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111-576: Ethiopian ecclesiastical titles refers to the offices of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church , a hierarchical organization . Some of the more important offices are unique to it. Ethiopian ecclesiastical titles include: Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church had been administratively part of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria from the first half of

222-633: A forested area , acting as a reservoir of biodiversity in otherwise de-forested parts of the country. The Ethiopian Church claims that one of its churches, Our Lady Mary of Zion , is host to the original Ark of the Covenant that Moses carried with the Israelites during the Exodus . Only one priest is allowed into the building where the Ark is located, ostensibly due to biblical warnings of danger. As

333-424: A scribe or cantor . But often he is also a folk healer, who may also function in roles comparable to a deacon or exorcist . Folklore and legends ascribe the role of magician to the debtera as well. The music of Ethiopian Orthodox Church traced back to Saint Yared , who composed Zema or "chant", which divided into three modes: Ge'ez (ordinary days), Ezel (fast days and Lent) and Araray (principal feasts). It

444-535: A 2010 Pew Research Center study, 74% of Christians in Ethiopia report having experienced or witnessed an exorcism. Demon-possessed persons are brought to a church or prayer meeting. Often, when an ill person has not responded to modern medical treatment, the affliction is attributed to demons. Unusual or especially perverse deeds, particularly when performed in public, are symptomatic of a demoniac. Superhuman strength—such as breaking one's bindings, as described in

555-915: A belief that a complete, natural union of the divine and human natures into one is self-evident to accomplish the divine salvation of humankind. This is in contrast to the "two natures of Christ" belief (unmixed, but unseparated divine and human natures, called the hypostatic union ) which is held by the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church . The Oriental Orthodox Churches are known as " non-Chalcedonian ", and, sometimes by outsiders as " monophysite " (meaning "One Single Nature", in allusion to Jesus Christ). However, these churches themselves describe their Christology as miaphysite , meaning "one united nature" about Jesus (the Greek equivalent of "Tewahedo"). John Chrysostom speaks of

666-719: A church outside the authority of the Roman Catholic papacy" as it was "an ancient church with direct ties to the apostles". According to Daniels, Martin Luther saw that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church practiced elements of faith including " communion under both kinds , vernacular Scriptures, and married clergy" and these practices became customary in the Lutheran churches . The Ethiopian church also rejected papal supremacy , purgatory and indulgences , which

777-755: A college of electors assembled in Addis Ababa and elected Mathias to be the 6th Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. On 25 July 2018, delegates from the Patriarchate in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and those in the United States, declared reunification in Washington, D.C. Declaring the end of a 26-year-old schism, the church announced that it acknowledges two Patriarchs, Merkorios, Fourth Patriarch of Ethiopia and Mathias I, Sixth Patriarch and Catholicos of Ethiopia, Archbishop of Axum and Ichege of

888-518: A date in the early 2nd century is possible. There are two major textual variants of Acts, the Western text-type and the Alexandrian . The oldest complete Alexandrian manuscripts date from the 4th century and the oldest Western ones from the 6th, with fragments and citations going back to the 3rd. Western texts of Acts are 6.2–8.4% longer than Alexandrian texts, the additions tending to enhance

999-474: A harmonious church is quite at odds with that given by Paul's letters, and it omits important events such as the deaths of both Peter and Paul. The mid-19th-century scholar Ferdinand Baur suggested that the author had re-written history to present a united Peter and Paul and advance a single orthodoxy against the Marcionites (Marcion was a 2nd-century heretic who wished to cut Christianity off entirely from

1110-586: A member of The Twelve. On Pentecost , the Holy Spirit descends and confers God's power on them, and Peter and John preach to many in Jerusalem and perform healings, casting out of evil spirits , and raising of the dead . The first believers share all property in common , eat in each other's homes, and worship together. At first many Jews follow Christ and are baptized, but the followers of Jesus begin to be increasingly persecuted by other Jews. Stephen

1221-765: A nationwide protest was postponed. Abune Petros , the Secretary of the Holy Synod announced that the demonstration would be postponed following peaceful talks with the Prime Minister and a government agreement to solve the problem. On 15 February, the Church reached an agreement with the illegally ordinated synod. The government lifted the internet ban after five months on 17 July. The faith and practice of Orthodox Ethiopian Christians include elements from Miaphysite Christianity as it has developed in Ethiopia over

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1332-481: A new Patriarch, Paulos , who was recognized by the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria. The former Merkorios then fled abroad, and announced from exile that his abdication had been made under duress and thus he was still the legitimate Patriarch of Ethiopia. Several bishops also went into exile and formed a break-away alternate synod. The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church was granted autocephaly from

1443-723: A new chapter in church history. The initiative in Roman Catholic missions to Ethiopia was taken not by Rome , but by Portugal , in the course of a conflict with the Muslim Ottoman Empire and the Sultanate of Adal for the command of the trade route to India via the Red Sea . In 1507, Mateus , or Matthew, an Armenian , had been sent as an Ethiopian envoy to Portugal. In 1520, an embassy under Dom Rodrigo de Lima landed in Ethiopia. An interesting account of

