Orthodox Church is a christian church that basically differ from others by following initial New Testament variant and have traceable chain of priests ordinations to Apostoles. There is no Pope or other person who could declare something as faith dogma.
Of course, Orthodox Church as institution have relations with government and influenced by it. But using ancient, original Bible as a ultimate base limit state influence on faith. There was few discords based mostly on state attempts to intervene with Church, and implement some changes, that created branches. All that branches of Orthodox Church are recognized by each other now. Political statements of priests and patriarchs are not dogmas and not mandatory for anybody.
Orthodox Church don't use fear as a lever on believers, you will not find scary, dark churches with weird monsters and pictures of hell tortures to scare flock. Churches are beautiful and bright and supposed to advertise heavens for those who live proud and honest life, not scare flock with tortures in hell for disobedience.
Basic idea of Orthodox Christianity, as I understnad it is that human soul need a food, just like human body. Food for soul is a grace that comes from God. Jesus and Apostoles leave instructions on obtaining that food for soul, so to feed your soul you have to follow them. Just like if you want to bake bread you need to follow recipe. Priest is not a source of grace, he is ordinary man with a traceable link to Jesus through the chain of ordnaces. He is a tool to assist grace delivery to believer. Chirch building is a system that also assist with grace delivery.
Priests are regular people, not saints, not better or whatever. The only difference from regular believers is a chain of ordinace traced to Jesus.
Basic source of theological knowledge is Bible with priority of New Testament and Lives of the Saints.
Saints that was declared before division of Christianity are common with other Christians, but some are different. Santa Klaus, f.e. is a Saint Nikolai, who if mostly famous not buy gifting children, but buy blessing travellers (with high probability you will find a small icon of St.Nikolay in a car in Russia) and tough protection of faith from heretics - Saint Nikolay once literally punch heretic Arius into the face during Arius speech on one of Great Councils to stop Arius from pushing heresy to Council. So, Orthodox Saints are not always some nice and soft people, but are examples that rectitude could be in different forms, including with fists and swords and there are a lot of ways to do right things. Many warriors are in Orthodox Saints list, as per John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, rthat someone lay down his life for his friends."
All rules of Great Councils are effective, but not pushed heavily. F.e. Orthodox Christian still should not visit synagogue or have a lunch with kosher food in jewish house, f.e. It does not mean that it is totally prohibited or whatever. It is just considered not healthy for the human soul.
Orthodox Church head is Jesus, not some pope or patriarch. Also there are no such strict management chain as in Catholicism. Russian Orthodox Church is rich and some priests including patriarch often criticised for mammonism, but it is not even near to Rome in wealth.
Orthodox Church is a christian church that basically differ from others by following initial New Testament variant and have traceable chain of priests ordinations to Apostoles. There is no Pope or other person who could declare something as faith dogma.
Of course, Orthodox Church as institution have relations with government and influenced by it. But using ancient, original Bible as a ultimate base limit state influence on faith. There was few discords based mostly on state attempts to intervene with Church, and implement some changes, that created branches. All that branches of Orthodox Church are recognized by each other now. Political statements of priests and patriarchs are not dogmas and not mandatory for anybody.
Orthodox Church don't use fear as a lever on believers, you will not find scary, dark churches with weird monsters and pictures of hell tortures to scare flock. Churches are beautiful and bright and supposed to advertise heavens for those who live proud and honest life, not scare flock with tortures in hell for disobedience.
Basic idea of Orthodox Christianity, as I understnad it is that human soul need a food, just like human body. Food for soul is a grace that comes from God. Jesus and Apostoles leave instructions on obtaining that food for soul, so to feed your soul you have to follow them. Just like if you want to bake bread you need to follow recipe. Priest is not a source of grace, he is ordinary man with a traceable link to Jesus through the chain of ordnaces. He is a tool to assist grace delivery to believer. Chirch building is a system that also assist with grace delivery.
Priests are regular people, not saints, not better or whatever. The only difference from regular believers is a chain of ordinace traced to Jesus.
Basic source of theological knowledge is Bible with priority of New Testament and Lives of the Saints.
Saints that was declared before division of Christianity are common with other Christians, but some are different. Santa Klaus, f.e. is a Saint Nikolai, who if mostly famous not buy gifting children, but buy blessing travellers (with high probability you will find a small icon of St.Nikolay in a car in Russia) and tough protection of faith from heretics - Saint Nikolay once literally punch heretic Arius into the face during Arius speech on one of Great Councils to stop Arius from pushing heresy to Council. So, Orthodox Saints are not always some nice and soft people, but are examples that rectitude could be in different forms, including with fists and swords and there are a lot of ways to do right things. Many warriors are in Orthodox Saints list, as per John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, rthat someone lay down his life for his friends."
All rules of Great Councils are effective, but not pushed heavily. F.e. Orthodox Christian still should not visit synagogue or have a lunch with kosher food in jewish house, f.e. It does not mean that it is totally prohibited or whatever. It is just considered not healthy for the human soul.
Orthodox Church head is Jesus, not some pope or patriarch. Also there are no such strict management chain as in Catholicism. Russian Orthodox Church is rich and some priests including patriarch often criticised for mammonism, but it is not even near to Rome in wealth.