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From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia The word apocrypha (literally, “things hidden away”) is used to designate a group of fifteen religious writings from antiquity that are included in the Greek Septua-gint and Latin Vulgate but are not in the Hebrew Scriptures.
From The Columbia Encyclopedia Form of public worship, particularly the form of rite or services prescribed by the various Christian churches. In the Western Church the principal service centered upon the Eucharistic sacrifice.
Oldest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible made by Hellenistic Jews, possibly from Alexandria, c.250 B.C. Legend, according to the fictional letter of Aristeas, records that it was done in 72 days by 72 translators for Ptolemy Philadelphus, which accounts for the name.
In Christianity, the union of three persons - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost - in one Godhead. The precise meaning of the doctrine has been the cause of unending dispute, and was the chief cause of the split between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches.
From The Columbia Encyclopedia Autonomous Christian church, sometimes also called the Gregorian Church. Its head, a primate of honor only, is the catholicos of Yejmiadzin, Armenia.
From Greenwood Encyclopedia of International Relations
This is the indigenous Christian church in Egypt, some 1,700 years old and with ancient links to Ethiopia. It is comprised of Egyptian Christians who retained their faith after the arrival of Islam in Egypt in the eighth century.
From The Columbia Encyclopedia Christian church of Syria, Iraq, and India, recognizing the Syrian Orthodox patriarch of Antioch as its spiritual head, regarded by Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox as heretical.
From The Columbia Encyclopedia Christian community of Iraq, Iran, and Malabar, India. It represents the ancient church of Persia and is sometimes called the Assyrian (or East Syrian) Church.
From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia Federation of national and regional self-governing Christian churches, mainly found in Eastern Europe and parts of Asia. The final schism between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church occurred in 1054.
From Chambers Dictionary of World History
A Church originating in missionary activity on the part of the see of Constantinople and in political interest on the part of Kiev Rus in the 10c.