1554-668: A recognised religion; on the other, Luke seems unclear as to the future that God intends for Jews and Christians, celebrating the Jewishness of Jesus and his immediate followers, while also stressing how the Jews had rejected the Messiah. The name "Acts of the Apostles" was first used by Irenaeus in the late 2nd century. It is not known whether this was an existing name for the book or one invented by Irenaeus; it does seem clear that it

1665-411: A result, international scholars doubt that the original Ark is truly there. Throughout Ethiopia, Orthodox churches are not considered churches until the local bishop gives them a tabot , a replica of the original Ark of the Covenant. The tabot is at least six inches (15 cm) square, and it is made of either alabaster , marble , or wood (see acacia ). It is always kept in ornate coverings on

1776-506: A river is to be found. The Ethiopian Church, like other Oriental Orthodox churches places a heavier emphasis on Old Testament teachings than one might find in many Eastern Orthodox , Roman Catholic or Protestant churches. Women are prohibited from entering the church temple during menses ; they are also expected to cover their hair with a large scarf (or shash ) while in church, as described in 1 Corinthians, chapter 11. As with Orthodox synagogues , men and women sit separately in

1887-715: A significant step in the Emperor's effort being the founding of the Theological College of the Holy Trinity Church in December 1944. A third development came after Haile Selassie's restoration to Ethiopia, when he issued, on 30 November, Decree Number 2 of 1942, a new law reforming the church. The primary objectives of this decree were to put the finances of the church in order, to create a central fund for its activities, and to set forth requirements for

1998-613: A site called Beta Samati . This is the earliest known physical evidence of a church in sub-Saharan Africa. Union with the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria continued after the Arab conquest of Egypt . Abu Saleh records in the 12th century that the patriarch always sent letters twice a year to the kings of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and Nubia , until Al Hakim stopped the practice. Cyril , 67th patriarch, sent Severus as bishop, with orders to put down polygamy and to enforce

2109-495: A youth, Frumentius had been shipwrecked with his brother Aedesius on the Eritrean coast. The brothers managed to be brought to the royal court, where they rose to positions of influence and baptized Emperor Ezana . Frumentius is also believed to have established the first monastery in Ethiopia, named Dabba Selama after him. In 2016, archaeologists excavated a 4th-century AD basilica (radio-carbon dated) in northeastern Ethiopia at

2220-650: Is a good creed, that is, faith". In addition, Martin Luther stated that the Lutheran Mass agreed with that used by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. As a result, Luther invited the Ethiopian church and Michael to full fellowship. In more modern times, the Ethiopian Church has experienced a series of developments. The 19th century witnessed the publication of an Amharic translation of the Bible. Largely

2331-570: Is accused of blasphemy and stoned . Stephen's death marks a major turning point: the Jews have rejected the message, and henceforth it will be taken to the Gentiles. The death of Stephen initiates persecution, and many followers of Jesus leave Jerusalem. The message is taken to the Samaritans, a people rejected by Jews, and to the Gentiles . Saul of Tarsus , one of the Jews who persecuted

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2442-621: Is an example of the basilican design, though the early basilicas are nearly all in ruin. These examples show the influence of the architects who, in the 6th century, built the basilicas at Sanʻāʼ and elsewhere in the Arabian Peninsula . There are two forms of native churches: one oblong, traditionally found in Tigray ; the other circular, traditionally found in Amhara and Shewa (though either style may be found elsewhere). In both forms,

2553-587: Is around 62 AD, the time of Paul's imprisonment in Rome, but most scholars date the work to 80–90 AD on the grounds that it uses Mark as a source, looks back on the destruction of Jerusalem, and does not show any awareness of the letters of Paul (which began circulating late in the first century); if it does show awareness of the Pauline epistles, and also of the work of the Jewish historian Josephus, as some believe, then

2664-529: Is commanded in no other name than the name of Jesus." The Old Testament Books: The New Testament Books: The divine services of the Ethiopian Church are celebrated in Geʽez , which has been the liturgical language of the church at least since the arrival of the Nine Saints (Pantelewon, Gerima (Isaac, or Yeshaq), Aftse, Guba, Alef, Yem’ata, Liqanos, and Sehma), who are believed to have fled persecution by

2775-441: Is considerably different from Paul's on key points and does not represent Paul's own views accurately." He was educated, a man of means, probably urban, and someone who respected manual work, although not a worker himself; this is significant, because more high-brow writers of the time looked down on the artisans and small business people who made up the early church of Paul and were presumably Luke's audience. The interpretation of

2886-531: Is eaten by the faithful. During the 40-day Advent fast, only one vegan meal is allowed per day. In addition to standard holy days, most Christians observe many saints' days. A man might give a small feast on his personal saint's day. The local voluntary association (called the maheber ) connected with each church honours its patron saint with a special service and a feast two or three times a year. Priests intervene and perform exorcisms on behalf of those believed to be afflicted by demons or buda . According to

2997-465: Is for all mankind. The Gentile church is established in Antioch (north-western Syria, the third-largest city of the empire), and here Christ's followers are first called Christians. The mission to the Gentiles is promoted from Antioch and confirmed at a meeting in Jerusalem between Paul and the leadership of the Jerusalem church. Paul spends the next few years traveling through western Asia Minor and

