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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.

Tradition:AllCatholicProtestantOrthodoxAnglicanEvangelicalPentecostalOther
Orthodox~1054 (Great Schism formalised)

Eastern Orthodox

📍 Byzantine Empire (Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria)

Ancient Christianity preserved in the East. Deep liturgy, icons, and theosis.

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Orthodox~42 AD

Coptic Orthodox

📍 Alexandria, Egypt

Egypt's ancient apostolic church, founded by the Apostle Mark.

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Orthodox~301 AD (state church)

Armenian Apostolic

📍 Armenia (modern Turkey/Armenia)

The world's oldest national church, founded by Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew.

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Orthodox~37 AD (Antioch); Jacobite identity ~543 AD

Syriac Orthodox (Jacobite)

📍 Antioch, Syria

Ancient Aramaic church tracing origins to Antioch and the Apostle Peter.

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Orthodox~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.

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Orthodox~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.

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Orthodox1666–1667 (Great Schism from Russian Orthodoxy)

Old Believers (Raskolniki)

📍 Russia

Preserving the pre-Nikonian Russian Orthodox rites against all reform.

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Orthodox~52 AD (apostolic tradition); reformed 1836

Mar Thoma Church (Thomas Christians)

📍 Kerala, India

St Thomas's ancient Indian church meets the Protestant Reformation.

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Syriac Orthodox (Jacobite)

Orthodox

~37 AD (Antioch); Jacobite identity ~543 AD

📍 Antioch, Syria

🌍 ~1.5 million

Origin

The Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch is an Oriental Orthodox church with roots in the ancient Christian community of Antioch - where believers were first called 'Christians' (Acts 11:26). It rejected Chalcedon and developed a distinct identity under Jacob Baradaeus in the 6th century (hence 'Jacobite'). Its liturgy is in Classical Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic - the language spoken by Jesus.

Core beliefs

  • Miaphysite Christology
  • Liturgy in Classical Syriac (Aramaic)
  • Apostolic succession from Antioch
  • Veneration of saints and the Theotokos
  • Seven sacraments

Worship style

Highly liturgical Divine Liturgy of St James in Classical Syriac. Deeply ancient worship with roots in Semitic Christianity. Incense, vestments, and chant are central.

Key scriptures

  • Acts 11:26
  • John 1:1–3
  • Colossians 1:15
  • Isaiah 9:6

Relationship to other denominations

Part of the Oriental Orthodox communion. Related to the Malankara Orthodox Church in India. Historically distinct from the Assyrian Church of the East, which it regards as Nestorian.