Orthodox Church: An Introduction To Eastern... — The

: The faith was nurtured in the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium), with its capital in Constantinople. This setting provided a Hellenistic and Semitic cultural backdrop.

: Between the 4th and 8th centuries, these councils defined the fundamental dogmas of the faith, including the nature of the Trinity and the divinity of Christ. The Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern...

The Orthodox Church traces its roots directly to the established by Jesus Christ. While it shares a common history with Western Christianity for the first millennium, several key events defined its distinct path: : The faith was nurtured in the Eastern

: A culmination of cultural, political, and theological differences (such as the authority of the Papacy) led to the formal break between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. The Orthodox Church traces its roots directly to

Orthodox theology is often characterized as rather than legalistic, emphasizing a personal encounter with God:

: Significant expansion occurred through the conversion of the Slavs and the growth of the Church in Russia, creating a diverse family of self-governing (autocephalous) national churches. Core Theological Beliefs