# Oriental Orthodox and Restorationist: a Diptych comparison Schema version 1.0. The Diptych displays; it does not score, rank, or adjudicate. ## 1. In its own words ### Oriental Orthodox The Oriental Orthodox communion gathers the Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Malankara churches. Their separation from the Chalcedonian churches is the oldest standing division in Christianity, and modern dialogue has established that the ancient quarrel rested in large part on terminology rather than on the faith confessed. - [Oriental Orthodox](/tree/oriental-orthodox) ### Restorationist Restorationist bodies hold that the historic church fell away and that the primitive church must be restored whole rather than reformed in part. The family runs from the Churches of Christ to the Latter Day Saint movement, whose self-identification as Christian this site records as the movement states it. - [Restorationist](/tree/restorationist) ## 2. Scale and spread ### Oriental Orthodox The Oriental Orthodox communion counts roughly 60 million adherents across its six autocephalous churches. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is the largest, followed by the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt, with the Armenian, Syriac, Eritrean, and Malankara churches beside them. - [Oriental Orthodox](/tree/oriental-orthodox) ### Restorationist The Restorationist family is a family of bodies rather than one church: the Churches of Christ count about two million members in the United States, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) about 350,000, and the Latter Day Saint movement's largest church reports more than 17 million members worldwide. - [Restorationist](/tree/restorationist) ## 3. Historical timeline ### Oriental Orthodox - [The christian timeline](/history/christian) - [Council of Jerusalem](/history/events/council-of-jerusalem) - [First Council of Nicaea](/history/events/first-council-of-nicaea) - [Athanasius' 39th Festal Letter](/history/events/athanasius-39th-festal-letter) - [First Council of Constantinople](/history/events/first-council-of-constantinople) - [Council of Ephesus](/history/events/council-of-ephesus) - [Council of Chalcedon](/history/events/council-of-chalcedon) ### Restorationist - [The christian timeline](/history/christian) - [The Cane Ridge Revival](/history/events/the-cane-ridge-revival) - [The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery](/history/events/the-last-will-and-testament-of-the-springfield-presbytery) - [Thomas Campbell's Declaration and Address](/history/events/thomas-campbells-declaration-and-address) - [Alexander Campbell Begins The Christian Baptist](/history/events/alexander-campbell-begins-the-christian-baptist) - [The Stone and Campbell Movements Unite](/history/events/the-stone-and-campbell-movements-unite) - [The American Christian Missionary Society Organized](/history/events/the-american-christian-missionary-society-organized) ## 4. Sources of authority ### Oriental Orthodox Coverage: not documented. Coverage record created at intake; content not yet documented. ### Restorationist Coverage: not documented. Coverage record created at intake; content not yet documented. ## 5. Ultimate reality ### Oriental Orthodox - [Oriental Orthodoxy](/world-views/oriental-orthodoxy) ### Restorationist - [Adventism](/world-views/adventism) ## 6. The human person ### Oriental Orthodox - [Oriental Orthodoxy](/world-views/oriental-orthodoxy) ### Restorationist - [Adventism](/world-views/adventism) ## 7. Problem and solution ### Oriental Orthodox - [Oriental Orthodoxy](/world-views/oriental-orthodoxy) ### Restorationist - [Adventism](/world-views/adventism) ## 8. Ethics and hard cases ### Oriental Orthodox - [Oriental Orthodoxy](/world-views/oriental-orthodoxy) ### Restorationist - [Adventism](/world-views/adventism) ## 9. Practice and devotion ### Oriental Orthodox Coverage: not documented. Coverage record created at intake; content not yet documented. ### Restorationist Coverage: not documented. Coverage record created at intake; content not yet documented. ## 10. Community and governance ### Oriental Orthodox - [Oriental Orthodox](/church/oriental-orthodox) ### Restorationist - [Restorationist](/church/restorationist) ## 11. Art and material culture ### Oriental Orthodox Coverage: not documented. Coverage