3108-508: Is given only to those who feel pure, have fasted regularly, and have, in general, properly conducted themselves. In practice, communion is mainly limited to young children and the elderly; those who are at a sexually active age or who have sexual desires generally do not receive the Eucharist. Worshipers receiving communion may enter the middle ring of the church to do so. Ethiopian Orthodox believers are strict Trinitarians , maintaining

3219-466: Is important to Ethiopian liturgy and divided into fourteen Anaphoras, the normal use being of the Twelve Apostles. In ancient times, there were six Anaphoras used by many monasteries. Since 1959, when the church was granted autocephaly by Cyril VI , Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria , an Ethiopian Patriarch-Catholicos of Eritrea also carrying the title of Abuna is the head of

3330-473: Is intended as a work of "edification", meaning "the empirical demonstration that virtue is superior to vice." The work also engages with the question of a Christian's proper relationship with the Roman Empire, the civil power of the day: could a Christian obey God and also Caesar? The answer is ambiguous. The Romans never move against Jesus or his followers unless provoked by the Jews, in the trial scenes

3441-478: Is lowered down the walls in a basket. But details of these same incidents are frequently contradictory: for example, according to Paul it was a pagan king who was trying to arrest him in Damascus, but according to Luke it was the Jews (2 Corinthians 11:33 and Acts 9:24). Acts speaks of "Christians" and "disciples", but Paul never uses either term, and it is striking that Acts never mentions Paul being in conflict with

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3552-510: Is offering prayer before a holy God. Ethiopian Orthodox worshippers remove their shoes when entering a church temple, in accordance with Exodus 3:5 (in which Moses , while viewing the burning bush , was commanded to remove his shoes while standing on holy ground). Furthermore, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is known to observe the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday, or the lesser Sabbath), in addition to

3663-520: Is reflected in Peter's speech to the Roman centurion, Cornelius (Acts 10:36). Peter states that "this one" [οὗτος], i.e. Jesus, "is lord [κύριος] of all." The title, κύριος, was often ascribed to the Roman emperor in antiquity, rendering its use by Luke as an appellation for Jesus an unsubtle challenge to the emperor's authority. As the second part of the two-part work Luke–Acts, Acts has significant links to

3774-529: Is self-evident to accomplish the divine salvation of mankind, as opposed to the " two natures of Christ " belief commonly held by the Latin and Eastern Catholic , Eastern Orthodox , Anglican , Lutheran , and most other Protestant churches . The Oriental Orthodox Churches adhere to a miaphysite Christological view followed by Cyril of Alexandria , the leading protagonist in the Christological debates of

3885-528: Is shared by 3rd and 4th century writers such as Eusebius of Caesarea and Origen of Alexandria . Early Christianity became the established church of the Ethiopian Axumite Kingdom under king Ezana in the 4th century when priesthood and the sacraments were brought for the first time through a Syrian Greek named Frumentius , known by the local population in Ethiopia as "Selama, Kesaté Birhan" ("Father of Peace, Revealer of Light"). As

3996-599: Is still sometimes advanced, but "a critical consensus emphasizes the countless contradictions between the account in Acts and the authentic Pauline letters." (An example can be seen by comparing Acts's accounts of Paul's conversion (Acts 9:1–31, 22:6–21, and 26:9–23) with Paul's own statement that he remained unknown to Christians in Judea after that event (Galatians 1:17–24).) The author "is an admirer of Paul, but does not share Paul's own view of himself as an apostle; his own theology

4107-818: Is the fifth book of the New Testament ; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its message to the Roman Empire . Acts and the Gospel of Luke make up a two-part work, Luke–Acts , by the same anonymous author. Traditionally, the author is believed to be Luke the Evangelist , a doctor who travelled with Paul the Apostle . It is usually dated to around 80–90 AD, although some scholars suggest 110–120 AD. The first part,

4218-510: Is the geographic movement from Jerusalem, centre of God's Covenantal people, the Jews, to Rome, centre of the Gentile world. This structure reaches back to the author's preceding work, the Gospel of Luke , and is signaled by parallel scenes such as Paul's utterance in Acts 19:21, which echoes Jesus's words in Luke 9:51: Paul has Rome as his destination, as Jesus had Jerusalem. The second key element

4329-472: Is the roles of Peter and Paul, the first representing the Jewish Christian church, the second the mission to the Gentiles. The Gospel of Luke began with a prologue addressed to Theophilus; Acts likewise opens with an address to Theophilus and refers to "my earlier book", almost certainly the gospel. The apostles and other followers of Jesus meet and elect Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot as

4440-566: Is used in Acts 10, and Mark's account of the accusation that Jesus has attacked the Temple (Mark 14:58) is used in a story about Stephen (Acts 6:14). There are also points of contacts (meaning suggestive parallels but something less than clear evidence) with 1 Peter , the Letter to the Hebrews , and 1 Clement. Other sources can only be inferred from internal evidence—the traditional explanation of

4551-620: The Byzantine Empire after the Council of Chalcedon (451). The Greek Septuagint was the version of the Old Testament originally translated into Ge'ez, but later revisions show clear evidence of the use of Hebrew , Syriac and Arabic sources. The first translation into a modern vernacular was done in the 19th century by a man usually known as Abu Rumi (died 1819). Later, Haile Selassie sponsored Amharic translations of

