Eastern Orthodox Church

:In this article the terms Eastern Orthodox, Orthodox, and The Church are used, for the sake of brevity, as synonyms.

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The Eastern Orthodox Church (encompassing national Orthodox jurisdictions such as Bulgarian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, etc. — see Eastern Orthodox Church organization) is a body of Christians whose origins extend directly back to Jesus and his Apostles through unbroken Apostolic Succession. It is then seen as developing its doctrines further through a series of church councils, the most authoritative being the "Seven Ecumenical Councils" held between the 4th and 8th centuries.

Related Topics:
Bulgarian Orthodox - Greek Orthodox - Russian Orthodox - Eastern Orthodox Church organization - Apostolic Succession - 4th - 8th

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The present-day influence of the Orthodox Church encompasses the territories associated with the former Byzantine and Russian empires: Eastern Europe, Asia (Russia/Siberia), parts of the Middle East and Africa. Today, although Orthodoxy's strongest influence can be seen in Greece, Russia, and Georgia, the Orthodox Church has a presence in a great many countries, with large communities in the USA and Australia.

Related Topics:
Eastern Europe - Russia - Siberia - Middle East - Africa - Greece - Georgia - USA - Australia

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