The Syriac Orthodox faith
How is the Syriac Orthodox faith different from other Orthodox churches?
The faith of Aramean families
The Syriac Orthodox faith of Aramean families is unfamiliar to most Western Christians. Often lumped together under the “Orthodox” title, upon inspection, one finds that there are fundamental differences. For most people of the Christian faith in the West, “Orthodox” comes mainly from Eastern Orthodox versions: primarily Greek Orthodox or Russian Orthodox. The Syriac Orthodox Church points its identity back to Acts 11:26 when Saul (Paul) and Barnabas met in Antioch with the believers and taught the church. There the believers in Antioch were first called Christians. As Heidi Armbruster notes, “[s]cholars generally locate the historical origins of Syriac Christianity in both a Jewish Christian heritage and the gentile Christian milieu of Antioch, one of the major centres of early Christianity.”1
The beginning of Oriental-Orthodox churches
Any student of church history will point to the year A.D. 1054 when the East and the West churches split, better known as the Great Schism. However, a lesser-known fact is that an earlier schism occurred in the 5th century that split the Orthodox world into the Eastern Orthodox churches and the Oriental Orthodox churches. One of these Oriental Orthodox churches is the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch. The others are the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Christological differences
The starting point of the ultimate schism was the differing Christological understanding of two men: Cyril of Alexandria and Nestorius of Antioch, explicitly concerning their respective interpretations of the two natures of Christ. Nestorius was ultimately declared a heretic, which modern historians and theologians often see as primarily a political decision. Language issues also burdened the discussion between Cyril and Nestorius. Nestorius was condemned at the Council of Ephesus in AD 431, and the miaphysite Christology of Cyril was confirmed. At the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451, however, a shift occurred, and a dyophysite interpretation of the two natures of Christ was confirmed. This decision triggered the final schism of the miaphysite (or non-Chalcedonian churches, as they are sometimes referred to) from the dyophysite churches (or Chalcedon-affirming churches). The schism did not happen overnight. It happened over about 80 years but culminated with the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451.
How do the Orthodox churches relate today?
Today, the miaphysite churches are considered the Oriental Orthodox Church—again, non-Chalcedonian, whereas the others are dyophysite in nature—or Chalcedon-affirming. They are the Eastern Orthodox churches and the Western churches. The Syriac Orthodox Church is sometimes also referred to as the "Syrian Orthodox” church; however, more recent political developments in Syria have made the use of "Syriac Orthodox" clearer. Sometimes, the term “Jacobite Church” can be found in writings. It is considered derogatory by most in the Syriac Orthodox faith. The descriptor is based on the work of a dedicated monk, Jacob Baradaeus. In the 6th century, through the support of Empress Theodora, he became the general metropolitan and was tasked with restoring the persecuted churches of Antioch and Alexandria. Theologians and church leaders have made many ecumenical efforts to reunite the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches. Yet, a significant amount of pushback has come to agreements made in the past, particularly from the Holy Monastery of Saint Gregory on Mount Athos.2
Armbruster, Heidi. 2013. Keeping the Faith: Syriac Christian Diasporas. Canon Pyon: Sean Kingston Publishing. 89.
Orthodox Christian Information Center. "Ecume”ism Awareness: Monophysites (Non-Chalcedonians)." Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies. Accessed 03/29/2022, 2022. http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/ea_mono.aspx.