Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States
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What are the differences between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Church? I know there isn't much of a difference, but what was the political aspect of the split between the churches?

The beginning of the division between the churches was between the "Oriental" churches including the Coptic .Orthodox Church and all the rest of the churches not just the Eastern. This started at the Council of Chalcedon when we were accused of being monophysites. In that Council, monophysitism meant believing in one nature. The Copts believe that the Lord is perfect in His Divinity, and He is perfect in His Humanity, but His Divinity and His Humanity are united in One Nature called the Nature of the Incarnate Word, as reiterated by St Cyril of Alexandria. The Copts, thus, believe in two natures, human and divine, that are united in one without mingling, without confusion, and without alteration (from the declaration of faith at the end of the Coptic Divine Liturgy). These two natures did not separate for a moment nor for a twinkling of an eye (also from the declaration of faith at the end of the Coptic Divine Liturgy). Perhaps the Council of Chalcedon understood the Church correctly, but they wanted a reason to exile the Church, to isolate it and to abolish the Egyptian, independent Pope, who maintained that Church and State should be separate. Despite all of this, the Coptic Church has remained very firm and steadfast in the faith. Whether it was a conspiracy from the Western Churches to exile, the Coptic Church as a punishment for its refusal to be politically influenced, the Coptic Church has always felt a mandate to reconcile semantic differences among all Christian Churches.
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