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Orthodox Church
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The Orthodox Church is universal (catholic), has Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Laity, and a rich Monastic life with Communities of Monks and of Nuns in nearly every country. Most Priests and Deacons are married. Bishops are not married because they are elevated from celebate monastic life for the most part.
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The Orthodox Church recognizes the doctrines formulated at the first seven ecumenical councils, which Roman Catholicism ... accepts. The First Council of Nicaea, held in 325, defined the full divinity of Jesus Christ, settling the dispute with the Arians who denied his full divinity (see Arianism). The First Council of Constantinople in 381 defined the full divinity of the Holy Spirit, completing the exposition of one God in three divine persons. In 431 the Council of Ephesus defined the unity of Christ’s person against the Nestorians, who had compromised it (see Nestorianism). The Council of Chalcedon in 451 further clarified the necessary distinction of Christ’s two natures—divine and human—against the Monophysites who had argued that Christ possessed only a single composite nature (see Monophysitism). The Second Council of Constantinople in 553 renewed the condemnation of Nestorianism.
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The Syriac Orthodox Church believes in the mystery of Incarnation. That is, the Only Son of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, took to Himself a body and became man. It further believes that at the time of Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit came upon her and cleansed her of all natural impurity, filling her with His grace. Then the Only Son of God came down and entered her immaculate womb, and took to Himself a body through her... becoming a perfect Man with a perfect Soul. After nine months, He was born of her and her virginity was maintained contrary to the laws of nature. It further believes that His true Godhead and His true Manhood were in Him essentially united, He being one Lord and one Son, and that after the union took place in Him, He had but one Nature Incarnate, was one Person, had one Will and one Work. This union is marked by being a natural union of persons, free of all separateness, intermixture, confusion, mingling, change and transformation.
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The Orthodox Church is well known for its developed monasticism. The uninterrupted monastic tradition of Orthodox Christianity can be traced from the Egyptian desert monasteries of the 3rd and 4th centuries. Soon monasticism had spread all over the Mediterranean basin and Europe: in Palestine, Syria, Cappadocia, Gaul, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Slavic countries. Monasticism has always been a beacon of Orthodoxy and has made and continues to make a strong and lasting impact on Orthodox spirituality.
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