 Revelation › God revealed Himself to us › However, Inner Being of God is unknown and unapproachable  Incarnation of Jesus › Fully divine and fully human  Tradition › Keep things the same as original Christianity

 Authority of Scripture › Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition are equal in value  Holy Spirit › Precedes from Father › One essence with Father › Given by Christ as a gift to the Church  Trinity › Three distinct, divine persons without overlap

 Mary › Has supreme grace, should be highly honored › Reject Immaculate Conception  Predestination › God has knowledge of our future › We have free will  Salvation › Gradual, lifelong process  Eschatology › Go to Heaven or Hell mary/images/glikophiloussa.jpg

 Greek Orthodox attach great importance to the bible and the conclusions of the Seven Ecumenical Councils  View on sin, grace and salvation › Humans were given freedom, they misused it and now deserve punishment › Grace -> results in forgiveness and freedom from bondage of punishment › Salvation – process of reestablishing man’s communion with God

 Major Holidays › Easter  E E  ag&feature=related ag&feature=related › Christmas  Receive salvation through worship  Anointing with oil › For those in need of healing

 Eucharist › Receive bread and wine from community chalice › Supposed to fast before receiving on.jpg communion-1.jpg

 Sacraments › Baptism › Chrismation  Confirmation  Occurs at the same time as baptism and communion › Confession › Marriage › Holy Orders › Anointing of the Sick jpg?v=0

 Divine Liturgy › Conducted in Greek and English (in America) › Celebrated once a day › Eucharist usually Sunday mornings › Liturgy of the Catechumens  “Little Entrance”  Gospel from sanctuary into nave  Epistle lesson, Gospel, sermon › Liturgy of the Faithful  “Grand Entrance”  Eucharist › Many prayers and hymns › Use Nicene Creed

 Practitioners can pray to different icons for special intercessions -Patron Saints  The majority of Greek Orthodox followers have icons in their home

 Fasting - essential part of Orthodox life. › Ascetic fasting - four fasting periods of the liturgical calendar refrain from large quantities of food and abstain from certain foods.  Fasting is a means and not an end in the spiritual struggle of its faithful.  One usually fasts according to the guidelines set up by the Church, but one should also seek the guidance of a spiritual father

 Many people wear crosses and evil eyes on a daily basis › Evil eyes to protect them from the Devil › Crosses to remind them of presence of God

 Department of Philanthropy › primary task: to further develop and coordinate the philanthropic work of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America › not just concerned with fund-raising, hopes to promote philanthropy › coordinates outreach to people with special needs › monitors the development on the federal, state, and city levels, regarding faith-based funding of charitable programs

 Department of Philanthropy › Primarily works with the Ladies Philoptochos Society (“friends of the poor”). › nationally chartered organization assisting the needy and the poor on an international, national, and local level

 Many parishes have Sunday School programs  Many also have Greek school programs  Social groups › Different group for each age  Church aims to keep all people involved with their religion and culture

 Rouvelas, Marilyn and George. A Guide to Greek Traditions and Customs in America. Boston: Twayne Publishers, Print.  "Distinctive Orthodox Beliefs." Religion Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May  Fairchild, Mary. "Eastern Orthodox Church Beliefs and Practices." Christianity. N.p.,n.d. Web. 1 May  Mastrantonis, Rev. George. "The Fundamental Teachings of the Eastern Orthodox Church." n. pag. Web. 4 May