Ethiopian ecclesiastical titles - Misplaced Pages Continue

4662-562: The Didascalia . The nature of the Sabbath only became a doctrinal dispute in the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria in the centuries leading up to the issue being rectified by Ewostatewos . The emperor Gelawdewos in his Confession , an apologia of traditional beliefs and practices explicitly says "we do not honour it as the Jews do... but we so honour it that we celebrate thereon the Eucharist and have love-feasts, even as our Fathers

4773-577: The Gospel of Luke . Major turning points in the structure of Acts find parallels in Luke: the presentation of the child Jesus in the Temple parallels the opening of Acts in the Temple, Jesus's forty days of testing in the wilderness prior to his mission parallel the forty days prior to his Ascension in Acts, the mission of Jesus in Samaria and the Decapolis (the lands of the Samaritans and Gentiles) parallels

4884-584: The Kandake (Candace) Queen of Ethiopia in charge of all her treasure. (Acts, 8:26–27) The passage continues by describing how Philip helped the Ethiopian treasurer understand a passage from the Book of Isaiah that the Ethiopian was reading. After Philip interpreted the passage as prophecy referring to Jesus Christ , the Ethiopian requested that Philip baptize him, and Philip did so. The Ethiopic version of this verse reads "Hendeke" (ህንደኬ); Queen Gersamot Hendeke VII

4995-611: The Kingdom of God and teaching freely about "the Lord Jesus Christ". Acts ends abruptly without recording the outcome of Paul's legal troubles. Prior to the 1950s, Luke–Acts was seen as a historical work, written to defend Christianity before the Romans or Paul against his detractors; since then the tendency has been to see the work as primarily theological. Luke's theology is expressed primarily through his overarching plot,

5106-794: The Lord's Day (Sunday, or the Christian Sabbath), although more emphasis, because of the Resurrection of Christ, is laid upon Sunday. While the Ethiopian Church is known for this practice, it is neither an innovation nor unique to it, deriving from the Apostolic Constitutions and the Apostolic Canons the former of which without the Apostolic Canons included is in the church's 81-book canon as

5217-416: The New Testament , or Həggä Wongel (ሕገ ወንጌል). A hierarchy of K'ədusan ቅዱሳን (angelic messengers and saints) conveys the prayers of the faithful to God and carries out the divine will, so when an Ethiopian Christian is in difficulty, he or she appeals to them as well as to God. In more formal and regular rituals, priests communicate on behalf of the community, and only priests may enter the inner sanctum of

5328-430: The Roman Catholic Church among others. Ethiopian Church tradition tells that Bartholomew accompanied Matthew in a mission which lasted for at least three months. Paintings depicting these missions can be seen in the Church of St. Matthew found in the Province of Pisa , in northern Italy portrayed by Francesco Trevisan (1650–1740) and Marco Benefial (1688–1764). The earliest account of an Ethiopian converted to

5439-415: The dyophysitism (two natures) doctrine decreed by the Council of Chalcedon in 451, an incident that resulted in the second major split in the main body of the Catholic-Orthodox Church in the Roman Empire . Tewahedo ( Ge'ez : ተዋሕዶ täwaḥədo ) is a Ge'ez word meaning "being made one" or "unified". This word refers to the Oriental Orthodox belief in the one composite unified nature of Christ ; i.e.,

5550-413: The state church . The new Marxist government began nationalizing property (including land) owned by the church. Tewophilos was arrested in 1976 by the Marxist Derg military junta , and secretly executed in 1979. The government ordered the church to elect a new Patriarch, and Takla Haymanot was enthroned. The Coptic Orthodox Church refused to recognize the election and enthronement of Tekle Haymanot on

5661-458: The "Ethiopians present in Jerusalem" as being able to understand the preaching of Peter in Acts , 2:38. Possible missions of some of the Apostles in the lands now called Ethiopia is also reported as early as the 4th century. Socrates of Constantinople includes Ethiopia in his list as one of the regions preached by Matthew the Apostle , where a specific mention of "Ethiopia south of the Caspian Sea" can be confirmed in some traditions such as

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5772-417: The "we" passages as indicative that the writer was a historical eyewitness (whether Luke the evangelist or not), remains the most influential in current biblical studies. Objections to this viewpoint include the above claim that Luke-Acts contains differences in theology and historical narrative which are irreconcilable with the authentic letters of Paul the Apostle . The earliest possible date for Luke-Acts

5883-404: The 4th and 5th centuries, who advocated "mia physis tou Theo logou sesarkōmenē", or "one (mia) nature of the Word of God incarnate" (μία φύσις τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου σεσαρκωμένη) and a hypostatic union (ἕνωσις καθ' ὑπόστασιν, henōsis kath hypostasis ). The distinction of this stance was that the incarnate Christ has one nature, but that one nature is of the two natures, divine and human, and retains all

5994-413: The 4th century until 1959, when it was granted autocephaly with its own patriarch by Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria , Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church . Tewahedo ( Ge'ez : ተዋሕዶ täwaḥədo ) is a Geʽez word meaning "united as one". This word refers to the Oriental Orthodox belief in the one perfectly unified nature of Christ ; i.e., a complete union of the divine and human natures into one nature

