches – though the Melkite church numbers over a million faithful.

The term Oriental Orthodoxy is used to refer to non-Chalcedonian eastern Christians, as opposed to Christians of Eastern Orthodox Churches, who accept the Council of Chalcedon (See Ecumenical Councils) and generally worship according to the Byzantine Rite. Oriental Orthodoxy is the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three Ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the The Council of Chalcedon was the fourth Ecumenical council. It was held from 8 October to 1 November 451 at Chalcedon (a city of This is a general introduction to ecumenical councils For the Roman Catholic councils, see Catholic Ecumenical Councils. They have been traditionally referred to as Monophysite. Monophysitism (from the Greek monos meaning 'one alone' and physis meaning 'nature' or Monophysiticism is the Christological position that They are found in Egypt, Ethiopia, some parts of Syria, Iraq and Iran, Armenia, and southern India in Kerala State. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Kerala ( Malayalam: {{Kerala in Malayalam}}; They accept only the first three of the ecumenical councils. In the last century there has been some rapproachement between these and the Eastern Orthodox Churches, particularly in Syria. There have been claims after dialogue, that really the differences have been of phraseology all along, and a simple misunderstanding of what each church holds. This is not entirely satisfactory to many in Eastern Orthodoxy, and it is not considered in each church's competence to use a General Holy Synod to bring about communion. These Eastern Orthodox Christians hold that it would take another Great and Holy Council of every Eastern Orthodox Bishop together to reverse the Anathema, and this raises problems of its own.

The Catholic Church considers most forms of Protestantism to be heresy or at the least, in error (since they do not most do not believe in Apostolic Succession and thus their "rite" and ordinations are invalid); some Protestants are mutually hostile and consider Catholics, and sometimes the Orthodox, to be heretics (the exception to this rule are the episcopal Protestants such as Anglicans – particularly High Church Anglicans and Anglo-Catholics – and some episcopal Lutherans). Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs " High Church " relates to Ecclesiology and Liturgy in Anglican theology and practice The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism (or sometimes possibly incorrectly High Church &mdashsee below describe people Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther The Catholic Church, since the Second Vatican Council, has been working harder to effect rapprochement among diverse forms of Christianity, these efforts have been met with wide-ranging responses. The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twentieth century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church.

Some religious groups are considered by all of the aforementioned to be unorthodox (or even arbitrarily cults, as they are less commonly called in Protestant circles), including members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Unitarians, and some of the more radical forms of liberal theology. This article does not discuss "cult" in the original sense of "veneration" or "religious practice" for that usage see Cult (religious practice The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known TalkMormon#Latter Day Saint vs Latter-day Saint --> Mormon Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination Unitarianism as a theology is the belief in the single personality of God in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity (three persons in one God For liberal political views within Christianity see Christian left.

Inside each of these ecclesiastical communities there are issues that correspond to estrangement or refinements of perceived orthodoxy. For example, the Roman See often issues recommendations as to what practices it considers orthodox so as to curb excesses or deficiencies by its prelates. The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic A prelate is a high-ranking member of the Clergy who either is an Ordinary or ranks in precedence with ordinaries Some evangelicals are pursuing innovations that other, more conservative evangelicals consider unorthodox and term "neo-evangelical," "neo-pentecostal," or "fringe Charismatic. Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism The term charismatic movement describes the adoption from the early twentieth century onwards of certain beliefs typical of those held by Pentecostal Christians — specifically "

Critical uses

In general intellectual contexts, the terms "orthodox" and "orthodoxy" are commonly used in an unfavorable sense, similar to that associated with "dogma" and "dogmatic". The implication is that orthodox beliefs are not rationally justified but are imposed by some overseeing body, such as the dominant group in an academic discipline. For example, the term orthodox economics is commonly used by critics to refer to the dominant approach to economics, which its supporters would more commonly call mainstream economics. Mainstream economics is a loose term used to refer to the non- heterodox economics taught in prominent universities In this sense, orthodox economics is commonly counterposed to radical^[4] or heterodox economics. Heterodox economics refers to the approaches or schools of economic thought, that are considered outside of mainstream, that is orthodox economics ^[5]

See also

• Fundamentalism
• Heresy
• Theology

References

External links

• Apostasy in the Christian church
• The "Changing" God of the New Theologies
• The Dangers of the Emerging Church
• God's Country—the differences among American Fundamentalist, Evangelical and Liberal Christians
• Orthodox Buddhism
• Orthodox Judaism

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