Orthodox Churches
Orthodox churches research papers discuss the two branches of Christianity. Since the religion topic of orthodox churches is so large, you can specify a more narrow topic to write a religion research paper on. Paper Masters can help you narrow your religion topic or you can tell our writers which aspect of orthodox churches you would like us to write a research paper on.
Ways to Narrow Your Research Paper on Orthodox Churches
The term "orthodox" comes from two Greek words meaning, "correct belief." In Christianity, two separate branches call themselves "Orthodox Christians," but outsiders label them as the following:
- Eastern Orthodox.
- Oriental Orthodox.
These groups split apart in the 5th century CE.
The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest Christian church in the world, second only to Roman Catholicism. It is the primary religion across much of Eastern Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. The Eastern Orthodox Church claims it is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church directly descended from Jesus Christ, through the Byzantine Empire.
Eastern vs Oriental Orthodox
The Eastern Orthodox Church spilt with its western cousin, the Roman Catholic Church in 1054 CE, an event known as the East-West Schism. The Oriental Orthodox Church had already split from the rest of Christianity following the Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE.
The Oriental Orthodox Church is comprised of six churches:
- The Coptic
- Ethiopian
- Eritrean
- Syriac
- Malankara
- Syrian
- Armenian Apostolic churches.
Each of these churches is hierarchically independent of each other. These churches are each headed by a Patriarch, although the Coptic Pope is considered to be "first among equals." Oriental Orthodoxy is the dominant in Armenia, Ethiopia, and is a minority religion in Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon and Kerala, India.