6105-426: The Aegean, preaching, converting, and founding new churches. On a visit to Jerusalem he is set on by a Jewish mob. Saved by the Roman commander, he is accused by the Jews of being a revolutionary , the "ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes", and imprisoned. Later, Paul asserts his right as a Roman citizen, to be tried in Rome and is sent by sea to Rome, where he spends another two years under house arrest, proclaiming

6216-442: The Apostles have taught us in the Didascalia". The Ethiopian Church does not call for circumcision, yet it is a cultural practice, as is abstention from pork and other meats deemed unclean. It is not regarded as being necessary to salvation. The liturgy explicitly mentions, "let us not be circumcised like the Jews." The Ethiopian Orthodox Church observes days of ritual purification . People who are ritually unclean may approach

6327-472: The Apostles" ( Praxeis Apostolon ) would seem to identify it with the genre telling of the deeds and achievements of great men ( praxeis ), but it was not the title given by the author. The anonymous author aligned Luke–Acts to the "narratives" (διήγησις, diēgēsis ) which many others had written, and described his own work as an "orderly account" (ἀκριβῶς καθεξῆς). It lacks exact analogies in Hellenistic or Jewish literature. The author may have taken as his model

6438-446: The Article 11 of the FDRE Constitution . On 4 February, three people were reportedly killed in Shashemene by the Oromia Special Forces . According Tewahedo Media Center (TMC), two Orthodox youth were killed and four others were injured by the Oromo Special Forces. Abune Henok, Archbishop of Addis Ababa Diocese described it as "shameful and heart-wrenching". In response to grievance, numerous celebrities expressed their solidarity to

6549-425: The Baptist , each time as a sign of God's approval. The Holy Spirit represents God's power (at his ascension, Jesus tells his followers, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you"): through it the disciples are given speech to convert thousands in Jerusalem, forming the first church (the term is used for the first time in Acts 5). One issue debated by scholars is Luke's political vision regarding

6660-424: The Christian missionaries are always cleared of charges of violating Roman laws, and Acts ends with Paul in Rome proclaiming the Christian message under Roman protection; at the same time, Luke makes clear that the Romans, like all earthly rulers, receive their authority from Satan, while Christ is ruler of the kingdom of God . Acts is divided into 28 chapters . The work has two key structural principles. The first

6771-422: The Church via social media and other platforms and donned black clothing during three-days Fast of Nineveh . On 9 February, the government imposed restrictions on social sites targeted to Facebook , Messenger , Telegram and TikTok . On the next day, the delegation of Synod held an urgent meeting with Abiy at his office, which resulted in condemnation of the proclaimed Oromia Synod from Abiy. On 12 February,

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6882-424: The Derg regime than it had expected, and so when the patriarch died in 1988, a new patriarch with closer ties to the regime was sought. The Archbishop of Gondar , a member of the Derg-era Ethiopian Parliament, was elected and enthroned as Abuna Merkorios . Following the fall of the Derg regime in 1991, and the coming to power of the EPRDF government, Merkorios abdicated under public pressure. The church then elected

6993-440: The Earth." They then proceed to do so, in the order outlined: first Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria, then the entire (Roman) world. For Luke, the Holy Spirit is the driving force behind the spread of the Christian message, and he places more emphasis on it than do any of the other evangelists. The Spirit is "poured out" at Pentecost on the first Samaritan and Gentile believers and on disciples who had been baptised only by John

7104-455: The Ethiopian Orthodox Church on 28 September 1993 following ratification by Coptic church Patriarch Shenouda III . The schism has met opposition from dissent that saw it as a disintegration of Ethiopia's spiritual heritage. As of 2005, there are many Ethiopian Orthodox churches located throughout the United States and other countries to which Ethiopians have migrated (Archbishop Yesehaq 1997). Paulos died on 16 August 2012. On 28 February 2013,

7215-464: The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The Abuna is officially known as Patriarch and Catholicos of Ethiopia, Archbishop of Axum and Ichege of the See of Saint Taklahaimanot . The incumbent head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is Mathias who acceded to this position on 28 February 2013. Ethiopia: Acts of the Apostles The Acts of the Apostles ( Koinē Greek : Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων , Práxeis Apostólōn ; Latin : Actūs Apostolōrum )

7326-408: The Ethiopian church, with men on the left and women on the right (when facing the altar). (Women covering their heads and separation of the sexes in churches officially is common to few other Christian traditions; it is also the rule in some non-Christian religions, Islam and Orthodox Judaism among them). Before praying, the Ethiopian Orthodox remove their shoes in order to acknowledge that one

7437-422: The Ge'ez Scriptures during his reign (1930–1974): one in 1935 before World War II and one afterwards (1960–1961). Sermons today are usually delivered in the local language. There are many monolithic (rock-hewn) churches in Ethiopia, most famously eleven churches at Lalibela . Besides these, two main types of architecture are found—one basilican , the other native. The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion at Axum

7548-428: The Gentiles because the Jews rejected it . Luke–Acts can also be seen as a defense of the Jesus movement addressed to the Jews: the bulk of the speeches and sermons in Acts are addressed to Jewish audiences, with the Romans serving as external arbiters on disputes concerning Jewish customs and law. On the one hand, Luke portrays the followers of Jesus as a sect of the Jews , and therefore entitled to legal protection as

