What is the difference between orthodoxy and protestantism

But, within Christianity, there is an array of belief systems people adhere to. Protestantism and orthodoxy are just two major belief systems that most Christians practice and follow.

The difference between protestant and orthodox is that protestants believe in strictly adhering to the holy scriptures only, whereas the Orthodox believe in the sole authority of the church.

Protestants protested against the traditions of the Orthodox Church, and hence, they created a distinction between them and other Christians. Protestants believe in reform in the church and have been protesting for reformation for years, whenever deemed necessary. Protestants firmly believe in the sufficiency of words and sayings of the Bible, and this is the major dividing factor between Protestants and other Christians.

On the other hand, Orthodox Christians consist of almost half Christians. So, orthodox is defined as the correct belief or right thinking. The orthodox churches believe in the infallibility of the church because of its divine nature. Protestants emphasized the significance and sufficiency of the Bible. They perceived the older church as corrupt and hence, turned to bibliometric Christianity. But mostly this is a matter of style, not substance.

The real issues of difference are:. I hope to tackle them all in detail, one post at a time, though not necessarily in order. And there is a specific reason why I am doing this too: After much googling, I have noticed that there is simply no concise resource out there on the internet that I could find which represented a genuine summary of the issues for any Protestant wanting to explore Orthodoxy.

There is plenty expounding on Orthodox beliefs, but it is written mostly for either people who are already Orthodox, or Catholics. And what is left is people talking past each other and misrepresenting the beliefs of the other side. My impression from my studies so far on all the above issues is not that one view is right and the other wrong, or that one view is heretical and the other Truly Christian. While others may beg to differ on both sides of the divide, I understand the Orthodox view as a completion of the Protestant view in most cases — one rounds the other out for a better picture of the Faith.

Conversely, the Protestant view can also inform and enlighten aspects of the Orthodox view in a way that is not contradictory to it. In most cases where one side criticises the other, it is not because the doctrine criticised is wrong, but mostly because it has been misunderstood.

I hope to clear up some of the misunderstandings. I promised future posts expanding on some of the differences between the two traditions, so I […].

It is interesting. I have tried to avoid talking about Catholicism in my posts because I have very little experience of it, and only use Catholicism where it clarifies the Orthodox position. Exploring Orthodoxy has given me a new respect for many aspects of Catholicism. But there is too much in Catholic doctrine that I simply cannot accept for me to ever be Catholic. A rebuttal may be something I could do in a future post. A rebuttal would be interesting. Though, it would be a rebuttal to an introduction, as Armstrong has written an entire book on the subject.

I gave you the link to his post as I thought you may find another perspective useful in your writings on this subject. Ive been looking up the differences of Protestant and Orthodox churches and this has by far been the most helpful. Thank you for posting this!

Mary was not conceived without sin, and her body remained on Earth after her death. While she was a virgin at the time of the Nativity, she did not remain a virgin forever. As Protestants believe the Christ is the only mediator between God and Man, they do not believe that Mary acts as an intercessor.

In fact, most Protestant denominations deny the existence of saints as a separate class of exalted and venerated human beings. Many Protestant churches ordain women to the clergy; in some cases, women can become bishops or heads of entire denominations. Most Protestant denominations do not require celibacy for members of the clergy. The Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son. Worship styles vary across Protestant denominations. So what is the difference between Orthodoxy and Protestantism?

They differ in both structure and theology. Some of these differences are discussed below. In Orthodoxy, the Holy Spirit transforms the bread and wine during the Eucharist into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Protestants, in contrast, hold that no such transformation happens, focusing instead on the symbolic nature of the Eucharist. Orthodox Christians venerate Mary and a host of saints, holding them up as examples of Christian life and as intercessors between God and Man. While Mary played a special role in the life of Jesus, she does not play any intercessory role in the life of Christians.

Protestants believe that all Christians are saints. Baptist, member of a group of Protestant Christians who share the basic beliefs of most Protestants but who insist that only believers should be baptized and that it should be done by immersion rather than by the sprinkling or pouring of water. This view, however, is shared by others who are not Baptists. Skip to content Theology Protestantism and currents. Protestantism and currents 0. Churches of Christ consistently teach that in baptism a believer surrenders his life in.

The seven signs are: Changing water into wine at Cana in John —.