Orthodox~1054 (Great Schism formalised)
Eastern Orthodox
📍 Byzantine Empire (Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria)
Ancient Christianity preserved in the East. Deep liturgy, icons, and theosis.
Learn moreFree Resource
Denomination Explorer
Christianity is not one tradition. It is a family shaped by centuries of faith, geography, and the many ways people have met God. Explore the full family here. All branches. No judgment.
Orthodox~42 AD
Coptic Orthodox
📍 Alexandria, Egypt
Egypt's ancient apostolic church, founded by the Apostle Mark.
Learn moreOrthodox~301 AD (state church)
Armenian Apostolic
📍 Armenia (modern Turkey/Armenia)
The world's oldest national church, founded by Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew.
Learn moreOrthodox~37 AD (Antioch); Jacobite identity ~543 AD
Syriac Orthodox (Jacobite)
📍 Antioch, Syria
Ancient Aramaic church tracing origins to Antioch and the Apostle Peter.
Learn moreOrthodox~1st–2nd century AD
Church of the East (Assyrian)
📍 Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and Iran)
The ancient Eastern church of Mesopotamia - Christianity in the Persian Empire.
Learn moreOrthodox~330 AD (state church)
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo
📍 Axum, Ethiopia
Africa's ancient apostolic church - 81-book canon, Ge'ez liturgy, and the Ark of the Covenant.
Learn moreOrthodox1666–1667 (Great Schism from Russian Orthodoxy)
Old Believers (Raskolniki)
📍 Russia
Preserving the pre-Nikonian Russian Orthodox rites against all reform.
Learn moreOrthodox~52 AD (apostolic tradition); reformed 1836
Mar Thoma Church (Thomas Christians)
📍 Kerala, India
St Thomas's ancient Indian church meets the Protestant Reformation.
Learn more⛪
Church of the East (Assyrian)
Orthodox~1st–2nd century AD
📍 Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and Iran)
🌍 ~600,000
Origin
The Assyrian Church of the East is one of the most ancient Christian communities, with missionary activity spreading as far as China and India by the 7th century. Historically labeled 'Nestorian' for rejecting the Council of Ephesus (431 AD), it maintains a Christology emphasising the distinctness of Christ's two natures. The Liturgy of Addai and Mari it uses is among the oldest Eucharistic prayers in existence.
Core beliefs
- Dyophysite Christology - two distinct natures of Christ
- Apostolic authority rooted in the Patriarchate of the East
- Liturgy of Addai and Mari (among the oldest Eucharistic prayers)
- Use of Classical Syriac in worship
- Mary as 'Christotokos' (Mother of Christ) rather than 'Theotokos'
Worship style
Ancient Syriac liturgy with simple, austere worship. No icons traditionally. Sung in Classical Syriac. The Liturgy of Addai and Mari lacks a fixed Institution Narrative - unique among Eucharistic traditions.
Key scriptures
- John 1:14
- Luke 1:35
- Colossians 2:9
- Hebrews 1:3
Relationship to other denominations
Sometimes called 'Nestorian' - a label the Church rejects. Distinct from both Eastern and Oriental Orthodox. The Chaldean Catholic Church (Eastern Rite of Rome) traces its roots to this tradition.