Where can I read about Syriac Orthodox monks?

Please visit RuHo Suryoyo at: http://www.ruhosuryoyo.org

Who are the Oriental Orthodox Christians?

The Oriental Orthodox Christians historically refer to the Orthodox Christians who did not accept the council of Chalcedon (4th Ecumenical council of the Byzantine Orthodox and Roman Catholics). These Christians generally were located around the frontier of the Roman Empire--Antioch in the Near East, Alexandria in Africa--and beyond into greater Asia and Africa.

Today the Oriental Orthodox faith is distinguished by their rites: The Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch & Malankara Syrian Orthodox (the Syriac Orthodox Church in India), the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Ethiopian Tawehedo Orthodox Church, and the Eritrean Orthodox Church.

How does the Syriac (Oriental) Orthodox faith differ from other Christian faiths?
Taken from Syriac Orthodox Resources - FAQ

The Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451 resulted in the schism of Christendom into two groups. The Catholic (Rome) and Greek (Byzantine) Churches accepted the Council, while the Syrian (Antioch) and Coptic (Alexandria) Churches rejected it. The former group adopted the doctrine that Christ is in two natures, human and divine, while the latter adopted the doctrine that Christ has one incarnate nature from two natures. It is worth noting that the drafts of the Council were according to the position of the Syrian and Coptic Churches. The final resolution, however, was according to the doctrine of the Western Churches. The difference lies in one preposition as explained. One word split the Church for centuries and the schism continues to this day.

Is the Syriac (Oriental) Orthodox Church a monophysite church?
Taken from Syriac Orthodox Resources - FAQ

No. The monophysite dogma is an extreme version of the one nature Christological doctrine put forth by Eutyches. It claims that Christ has one nature only and that the divine nature subsumed the human nature. Adversaries have accused the Syriac Orthodox Church of the monophysite position. However this dogma has always been rejected by the Syriac Orthodox Church. It is unfortunate that this term is still used by some scholars. Prof. Sebastian Brock of Oxford University has correctly suggested using the term miaphysite which more accurately describes the Syriac Orthodox position.

Additional Comments: African saints such as St. Cyril of Alexandria used the term Mia Physis to describe the "One Divine Nature" of Christ, who is the Logos incarnate. This term is common to both the Oriental Orthodox and Byzantine Orthodox; both of whom reject Monophysitism.

To read more about these Christological issues, visit my section entitled, "Why I Became Oriental Orthodox and Not Byzantine Orthodox."

What are the languages of the Oriental Orthodox Christians?

It depends on the rite and local language.

In the Syriac Orthodox Church, the primary language used is Classical Syriac. Additional portions of the liturgy have also been translated into Turoyo (Modern Western Syriac), Surith (Modern Eastern Syriac), Turkish, Malayalam, English, French, Spanish, and Arabic.

In the Coptic Orthodox Church, the primary language used is Coptic, an evolved form of Ancient Egyptian. Other portions of the liturgy have been translated into Arabic, Swahili, and other African languages.

In the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the primary language used is Geez, with portions in Amharic and Coptic. Until recently, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church was part of the administration of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

In The Armenian Apostolic Church, the primary language is old Armenian. Modern "Soviet" Armenian and "Persian" Armenian tend to be used when the sermon is read.

What groups did the Oriental Orthodox evangelize?

The Oriental Orthodox have a remarkable history of evangelization. We can break this down by the two Apostolic Sees, Alexandria and Antioch, which were the bases for Church administration.

From Antioch, the Syriac Orthodox evangelized Mesopotamia, India, Armenia, Arabia, Persia, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Western China (Xian Fu province). Today however, the Church is located mostly in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine. Emigration and evangelization have brought the Church to Sweden, Germany, Holland, North America, South America, Australia, and Indonesia.

From Alexandria, the Coptic Orthodox evangelized Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Kenya, Tanzania, Libya, and other portions of Africa. Today the Church population is located in Egypt, Libya, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Africa. Like the Syriac Orthodox, emigration and evangelization has brought the Coptic Orthodox Church to Great Britain where it is quickly blossoming, the Caribbean, Europe, and North America.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church was an integral part of the Coptic Orthodox Church until quite recently. Since then, the late Emperor Hallie Sellasie sent missionaries to the Caribbean to bring the faith to the Rastafarians who were worshipping Emperor Sellasie. One famous convert to the Oriental Orthodox faith from this effort, was Reggae superstar Bob Marley, who took the name Berabe Selassie at baptism. Lately there has been a great interest amongst African-Americans who are now discovering the ancient Christianity of Africa.

The Armenian Apostolic Church evangelized Eastern Georgia (the country on the Black Sea, not the State), who was at one time part of the Oriental Orthodox. Later, the Georgians joined communion with the Byzantine Orthodox and remain so to this day. The Armenian Orthodox Church is presently located in Armenia, throughout the Middle East and Iran, as well as North and South America, Europe, and Australia.

I've noticed artwork in Farsi on your website. Is the Syriac Orthodox Church in Iran?

Sadly, the Syriac Orthodox Church no longer has a presense in Iran. The Syriac-Persian Church of the East (which left the Oriental Orthodox Church in 457 AD) however, still has several parishes which are active, and the Armenian Orthodox have parishes in Iran. The Syriac Orthodox Church was greatly diminished in Iran in the 10th century and has never recovered. Though with the recent resurgence in Persian Christianity, it is quite possible that the ancient Aramaic traditions will once again be adopted, bringing the ancient Church back to Persia.

Why do you list the Square Aramaic alphabet as "Hebrew?"

