What Does Orthodox Mean?
Right glory, right belief — and why the word carries more than one sense.
The word orthodox comes from the Greek orthos, meaning straight or right, and doxa, meaning both glory and opinion. To be Orthodox therefore means both to believe rightly and to glorify God rightly — belief and worship treated as one thing.
Orthodox in religion
As a proper noun, Orthodox names the communion of Churches — Greek, Russian, Serbian, Romanian, Antiochian and the rest — that trace their life unbroken from the Apostles through the seven Ecumenical Councils. Orthodox Christians call their Church the Orthodox Catholic Church, using catholic in its original sense of whole or universal.
Orthodox as an adjective
In ordinary English, orthodox simply means conforming to established or traditional belief, which is why the word also appears in phrases like orthodox medicine or orthodox economics. Orthodox Judaism and the many uses of the word outside Christianity carry the same root sense of adherence to received tradition.
Why the distinction matters
For Orthodox Christians, doxa is best translated glory rather than opinion. Orthodoxy is not primarily a checklist of correct propositions but a way of worshipping — which is why the Church's theology is learned mostly by attending the services and keeping the calendar.
Frequently asked
- What does orthodox mean in religion?
- It means holding right belief and offering right worship. Capitalised, it names the Eastern Orthodox Christian communion; lowercase, it describes adherence to traditional doctrine in any religion.
- What is an Orthodox Christian?
- A baptised and chrismated member of the Orthodox Church who keeps its faith, sacraments, fasts and liturgical calendar.