Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa, the seat of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
Abbreviation
EOTC
Classification
Eastern Christianity
Orientation
Oriental Orthodoxy
Scripture
Orthodox Tewahedo Bible
Theology
Miaphysitism
Polity
Episcopal
Patriarch
Mathias
Region
Ethiopia and Ethiopian diaspora
Language
Geʽez, Amharic, Oromo, Tigrinya, Gurage
Liturgy
Alexandrian
Headquarters
Holy Trinity Cathedral, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Founder
Frumentius according to Ethiopian Orthodox tradition
Origin
4th century Kingdom of Aksum
Branched from
Orthodox Tewahedo
Separations
American synod-in-exile (1991–2018) Tigrayan Orthodox Tewahedo Church (2021)
Members
36 million[2][3]–51 million[4] in Ethiopia
Other name(s)
Ethiopian Orthodox Church
This article contains Ethiopic text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Ethiopic characters.
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History and theology
History of Oriental Orthodoxy:
Coptic history
Tewahedo history
Syriac history
Saint Thomas Christians
Ecumenical Councils:
Nicaea I
Constantinople I
Ephesus I
Ephesus II
Ephesus III
Dvin I
Dvin II
Dvin III
Dvin IV
Manzikert
Capharthutha
Shirakavan
Hromkla
Theology:
Miaphysitism
Non-Chalcedonian Christianity
Liturgy and practices
Anaphora & Rites:
Alexandrian Rite
Anaphora of Saint Gregory
Armenian Rite
West Syriac Rite
Liturgy of Saint James
Liturgy of Saint Basil
Liturgy of Saint Cyril
Malankara Rite
Holy Qurobo
Calendars:
Armenian
Coptic
Ethiopian
Julian
Gregorian
Bible:
Peshitta
Coptic Bible
Armenian Bible
Orthodox Tewahedo Bible
Cross:
Coptic cross
Armenian Cross
St. Thomas Cross
Ethiopian cross
Major figures
Cyril of Alexandria
Mor Addai
Abgar V
Gregory the Illuminator
Nine Saints of Ethiopia
Tiridates III
Mar Awgin
Athanasius of Alexandria
Ephrem the Syrian
Ezana of Axum
Frumentius
Shenoute
Mesrop Mashtots
Dioscorus of Alexandria
Severus of Antioch
Abraham of Farshut
Yared
Simon the Tanner
Gregory of Narek
Nerses IV
Michael the Syrian
Bar Hebraeus
Tekle Haymanot
Giyorgis of Segla
Mar Thoma I
Gregorios Abdal Jaleel
Geevarghese Gregorios
Related topics
Abuna
Catholicos
Maphrian
Ethiopian titles
Apostolic Church-Ordinance
Coptic monasticism
Coptic saints
Debtera
Coonan Cross Oath
Ethiopian chant
Fast of Nineveh
Coptic fasting
Tewahedo fasting
Timkat
Links and resources
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The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን,[1]Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan) is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. One of the few Christian churches in sub-Saharan Africa originating before European colonization of the continent,[5] the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church dates back to the acceptance of Christianity by the Kingdom of Aksum in 330,[6] and has between 36 million and 51 million adherents in Ethiopia.[2][3][4] It is a founding member of the World Council of Churches.[7] The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is in communion with the other Oriental Orthodox churches (the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church).
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church had been administratively part of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria from the first half of the 4th century until 1959, when it was granted autocephaly with its own patriarch by Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria, Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church.[8]
Tewahedo (Ge'ez: ተዋሕዶtäwaḥədo) is a Geʽez word meaning "united as one". This word refers to the Oriental Orthodox belief in the one perfectly unified nature of Christ; i.e., a complete union of the divine and human natures into one nature is self-evident in order to accomplish the divine salvation of mankind, as opposed to the "two natures of Christ" belief commonly held by the Latin and Eastern Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, and most other Protestant churches. The Oriental Orthodox Churches adhere to a miaphysitic Christological view followed by Cyril of Alexandria, the leading protagonist in the Christological debates of the 4th and 5th centuries, who advocated mia physis tou theou logou sesarkōmenē, or "one (mia) nature of the Word of God incarnate" (μία φύσις τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου σεσαρκωμένη) and a hypostatic union (ἕνωσις καθ' ὑπόστασιν, henōsis kath hypostasin).[9][10] The distinction of this stance was that the incarnate Christ has one nature, but that one nature is of the two natures, divine and human, and retains all the characteristics of both after the union.
