Being the dominant religion of the world, core Christianity can be understood in its larger components.
Orthodox Christianity is a name given to a group of believers who would like to name themselves rather differently. Seeking out loyalties of these scattered groups of people defines the professionalism of any politician.
Faith
As with other Christians, they believe in the concept of Trinity. However, disagreements on the exact meaning of Trinity has divided them further into many groups.
Orthodox Christians carry the heaviest baggage of history with them: mostly in the form of division, and then persecution.
Rule of Law
Orthodox Christians are the only group of Christians who concern themselves solely with faith, having submitted themselves to the Caesars of the land as Jesus wanted.
Thus, these Christians do not have strong traditions of Sharia in their societies.
IMPACT
Assimilation
Belonging to small groups that lack cohesion, it is easy for many of its believers to float with the currents of time.
Thus
- Nestorian Church could not sustain itself in Persia or China.
- Many of its adherents provided new energy to Middle Eastern dynasties, over centuries. Unlike China, many of the Middle Eastern countries still has significant Orthodox population.
- The spread of Communism was rather rapid and ruthless: it sapped the roots of many Orthodox communities, depleting its population.
- After the fall of Soviet Union, a few even emigrated to Israel. Though many are turning to rival-Churches that include Catholic, Protestant and Charismatic.
Persecution
In a world run by small-minded tribalism, a small group with its identity crisis invites persecution from its majority population – even in Israel.
Many Orthodox Christians feel persecuted, not only in Middle Eastern Muslim countries but also Roman Catholic and Protestant Countries. The Middle East, under the throes of its own identity crisis, has become an especially difficult abode for the Orthodox Christians.
Russia
While it created havoc in the 20th century by introducing Communism in Orthodox Christian community, the same Russia has taken a different avatar in the 21st century.
Many in the Orthodox Christian community looks to Russia for relief; some root for rather strong leaders. Long in the game of global-politics and stashed with oil-cash, Russia does not disappoint them: after all, the loyalties of 300-million people are stake here.