7659-404: The Gentiles because the Jews rejected it. This theme is introduced in Chapter 4 of the Gospel of Luke, when Jesus, rejected in Nazareth, recalls the rejection of prophets. at the end of the gospel he commands his disciples to preach his message to all nations, "beginning from Jerusalem." He repeats the command in Acts, telling them to preach "in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of

7770-418: The Gospel of Luke, tells how God fulfilled his plan for the world's salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth . Acts continues the story of Christianity in the 1st century , beginning with the ascension of Jesus to Heaven . The early chapters, set in Jerusalem , describe the Day of Pentecost (the coming of the Holy Spirit ), the expulsion of Christians from Jerusalem and

7881-428: The Greco-Roman world at large. He begins his gospel with a preface addressed to Theophilus ( Luke 1:3 ; cf. Acts 1:1 ), informing him of his intention to provide an "ordered account" of events which will lead his reader to "certainty". He did not write in order to provide Theophilus with historical justification—"did it happen?"—but to encourage faith—"what happened, and what does it all mean?" Acts (or Luke–Acts)

7992-424: The Jerusalem church and places Paul under the authority of the Jerusalem church and its leaders, especially James and Peter (Acts 15 vs. Galatians 2). Acts omits much from the letters, notably Paul's problems with his congregations (internal difficulties are said to be the fault of the Jews instead), and his apparent final rejection by the church leaders in Jerusalem (Acts has Paul and Barnabas deliver an offering that

8103-636: The Jewish rejection of the Messiah and the role of the Holy Spirit, in ways that are stylistically different from the rest of Acts. The majority of scholars prefer the Alexandrian (shorter) text-type over the Western as the more authentic, but this same argument would favour the Western over the Alexandrian for the Gospel of Luke, as in that case the Western version is the shorter. The title "Acts of

8214-574: The Jews); Baur continues to have enormous influence, but today there is less interest in determining the historical accuracy of Acts (although this has never died out) than in understanding the author's theological program. Luke was written to be read aloud to a group of Jesus-followers gathered in a house to share the Lord's supper. The author assumes an educated Greek-speaking audience, but directs his attention to specifically Christian concerns rather than to

8325-587: The Lutherans disagreed with, and thus for Luther, the Ethiopian church was the "true forerunner of Protestantism ". Luther believed that the Ethiopian church kept true apostolic practices which the Lutherans would adopt through reading the scriptures. In 1534, a cleric of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Michael the Deacon , met with Martin Luther and affirmed the Augsburg Confession , saying "This

8436-685: The Messianic kingdom by Israel, and God's sovereign establishment of the church for both Jews and Gentiles. Acts agrees with Paul's letters on the major outline of Paul's career: he is converted and becomes a Christian missionary and apostle, establishing new churches in Asia Minor and the Aegean and struggling to free Gentile Christians from the Jewish Law . There are also agreements on many incidents, such as Paul's escape from Damascus, where he

8547-529: The New Testament accounts—along with glossolalia are observed in the afflicted. Amsalu Geleta, in a modern case study, relates elements that are common to Ethiopian Christian exorcisms: It includes singing praise and victory songs, reading from the Scripture, prayer and confronting the spirit in the name of Jesus. Dialogue with the spirit is another important part of the exorcism ceremony. It helps

8658-723: The Orthodox teaching that God is united in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This concept is known as səllase (ሥላሴ), Ge'ez for "Trinity". Daily services constitute only a small part of an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian's religious observance. Several holy days require prolonged services, singing and dancing, and feasting. An important religious requirement, however, is the keeping of fast days, during which adherents abstain from consuming meat and animal products, and refrain from sexual activity. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has 250 fasting days, 180 of which are obligatory for laypeople, not just monks and priests, when vegan food

8769-593: The Portuguese mission, which lasted for several years, was written by Francisco Álvares , its chaplain. Later, Ignatius Loyola wished to take up the task of conversion, but was forbidden to do so. Instead, the pope sent out João Nunes Barreto as patriarch of the East Indies, with Andre de Oviedo as bishop; and from Goa envoys went to Ethiopia, followed by Oviedo himself, to secure the king's adherence to Rome. After repeated failures some measure of success

8880-659: The See of Saint Taklehaimanot. On 22 January 2023, an attempt to overthrow Abune Mathias was failed following a secret formation of new 26-made bishop Synod led by Abune Sawiros in Oromia Region diocese, such as in Haro Beale Wold Church in Woliso , and nine bishops of diocese outside the region. The Patriarchate called it an "illegal appointment", where Abune Mathias decried it as "great event that has targeted

8991-466: The altar. Only priests are allowed to see or touch the tabot . In an elaborate procession, the tabot is carried around the outside of the church amid joyful song on the feast day of that particular church's namesake. On the great Feast of T'imk'et , known as Epiphany or Theophany in Europe, a group of churches send their tabot to celebrate the occasion at a common location where a pool of water or

9102-506: The appointment of clergy—which had been fairly lax until then. The Coptic and Ethiopian churches reached an agreement on 13 July 1948, that led to autocephaly for the Ethiopian Church. Five bishops were immediately consecrated by the Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa, empowered to elect a new patriarch for their church, and the successor to Qerellos IV would have the power to consecrate new bishops. This promotion

