5. What are the features of Orthodox Church in organization & structure? A. with common faith, principles and organization, liturgical礼拜tradition, with different languages in worship from one country to country it is a fellowship of independent churches; B. historically created by the apostles of Jesus in eastern Mediterranean, spread throughout eastern Europe; C. patriarchates教区--Constantinople, Alexandria, Damascus, Jerusalem;

Ancient Orthodox Patriarchates

Saint Basil’s Cathedral The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Basil is a well-known landmark in Moscow. The richly ornamented building was commissioned by Russian tsar Ivan IV, also known as Ivan the Terrible, to commemorate victories in battle and built between 1555 and 1679. The chapels of Saint Basil’s are topped by colorful onion-shaped domes. Each dome is different in size and decoration.

Serbian Orthodox Church This Serbian Orthodox Church is located in the city of Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Serbs converted to Christianity in the 9th century and have traditionally belonged to the Orthodox Church.

Macedonian Church The small Orthodox church of Saint Jovan Kaneo overlooks Lake Ohrid in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Macedonian Orthodox Church declared its independence from the Serbian church in 1967, but other Orthodox churches have not recognized its autocephalous (self-governing) status.

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, right, is a popular tourist attraction in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The cathedral is a monument to the 200,000 Russians who died helping to liberate Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire during the 1877–1878 Russo-Turkish War.

Russian Orthodox Church, Sitka Saint Michael’s Cathedral in Sitka, in southeastern Alaska, stands as a monument to the city’s cultural history. Sitka was founded by Russian fur traders in the early 1800s and remained under Russian control until 1867, when the United States purchased the Alaska territory from Russia. A Russian Orthodox church, St. Michael's was originally constructed in the 1840s but destroyed by fire in the 1960s and later rebuilt.

Ukrainian Orthodox Service The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has played a key role in preserving a sense of ethnic identity among Ukrainian Americans. Religious observances, such as this Ukrainian Orthodox Church service in Ellenville, New York, provide opportunities for the community to gather and affirm its cultural heritage. A religious tradition dating back to the late 10th century, the Ukrainian Orthodox faith has a rich legacy of ritual, art, and hymns.

6. What are its distinctive doctrines. A 6. What are its distinctive doctrines? A. consistency with original apostolic witness to be realized through each local church practice; B. Holy Spirit as guiding the church in all truth; the guardian of truth is the entire people of God; C. based on the Trinity, Christ as divine & human; Virgin Mary as Mother of God Mary圣母玛利亚; D. marriage is allowed for priests but not for bishops

7. What are its distinctive forms of worship and practice. A 7. What are its distinctive forms of worship and practice? A. created in Byzantium, its liturgy礼 拜仪式 is a tool of religious survival, with hymns圣歌to honor saints; B. icons圣像of Christ & saints, proofs of true presence of God, and direct personal contact with the holy men represented on them, is the unique religious art in Byzantium; C. monasticism修道院制度 based on vows of celibacy/obedience/poverty;

In Orthodox churches, an iconostasis, such as one in the Rila Monastery in southwestern Bulgaria pictured here, conceals a church’s altar area from the congregation. Icons (flat images of Jesus Christ, Mary, or the saints that are made of gold, ivory, mosaic, or oil paint) cover the iconostasis. Members of the Orthodox faith believe that God sends blessings and healing through these icons. The use of icons can be traced from the 5th century.

Eastern Church Icon Ornately decorated icons fill Orthodox churches. Such icons are unique to the Eastern Church and exemplify a marked departure from Old Testament doctrine, which forbids making images of God (the Second Commandment). The Old Testament Trinity Prefiguring the Incarnation (1410?) is an example of an icon painted by 15th-century Russian artist Andrei Rublev. It is a depiction of the three angels who appeared to Abraham near the oaks of Mamre in Genesis 18:2-15.

Monasticism is an integral part of the Orthodox Church Monasticism is an integral part of the Orthodox Church. While there are many Orthodox monasteries throughout the world, the center of monastic life is Mount Athos, which rises up from a small peninsula jutting out into the Aegean Sea in northeastern Greece. Twenty different monasteries representing different nationalities sit atop the rocky landscape of the peninsula. The interior courtyard of the Great Lavra Monastery is shown here.

8. What are its features in historical development. A 8. What are its features in historical development? A. Constantinople in the Middle Ages as center of Christian world; B. Byzantine missionaries translated Bible into Slavic for those who were converted to Byzantine Orthodox; C. 2 definitions of primacy led to the schism-apostolic West of authority & pragmatic East of local equality; D. it sees itself being fully consistent with the original apostolic faith;