Eastern and Oriental Orthodox: What’s the Difference?

Part 1 – What We Share in Common

Before we talk about our differences, it’s important to recognize just how much Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians have in common. We come from the same ancient Church, pray in the same liturgical spirit, and uphold the same core faith handed down by the apostles.

A Shared Apostolic Faith

Both Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches believe in:

• One God in the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

• The full divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ.

• The Holy Scriptures as the inspired Word of God.

• The authority of the early Church Fathers.

• The seven sacraments (including Baptism, Chrismation, and the Eucharist).

• The veneration of the Theotokos (Mother of God) and the saints.

• A sacramental and liturgical life centered on the Divine Liturgy.

• The goal of salvation: union with God (theosis).

  
  

Worship and Liturgy

Our worship may look different in style, but at heart, it's very similar:

• We both celebrate the Divine Liturgy with incense, chanting, icons, and processions.

• We fast during the same seasons (Great Lent, Advent, etc.).

• We pray with the same posture of reverence, rooted in the early Church.

  
  

Spiritual Life

• We both emphasize repentance, confession, and the spiritual disciplines of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.

• We honor monasticism as a holy way of life and a deep source of prayer for the world.

  
  

Why It Matters

Sometimes people focus only on what divides us. But remembering what we share is the foundation for understanding and healing. The Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches are like two branches of one ancient tree—sharing the same roots, the same sap of grace, and the same desire to be faithful to Christ.