Miaphysitism holds that in the one person of Jesus Christ, divinity and humanity are united in one (μία, mia) nature (φύσις - "physis") without separation, without confusion, without alteration and without mixing where Christ is consubstantial with God the Father.[11] Around 500 bishops within the patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem refused to accept the dyophysitism (two natures) doctrine decreed by the Council of Chalcedon in 451, an incident that resulted in the second major split in the main body of the Catholic-Orthodox Church in the Roman Empire.[12]
^ ab"Orthodox Christianity in the 21st Century". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. 8 November 2017. Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has an estimated 36 million adherents, nearly 14% of the world's total Orthodox population.
^ ab"Ethiopia: An outlier in the Orthodox Christian world". Pew Research Center.
^ ab"Ethiopia". The World Factbook. 6 November 2023. Retrieved 2022-09-16. Population 116,462,712 (2023 est.)… Ethiopian Orthodox 43.8%
^Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Moore, Dale H. (1936). "Christianity in Ethiopia". Church History. 5 (3): 271–284. doi:10.2307/3160789. ISSN 0009-6407. JSTOR 3160789. S2CID 162029676.
^"Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church", World Council of Churches website (accessed 2 June 2009)
boxes, or other symbols instead of Ethiopic characters. The EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን, Yäityop'ya ortodoks...
The OrthodoxTewahedo biblical canon is a version of the Christian Bible used in the two Oriental OrthodoxChurches of the Ethiopian and Eritrean traditions:...
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India, the EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch, the Tigrayan OrthodoxTewahedoChurch, and the Eritrean OrthodoxTewahedo Church...
historically constituted a major element of the practice of the EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch, following the counsel of Saint Paul (Ge'ez: ቅዱስ ጳውሎስ; k’idus...
both churches, as is OrthodoxTewahedo music. The EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch, autocephalous since 1959. The Eritrean OrthodoxTewahedoChurch, autocephalous...
of Ethiopia, the spiritual heads of the EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch. The Abuna is known officially as Patriarch and Catholicos of Ethiopia, Archbishop...
the EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch of not doing enough to speak out against the Tigray war, and for being too closely aligned with the Ethiopian government...
pope. These points distinguish it from the EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch, an Oriental OrthodoxChurch which comprises most Christians in the country...
Christian Church), the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch, and the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo...
characters. Ethiopian liturgical chant, or Zema, is a form of Christian liturgical chant practiced by the EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch. The related...
the EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch, an Oriental Orthodoxchurch centered in Ethiopia. The OrthodoxTewahedoChurch was part of the Coptic Orthodox Church...
belonging to the OrthodoxTewahedoChurches (EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch and Eritrean OrthodoxTewahedoChurch), Eastern Catholic Churches (Eritrean Catholic...
The Church of Our Lady, Mary of Zion is an EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch which is claimed to contain the Ark of the Covenant. The church is located...
scholars consider these Ethiopian Jews as a historical Lost Tribe of Israel (SOURCE NEEDED). Today, the EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch, part of Oriental...
The following is chronology of the OrthodoxTewahedoEthiopian and Eritrean OrthodoxChurches from its base history to present. Biblical claims – According...
Ethiopians usually eat with their right hands, using pieces of injera to pick up bites of entrées and side dishes. The EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedo Church...
of the EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch since 2013. His full title is "His Holiness Abune Mathias I, Sixth Patriarch and Catholicos of Ethiopia, Archbishop...
Ethiopian ecclesiastical titles refers to the offices of the EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch, a hierarchical organization. Some of the more important...
following lists are public holidays in Ethiopia. Many holidays follow the EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch. In addition, the following Muslim holidays...
the EthiopianOrthodoxChurch. Zema also preserved among the Ethiopian Jews drawing to Christians in modern Ethiopia. The EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedo Church...
comprising 26.9% of Ethiopia's population, and they are mostly Oriental Orthodox Christian (members of the EthiopianOrthodoxTewahedoChurch). They are also...