Introduction to the Ethiopian Orthodox: Tewahedo Faith

By Alemayehu Desta

Faith is the means by which we understand "the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible" (Heb 1:2-3)

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 23, 2012
• ISBN: 9781468548907

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© 2012 by Alemayehu Desta. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 02/16/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4685-4889-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4685-4890-7 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012901827

Printed in the United States of America

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CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

I

II

III

Bibliography

Preface

As one of the oldest churches in the world, and a tradition of worship that predates the Scripture, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo church is one of very few that still exhibits the original practice of worship in Christianity. This small book is just an introduction of the Orthodox Tewahedo Faith and a brief overview of church History.

I have compiled some of the writings from my own articles I have written during the past 5 years for the youth of Sunday School Students in my church. The question I used to get from Sunday school students and a some non-Ethiopian Theology students have helped me incorporate as much as I can as introduction in this short manuscript. I believe, as the title indicates, the book will serve as a basic introduction to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo faith.

I have started to write this book with the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo youth in mind. Some sections of the book are deliberately brief in order to make an easy read, specially the last section—History of the Church. This book is hardly a result of an extensive research, but hopefully, in addition to being informative, will invite the reader to research more on the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Faith through the Tradition and rich manuscripts of the Church.

As an introduction to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, I would have liked to include the practice of the Church’s worship rites. But it is vast and beyond the scope of this short manuscript. God willing, it will be my next project.

Introduction

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is unique in its adherence to the faith and traditions of the prophets and apostles.

You are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. (Eph. 2:19-20)

• Ethiopian: refers to the unique traditions and heritage of Ethiopia as a Christian nation to worship God, before and after the existence of written laws (The Scripture), and to accept the promise of the New Covenant.

• Orthodox: means straight or true (Ortho) faith (dox). The name was adopted in 325 AD after the Heresy of Arius, who taught that Jesus Christ was created by the Father before the universe, and that He was not equal to the Father. Church scholars from different parts of the world met in Nicaea under Constantine I and declared the faith of our fathers, which is without blemish. The fathers who met in Nicaea named this faith of our fathers Orthodox (straight or the true faith) to indicate that it is a faith that has not been bent or twisted according to the wits and philosophy of men, but revealed to us by God.

". . . Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 16:18)

• It is a faith that is deeply rooted in the teaching of the prophets and the apostles, and given only once to our fathers: ". . . the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." (Jude 3)

• Tewahedo: means made one. It refers to the Incarnation of Christ—the complete union of His Divine and human nature into one, without mixture (without one changing the nature of the other) and without separation. The name was adopted in 451 AD after the heresy of Eutyches, and the council of Chalcedon, which declared that Christ has two natures.

• Bete Christian is the Ethiopian word for Church. Bete means house of. So Bete Christian literally means house or worship place of Christians. "Yet in the church I would rather speak five words . . ." (1Cor. 14:19). But it means more than just a place of worship, or a house of Christians:

• Each Christian is also Bete Christian: "When you come together as a church . . ." (1Cor 11:18)

• Bete Christian also refers to the gathering or union of Christians: Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria had peace and were edified. (Acts 9:31)

• Bete-Christian also refers to the union of angels and saints in heaven: But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.(Gal. 4:26) "The Jerusalem that is above" is the church in heaven, the union of angels and saints.

"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of