The Cambridge Companion to Orthodox Christian Theology

摘要

The term "Orthodox" has two distinct but interwoven meanings in Christian theology. When used with a small "o" it means traditional Christian teaching which conforms to mainstream understanding of doctrine, as opposed to more liberal or radical interpretations; when used with a capital "O" it refers specifically to the, mostly indigenous, Christian churches of eastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. Essentially to be considered an Orthodox Church it must be in communion with the Patriarch of Constantinople who is a primus inter pares within the Orthodox Church hierarchy. In addition there are Oriental Orthodox churches which are not part of the Orthodox family for historically-rooted doctrinal reasons. These are found in Armenia, Egypt (Coptic church), Syria, and other eastern Mediterranean areas. This picture is complex and cannot be interpreted merely by referring to geography or political history but also to theological disputes in the early councils of the church in the fifth century.