9213-614: The centuries. Christian beliefs include belief in God (in Ge'ez / Amharic, ′Egziabeher , lit. "Lord of the Universe"), veneration of the Virgin Mary, the angels, and the saints, besides others. According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church itself, there are no non-Christian elements in the religion other than those from the Old Testament , or Həggä 'Orät (ሕገ ኦሪት), to which are added those from

9324-483: The characteristics of both after the union. Miaphysitism holds that in the one person of Jesus Christ , divinity and humanity are united in one (μία, mia ) nature (φύσις - " physis ") without separation, without confusion, without alteration and without mixing where Christ is consubstantial with God the Father . Around 500 bishops within the patriarchates of Alexandria , Antioch , and Jerusalem refused to accept

9435-542: The church but are not permitted to enter it; they instead stand near the church door and pray during the liturgy. Rugare Rukuni and Erna Oliver identify the Nine Saints as Jewish Christians , and attribute the Judaic character of Ethiopian Christianity, in part, to their influence. A debtera is an itinerant lay priest figure (not a member of the priesthood) trained by the Ethiopian Church to function principally as

9546-434: The church". After not apologising for the illegal ordination, three Archbishops were excommunicated by the Holy Synod on 26 January. On 31 January 2023, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed convened a discussion surrounding the incident where he responded he is ready to resolve the conflict. The speech led backlash from the Holy Synod and accused his government of meddling in the Church in reference to separation of church and state in

9657-402: The counsellor (exorcist) to know how the spirit was operating in the life of the demoniac. The signs and events mentioned by the spirit are affirmed by the victim after deliverance. The exorcism is not always successful, and Geleta notes another instance in which the usual methods were unsuccessful, and the demons apparently left the subject at a later time. In any event, "in all cases the spirit

9768-406: The establishment of the church at Antioch . The later chapters narrate the continuation of the message under Paul the Apostle and concludes with his imprisonment in Rome, where he awaits trial . Luke–Acts is an attempt to answer a theological problem, namely how the Messiah of the Jews came to have an overwhelmingly non-Jewish church; the answer it provides is that the message of Christ was sent to

9879-413: The faith in the New Testament books is a royal official baptized by Philip the Evangelist (distinct from Philip the Apostle ), one of the seven deacons (Acts, 8:26–27): Then the angel of the Lord said to Philip, Start out and go south to the road that leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza. So he set out and was on his way when he caught sight of an Ethiopian . This man was a eunuch, a high official of

9990-515: The followers of Jesus, is converted by a vision to become a follower of Christ (an event which Luke regards as so important that he relates it three times). Peter, directed by a series of visions, preaches to Cornelius the Centurion , a Gentile God-fearer, who becomes a follower of Christ. The Holy Spirit descends on Cornelius and his guests, thus confirming that the message of eternal life in Christ

10101-411: The framework for both the Church's liturgical calendar and the historical outline into which later generations have fitted their idea of the story of Jesus and the early church . The author is not named in either volume. According to Church tradition dating from the 2nd century, the author was Luke , named as a companion of the apostle Paul in three of the letters attributed to Paul himself; this view

10212-489: The grounds that the Synod of the Ethiopian Church had not removed Tewophilos and that the government had not publicly acknowledged his death, and he was thus still the legitimate Patriarch of Ethiopia. Formal relations between the two churches were halted, although they remained in communion with each other. Formal relations between the two churches resumed on July 13, 2007. Tekle Haymanot proved to be much less accommodating to

10323-416: The illegal practice of magic (Acts 19:17–19) as well as the amicability of his rapport with Roman officials such as Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:6–12) and Festus (Acts 26:30–32). Furthermore, Acts does not include any account of a struggle between Christians and the Roman government as a result of the latter's imperial cult. Thus Paul is depicted as a moderating presence between the church and the Roman Empire. On

10434-543: The missions of the Apostles in Samaria and the Gentile lands, and so on (see Gospel of Luke ). These parallels continue through both books, contributing to the narrative unity of the work. However, scholars have noted differences between Luke and Acts, including some apparent contradictions. For example, the gospel seems to place the Ascension on Easter Sunday , shortly after the Resurrection , while Acts 1 puts it forty days later. Such differences have led to debates over

10545-414: The nature of the unity between the two books. While not seriously questioning the single authorship of Luke–Acts, these variations suggest a complex literary structure that balances thematic continuity with narrative development across two volumes. Literary studies have explored how Luke sets the stage in his gospel for key themes that recur and develop throughout Acts, including the offer to and rejection of

10656-513: The observance of canonical consecration for all churches. These examples show the close relations of the two churches throughout the Middle Ages . In 1439, in the reign of Zara Yaqob , a religious discussion between Giyorgis and a French visitor led to the dispatch of an embassy from Ethiopia to the Vatican . The period of Jesuit influence, which broke the connection with Egypt, began

10767-417: The other hand, events such as the imprisonment of Paul at the hands of the empire (Acts 22–28) as well as several encounters that reflect negatively on Roman officials (for instance, Felix's desire for a bribe from Paul in Acts 24:26) function as concrete points of conflict between Rome and the early church. Perhaps the most significant point of tension between Roman imperial ideology and Luke's political vision

