For Inquirers & Catechumens
Greek Orthodox Catechism
A clear introduction to the Greek and Eastern Orthodox Christian faith — what we believe, why we believe it, and how the life of the Church takes shape day by day.
How to Use This Catechism
A catechism is a structured summary of the Christian faith, written in question-and-answer form. The Orthodox Church has taught the faith this way for centuries — through baptismal preparation, parish classes, and the writings of the Fathers. Whether you are searching for an Eastern Orthodox catechism, a Greek Orthodox catechism, or simply an Orthodox Christian catechism to begin with, the teaching is the same across every jurisdiction. The sections below cover the essentials: who God is, who Christ is, what the Church is, how we are called to live, and what the path of a catechumen looks like. Read them in order or jump to a topic.
God and the Holy Trinity
Orthodox Christianity confesses one God in three Persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — sharing one essence, will, and energy.
Q. Who is God?
A. God is the uncreated, eternal, and self-existent One — the Creator of all things visible and invisible. He is known not in His essence, which is unknowable, but in His energies and through His self-revelation in Christ.
Q. What is the Holy Trinity?
A. The Holy Trinity is one God in three distinct Persons: the Father (unbegotten), the Son (eternally begotten of the Father), and the Holy Spirit (eternally proceeding from the Father). The three share one divine essence.
Jesus Christ — True God and True Man
The Son of God became incarnate of the Virgin Mary for our salvation, uniting full divinity and full humanity in one Person.
Q. Who is Jesus Christ?
A. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son and Word of God, who took on human nature from the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, becoming truly man without ceasing to be truly God — one Person in two natures.
Q. Why did Christ become man?
A. For our salvation: to reunite humanity with God, to trample down death by His own death and resurrection, and to open the way to eternal life through union with Him.
The Church and the Holy Mysteries
The Church is the Body of Christ — one, holy, catholic, and apostolic — and the place where the saving grace of God is given through the Holy Mysteries (Sacraments).
Q. What is the Church?
A. The Church is the assembly of the faithful united in Christ through the Holy Spirit. She is the Body of Christ, founded by Him on the Apostles and continuing unbroken through apostolic succession.
Q. What are the Holy Mysteries?
A. The seven principal Mysteries are: Baptism, Chrismation, the Eucharist, Confession, Holy Unction, Marriage, and Holy Orders. Through them God communicates divine grace to His people.
The Theotokos and the Saints
The Virgin Mary is honored as Theotokos — the "Birth-giver of God." Together with the saints, she intercedes for the faithful before the throne of God.
Q. Why do Orthodox Christians honor the Theotokos?
A. Because she bore in her womb the eternal Son of God. Her obedience reversed the disobedience of Eve, and she is the first and highest of all the saints.
Q. Why do we venerate the saints and their icons?
A. The saints are friends of God whose lives reveal Christ. Veneration (honor) is offered to the person depicted; worship (latreia) belongs to God alone. Icons are windows into the kingdom of heaven.
Prayer, Fasting, and the Christian Life
The Orthodox spiritual life is shaped by daily prayer, the fasting seasons of the Church year, and participation in the sacramental life of the parish.
Q. Why do Orthodox Christians fast?
A. Fasting trains the body and soul together, freeing us from the tyranny of passions and turning our hunger toward God. The Church appoints fasting days and seasons throughout the year.
Q. How should I pray?
A. Pray daily — morning and evening, before meals, and throughout the day. The Lord's Prayer, the Jesus Prayer ("Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me"), and the Psalms are the foundation of Orthodox personal prayer.
For Catechumens and Inquirers
A catechumen is someone formally preparing for Baptism or reception into the Orthodox Church. This section answers the questions inquirers ask most often.
Q. What is a catechumen?
A. A catechumen is a person enrolled in the Church's formal preparation for Baptism or Chrismation. In the ancient Church catechumens attended the first half of the Divine Liturgy, received instruction in the faith, and were prayed for by name before being received at Pascha.
Q. How do I become Orthodox?
A. Visit a local parish, speak with the priest, and ask to be enrolled as a catechumen. Catechesis usually lasts several months to a year and includes classes, regular attendance at services, personal prayer, and reading. Reception is by Baptism, or by Chrismation for those already baptized in the name of the Trinity.
Q. How long does the catechumenate take?
A. There is no fixed rule. Most parishes take six months to a year so that the inquirer can experience a full cycle of the Church year — Nativity, Great Lent, and Pascha — before being received. Your priest sets the pace.
Q. What should a catechumen read first?
A. Begin with the Gospels and the Psalms, then a short catechism such as this one. Many parishes also recommend the Divine Liturgy text, the lives of the saints, and a simple daily prayer rule agreed with your priest.
Q. Do catechumens fast and receive Communion?
A. Catechumens keep the fasts as their priest directs, but they do not receive Holy Communion until they are received into the Church through Baptism and/or Chrismation.
Eastern, Greek, and Orthodox Christian Catechism — Are They Different?
Inquirers often search for "Eastern Orthodox catechism," "Greek Orthodox catechism," or "Orthodox Christian catechism." These describe the same faith.
Q. Is there a difference between an Eastern Orthodox catechism and a Greek Orthodox catechism?
A. No — the doctrine is identical. "Eastern Orthodox" names the communion of Churches as a whole; "Greek Orthodox" names one of its jurisdictions, alongside Antiochian, Russian, Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Georgian, and others. A Greek Orthodox catechism and an Eastern Orthodox catechism teach the same Creed, the same Mysteries, and the same councils; only language, music, and local custom differ.
Q. How does an Orthodox Christian catechism differ from a Roman Catholic one?
A. Orthodox catechesis confesses the Nicene Creed without the Filioque, understands the Pope as first among equals rather than universally infallible, and frames salvation as theosis — union with God — rather than primarily as juridical satisfaction. It also teaches the faith from the councils and the Fathers rather than from a single centralized text.
Q. Is there one official Orthodox catechism?
A. There is no single binding catechism. The Church teaches through Scripture, the Nicene Creed, the seven Ecumenical Councils, the liturgical services, and the Fathers. Catechisms such as this one summarize that common teaching for study.
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