I write it like this so that Westerners, who associate this ARAMAIC alphabet with the Jews, won't be immediately confused, thinking it is something different than what it is. Most don't know that the square Aramaic characters were common to the region and not invented by the Hebrews.

Who is the Assyrian Orthodox Church

Some inside, as well as outside, the Oriental Orthodox community have wrongly associated the name "Assyrian Orthodox Church" with the "Assyrian Church of the East," sometimes referred to as the Nestorian Church. The Assyrian Orthodox Church is an older name (in the English language) for the Syriac Orthodox Church. The Armenian Apostolic Church still refers to the Syriac Orthodox as the Assyrian Orthodox.

The Church changed the name to Syriac in the English language because of the politicl stigmae attatched to the names "Assyrian," as well as "Syrian." Syriac refers to the rite used by the Church of Antioch. As for the Assyrian Church of the East, the name "Assyrian" was only added in 1975. Regardless, the Syriac name for the Syriac Orthodox Church (aka Assyrian Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, Assyrian Apostolic) has remained Aeeto Suryoyto Treesayth ShubHo in the Syriac language.

His Holiness explains..."What appeared and appears contrary to this name is not only alien and foreign, but also a distortion, falsification and forgery of the historical truth. We, in our Apostolic power, declare our distress and disapproval to the new names which have appeared lately and which have been attached to our Church and our people such as 'Assyrian', 'Aramaean' and the like. These names aim at distracting the existence of our Church, dividing its children, destroying the landmarks of its glories, and annihilating its civilization and its spiritual and humanitarian traditions. For more on this please view the encyclical at SOR.

How do I become part of your Church?

Find a parish nearby and consult with the priest. (We are working on compiling a list of all the canonical Oriental Orthodox parishes in the United States and Europe.) Because Orthodox Christianity is a life-long endeavor, you will be required to know what you are getting into. After you have learned the beliefs of the Church, you can then be baptized and chrismated into the Church.

What if there is no Oriental Orthodox parish nearby?

Then we can put you in contact with a priest who will take the time to send you material and give you instructions about our spiritual life. You may also want to get ahold of some material regarding the faith. Here is a good bibliography for beginners.

I'm Antiochian and I agree with the non-Chalcedonian position. Should I convert?

By Antiochian you mean you are under the Byzantine Orthodox See of Antioch. This being the case, a conversion is really unnecessary, since you are recognized as Orthodox by both the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Antiochian Orthodox Church. Under the agreement between the sister sees of Antioch, our fathers discourage "conversion" and open-communion until full reconciliation takes place. I'd recommend discussing this with your priest as there is quite a bit of diversity among the Antiochian Orthodox here in America. If however you not only agree with our stance on Chalcedon, but also wish to worship with us, you are more than welcome. Address this issue with the priest of the parish where you wish to attend. God Bless.

What is required for a Roman Catholic to be embraced into Syrian Orthodoxy?

A Roman Catholic would need to confess faith in the Church and non-Chalcedonian Orthodox. After this, the Roman Catholic would only be required to receive the sacrament of Chrismation.

Why isn't the Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Church included amongst the Oriental Orthodox?

This group is not included because they are a schismatical group which departed the canonical Oriental Orthodox Church in India. There have been reunion efforts recently, but a formal division now looks likely, as this group has shown no signs of recanting their heresies and rejoining communion with the Oriental Orthodox faith. The canonical Oriental Orthodox in India are listed in the Archives section.

Do you think restoration between our communions could happen within our lifetime?

Sometimes I feel like, yes definitely, and other times I feel like, no. I think the jurisdictional infighting amongst the Eastern Orthodox is holding us back. The H.B. Ignatius IV is on good relations with our Patriarch H.H. Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka Iwas, and our Sees are perhaps closest when it comes to EO/OO relations. We are essentially as close as one can be to full communion, and I suspect that the only reason we are not in full communion has to do with each of our line's relations to our sister churches. You may or may not know, but we are not the only ones to share sacraments. The Copts and the Greek Orthodox allow intermarriage, and the children of such a marriage are permitted communion in both Churches. It is only a matter of time before it happens.

If and when we (Byzantine Orthodox of Antioch [Antiochian] and Syriac Orthodox of Antioch) are reunified, will we continue as two different churches in communion and with two patriarchs, or will there ever be a true reunification of the ancient Patriarchate, complete with a single patriarch over both the Syriac and Antiochian (Greek Byzantine) traditions?

As far as I know, we would each have our own patriarchs. But this sets the framework for a united patriarch later on. In fact, you may already know that Antioch had two patriarchs at one time. After St. Peter departed Antioch, St. Evodius became Patriarch and served the Greek population, while St. Ignatius served the Semitic population. After the passing of St. Evodius, St. Ignatius became the unified Patriarch of Antioch. This is quite similar to us today. The Antiochians are for all intents and purposes, Greek in their manner of worship (as they've lost all their Syriac background), and our rite is the old Syriac rite (which the Antiochians maintained for a while). One is Hellenic, the other Semitic. Actually, the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is an Antiochene liturgy, and the liturgy of St. James was the Jerusalem liturgy. So BOTH belong to the Antiochene Church.

Antioch's Christian heritage is quite fascinating because it encompasses both Greek and Aramaic. While the majority of those under the jurisdiction of Antioch were Syriac speaking (or at least liturgically re: India, Afghanistan, Persia, Central Asia, etc.), the Greek portion of our Church is often forgot about by the Syriac Orthodox, just as the Aramaic heritage is too often forgotten about by the Antiochians. I'd certainly like to see one Patriarch of Antioch.