10878-679: The relationship between the early church and the Roman Empire. On the one hand, Luke generally does not portray this interaction as one of direct conflict. Rather, there are ways in which each may have considered having a relationship with the other rather advantageous to its own cause. For example, early Christians may have appreciated hearing about the protection Paul received from Roman officials against Gentile rioters in Philippi (Acts 16:16–40) and Ephesus (Acts 19:23–41), and against Jewish rioters on two occasions (Acts 17:1–17; Acts 18:12–17). Meanwhile, Roman readers may have approved of Paul's censure of

10989-500: The sanctuary is square and stands clear in the centre, and the arrangements are based on Jewish tradition. Walls and ceilings are adorned with frescoes . A courtyard , circular or rectangular, surrounds the body of the church. Modern Ethiopian churches may incorporate the basilican or native styles and use contemporary construction techniques and materials. In rural areas, the church and outer court are often thatched , with mud-built walls. The church buildings are typically surrounded by

11100-596: The sources for Acts can only be guessed at, but the author would have had access to the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Jewish scriptures), the Gospel of Mark , and either the hypothetical collection of "sayings of Jesus" called the Q source or the Gospel of Matthew . He transposed a few incidents from Mark's gospel to the time of the Apostles—for example, the material about "clean" and "unclean" foods in Mark 7

11211-713: The state religion. He then in 1633 expelled the Jesuits, and in 1665 Fasilides ordered that all Jesuit books (the Books of the Franks) be burned. David Daniels has suggested that the Ethiopian Church has had a stronger impact on the Reformation than most scholars acknowledge. For Martin Luther , who spearheaded the Reformation , Daniels says "the Ethiopian Church conferred legitimacy on Luther's emerging Protestant vision of

11322-410: The three "we" passages, for example, is that they represent eyewitness accounts. The search for such inferred sources was popular in the 19th century, but by the mid-20th it had largely been abandoned. Acts was read as a reliable history of the early church well into the post-Reformation era, but by the 17th century biblical scholars began to notice that it was incomplete and tendentious—its picture of

11433-419: The usually circular or octagonal church where the tabot ("ark") dedicated to the church's patron saint is housed. On important religious holidays, the tabot is carried on the head of a priest and escorted in procession outside the church. It is the tabot, not the church, which is consecrated. At many services, most parish members remain in the outer ring, where debteras sing hymns and dance. The Eucharist

11544-620: The way scenes, themes and characters combine to construct his specific worldview. His "salvation history" stretches from the Creation to the present time of his readers, in three ages: first, the time of "the Law and the Prophets" (Luke 16:16), the period beginning with Genesis and ending with the appearance of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5–3:1); second, the epoch of Jesus, in which the Kingdom of God

11655-454: The work of Abu Rumi over ten years in Cairo, this version, with some changes, held sway until Emperor Haile Selassie ordered a new translation which appeared in 1960/1. Haile Selassie also played a prominent role in further reforms of the church, which included encouraging the distribution of Abu Rumi's translation throughout Ethiopia, as well as his promotion of improved education of clergy,

11766-444: The works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus , who wrote a well-known history of Rome, or the Jewish historian Josephus , author of a history of the Jews . Like them, he anchors his history by dating the birth of the founder (Romulus for Dionysius, Moses for Josephus, Jesus for Luke) and like them he tells how the founder is born from God, taught authoritatively, and appeared to witnesses after death before ascending to heaven. By and large

11877-412: Was achieved under Emperor Susenyos I , but not until 1624 did the Emperor make formal submission to the pope . Susenyos made Roman Catholicism the official state religion but was met with heavy resistance by his subjects and by the authorities of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and eventually had to abdicate in 1632 in favour of his son, Fasilides , who promptly restored Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity as

11988-405: Was completed when Coptic Orthodox Pope Joseph II consecrated an Ethiopian-born Archbishop, Abuna Basilios , 14 January 1951. Then in 1959, Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria crowned Basilios as the first Patriarch of Ethiopia. Basilios died in 1970, and was succeeded that year by Tewophilos . With the fall of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church was disestablished as

12099-405: Was not given by the author, as the word práxeis (deeds, acts) only appears once in the text ( Acts 19 :18) and there it refers not to the apostles but to deeds confessed by their followers. The Gospel of Luke and Acts make up a two-volume work which scholars call Luke–Acts . Together they account for 27.5% of the New Testament , the largest contribution attributed to a single author, providing

12210-410: Was preached (Luke 3:2–24:51); and finally the period of the Church, which began when the risen Christ was taken into Heaven, and would end with his second coming . Luke–Acts is an attempt to answer a theological problem, namely how the Messiah, promised to the Jews, came to have an overwhelmingly non-Jewish church; the answer it provides, and its central theme, is that the message of Christ was sent to

12321-531: Was the Queen of Ethiopia from c. 42 to 52. Where the possibility of gospel missions by the Ethiopian eunuch cannot be directly inferred from the Books of the New Testament, Irenaeus of Lyons around 180 AD writes that "Simon Backos" preached the good news in his homeland outlining also the theme of his preaching as being the coming in flesh of God that "was preached to you all before." The same kind of witness

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