Church of the East

LAST EDITED ON Feb-26-2001 AT 12:19 PM (CST)

Shlama Akhi Yaqub w'Kulkhun,

Just a few quick notes on the Church of the East:

1. The Church of the East is not a Jewish Church
   
2. The Church of the East is not a Gentile Church
   
3. The Church of the East is not an Assyrian Church
   
4. The Church of the East is a Semitic Church in liturgical practice and linguistic heritage
   
5. The Church of the East is a Universal Church (what our Latin brethren would call 'Catholic')
   
6. The Church of the East is not a Nestorian Church
   
7. The Church of the East, while historically attached to, and descended from, the Sees of Babylon and Nineveh, is not an Assyrian Church, anymore than the Roman Catholic Church is made up of only Romans
   
8. The membership of Assyrians in the Church of the East, although historically important, is actually smaller than Indians - who today make up the vast majority within the Church
   
9. Historically, the Church of the East has been made up of all ethnicities and backgrounds, including, but not limited to, Jews, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Arameans, Arabs, Turks, Mongols, Kurds, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Persian, Greeks, Armenians, Russians, Japanese, Javanese, etc.
   
10. My parish Kahna (priest) is a Sephardic Jew (ethnically)
    
11. My Patriarch is an Assyrian
    
12. My favorite author and bishop in the church is an Indian
    
13. The most revered saint is a Greek
    

Depending on one's perspective, the COE may be too Jewish, and according to another perspective, it may not be Jewish enough.

In reality, it is neither, and neither is it Assyrian.

I am an Assyrian, a native Aramaic-speaker, who just happens to be a member of the COE, a global Church with a Semitic/Aramaic flavor.

There are other Assyrians who are not Aramaic-speakers, there are Assyrians who are not Christians, there are Assyrians who are not members of the Church of the East - but of another branch of the Church, like the Syriac Orthodox, Chaldean Catholic, or even the Presbyterian or Jehovah's Witnesses.

I hope this posts helps to dispell any myths/misconceptions about the COE.

Fk^rwbw 0ml4

In reply to message #0
 
What is your relationship, if any, with the Mar Thoma (St. Thomas) Syrian Christians of Malabar? This ancient Christian community, though now divided into several denominations, have collectively been known as "Nazranees" over the centuries...

K.A. Cherian

In reply to message #1
 
Shlama,

The Mar Thoma Christians of Malabar & Kerala in India have been, since the beginning, in the Church of the East.

In fact, today, the 2 sole surviving centers of the ancient Church of the East are in Assyria & India.

In this picture, the 2 who are clothed in white are Mar Timotheos (on the left) and Mar Aprim (on the right). These are Metropolitan bishops of the CoE in India.

Here is a link with the locations of the Church of the East in India:

https://www.cired.org/ace_india.html

After the Portugues invasion of India, many were forcefully converted to Roman Catholicism, and many others who refused made contact with the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch and began to follow that rite. Many remained in their original jurisdiction.

Fk^rwbw 0ml4

In reply to message #0
 
Paul,...what does it mean that the COE is a "semetic church in liturgical practice"?....peace from down under....michael.....p.s.keep up the good work!!!