record created at intake; content not yet documented. ### Restorationist Coverage: not documented. Coverage record created at intake; content not yet documented. ## 12. Science and technology posture ### Oriental Orthodox Coverage: not documented. Coverage record created at intake; content not yet documented. ### Restorationist Coverage: not documented. Coverage record created at intake; content not yet documented. ## 13. Internal diversity ### Oriental Orthodox - [Armenian Apostolic Church](/tree/armenian-apostolic-church) - [Coptic Orthodox Church](/tree/coptic-orthodox-church) - [Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church](/tree/eritrean-orthodox-tewahedo-church) - [Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church](/tree/ethiopian-orthodox-tewahedo-church) - [Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church](/tree/malankara-orthodox-syrian-church) - [Syriac Orthodox Church](/tree/syriac-orthodox-church) ### Restorationist - [Latter Day Saint Movement](/tree/latter-day-saint) - [Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)](/tree/christian-church-disciples-of-christ) - [Churches of Christ](/tree/churches-of-christ) - [Community of Christ](/tree/community-of-christ) - [Independent Christian Churches](/tree/independent-christian-churches) - [Jehovah's Witnesses](/tree/jehovah-s-witnesses) ## 14. Contributions ### Oriental Orthodox Coverage: not documented. Evaluative coverage is scheduled; this slot populates through sourced, reviewed records. ### Restorationist Coverage: not documented. Evaluative coverage is scheduled; this slot populates through sourced, reviewed records. ## 15. Internal critique ### Oriental Orthodox Coverage: not documented. Evaluative coverage is scheduled; this slot populates through sourced, reviewed records. ### Restorationist Coverage: not documented. Evaluative coverage is scheduled; this slot populates through sourced, reviewed records. ## 16. External critique and reply ### Oriental Orthodox Coverage: not documented. Evaluative coverage is scheduled; this slot populates through sourced, reviewed records. ### Restorationist Coverage: not documented. Evaluative coverage is scheduled; this slot populates through sourced, reviewed records. ## 17. Contested history ### Oriental Orthodox - [Chalcedonian Schism](/tree/schisms/chalcedonian-schism) ### Restorationist - [The Restoration Movement](/tree/schisms/restoration-movement) ## 18. What each says about the other ### Oriental Orthodox Coverage: not documented. This slot renders only when both directions stand populated and reviewed. ### Restorationist Coverage: not documented. This slot renders only when both directions stand populated and reviewed. ## 19. What this comparison cannot settle ### Oriental Orthodox This comparison sets two self-descriptions side by side; it does not decide between them. A tradition is a living range of positions, and each panel renders the range this site has documented, which is not the whole of the tradition. Where a cell is marked not yet documented, the gap belongs to this site's documentation, not to the tradition. Questions of truth between the panels turn on premises the reader brings: what counts as evidence, what authority is recognized, and what a human life is for. The instrument does not score, rank, or adjudicate. ### Restorationist This comparison sets two self-descriptions side by side; it does not decide between them. A tradition is a living range of positions, and each panel renders the range this site has documented, which is not the whole of the tradition. Where a cell is marked not yet documented, the gap belongs to this site's documentation, not to the tradition. Questions of truth between the panels turn on premises the reader brings: what counts as evidence, what authority is recognized, and what a human life is for. The instrument does not score, rank, or adjudicate. ## 20. Sources ### Oriental Orthodox - [Oriental Orthodox](/tree/oriental-orthodox) ### Restorationist - [Restorationist](/tree/restorationist) ## Sources - Oriental Orthodox: Cyril of Alexandria, On the Unity of Christ. - Oriental Orthodox: V. C. Samuel, The Council of Chalcedon Re-Examined (1977). - Restorationist: Alexander Campbell, The Christian System (1835). - Restorationist: Richard T. Hughes, Reviving the Ancient Faith (1996).