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Eastern Orthodox vs. Anabaptist / Mennonite

A side-by-side comparison of Eastern Orthodox and Anabaptist / Mennonite teaching on 16 questions, from Scripture and salvation to baptism, communion and church government.

Eastern Orthodox

The Eastern Orthodox Church is a communion of self-governing churches, such as the Greek, Russian and Antiochian churches, that share one faith and worship. It separated from Rome in the Great Schism of 1054 and treats the early councils and the Church Fathers as its standard.

More about Eastern Orthodox Christianity

Anabaptist / Mennonite

The Anabaptists began in Zurich in 1525 and spread to Germany and the Netherlands as the “radical” wing of the Reformation. Mennonites, the Amish and the Hutterites descend from them. They stress adult baptism, following the Sermon on the Mount, and separation of church and state.

At a glance

Where they differ: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Books of the Bible; The Trinity; How a person is saved; Baptism; Communion (the Lord’s Supper); Sacraments or ordinances; Church government; Mary and the saints; Death, purgatory and hell; Style of worship.

Varies within one or both: Clergy and women in ministry.

Where they agree: Can a saved person fall away?; Predestination and free will; The Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts; Day of worship.

Side by side

Question	Eastern Orthodox	Anabaptist / Mennonite
Authority: Scripture and traditionDiffer	Scripture is read within the Church’s Holy Tradition, which includes the ecumenical councils and the Church Fathers. There is no single teaching office like the papacy.	Scripture is the authority, read together by the congregation with special weight on the teaching of Jesus in the Gospels, especially the Sermon on the Mount.
Books of the BibleDiffer	Uses the Greek Septuagint Old Testament, which includes the Catholic deuterocanonical books and a few more, such as 1 Esdras and Psalm 151. Exact lists differ between Orthodox churches.	66 books.
The TrinityDiffer	One God in three persons. The Spirit proceeds from the Father alone, and the Orthodox have rejected the Western addition of the filioque, which is one of the central points of division with Rome.	One God in three persons. Early Anabaptists were not uniform, but the Mennonite confessions are Trinitarian.
How a person is savedDiffer	Salvation is healing and union with God, called theosis or deification. It begins in baptism and is a lifelong process in which the person freely cooperates with God’s grace.	Saved by grace through faith. Faith is expected to show itself in obedience and discipleship, and baptism marks a conscious commitment to follow Christ.
Can a saved person fall away?Agree	Yes. Because salvation is a lifelong cooperation with God, a person can turn away from it, though repentance is always possible.	Generally yes. Mennonite teaching holds that faith must be lived out and that a person can turn away, though God is patient with those who return.
Predestination and free willAgree	Stresses free will and synergy, the cooperation of God and man. Predestination is understood as God’s foreknowledge, not a decree that cancels human choice.	Emphasizes free will and a personal decision to follow Christ. Anabaptists rejected Calvinist predestination from the start.
BaptismDiffer	A sacrament of new birth, given to infants and adults by triple immersion. The newly baptized are immediately anointed (chrismation) and receive communion, even as infants.	Baptism is given only to those who make a mature confession of faith. The mode varies (pouring or immersion), and infant baptism is rejected. The name “Anabaptist” means “rebaptizer.”
Communion (the Lord’s Supper)Differ	The bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. Orthodoxy holds this as a mystery and does not define how it happens.	A memorial meal and a sign of the unity of the congregation. Some groups pair it with foot washing.
Sacraments or ordinancesDiffer	Seven principal “mysteries,” the same as the Catholic list, though Orthodox teachers stress that the whole life of the church is sacramental and do not fix the number rigidly.	Two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Many groups also practice foot washing.
Church governmentDiffer	Governed by bishops, with each national church led by a patriarch or archbishop. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople holds a primacy of honor and some limited canonical prerogatives, but no governing authority over the other churches.	Local congregations decide matters together and select their own ministers. Some groups have regional conferences and bishops with a limited role.
Clergy and women in ministryVaries	Priests, deacons and bishops are men. Priests may marry before ordination, and bishops are drawn from the celibate ranks.	Varies. Conservative groups reserve ministry for men, and more progressive Mennonite conferences ordain women.
Mary and the saintsDiffer	Mary is honored above all as the Theotokos (“God-bearer”), and the saints are asked for their prayers. Icons are venerated. Orthodoxy holds Mary’s perpetual virginity and her Dormition (falling asleep) but does not use the Catholic definition of the Immaculate Conception.	Mary is respected as Jesus’ mother, and the church emphasizes following Christ. There is no prayer to saints.
Death, purgatory and hellDiffer	Orthodoxy has no doctrine of purgatory, but it prays for the dead and believes souls await the final judgment in a foretaste of their eventual state. One influential modern Orthodox view is that hell is the experience of God’s love by those who reject it, but this is not a settled teaching.	Purgatory is rejected. Believers rest in Christ awaiting the resurrection, and the final judgment decides eternal destiny.
Style of worshipDiffer	Highly liturgical. The Divine Liturgy is sung, with icons, incense and chanting, often in the traditional language of the country.	Simple worship centered on singing, Scripture and preaching. Many groups sing without instruments.
The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsAgree	The Spirit is active in the sacraments and in the lives of saints and elders. Spiritual gifts are recognized, though tongues are not emphasized.	The Spirit is understood to guide the congregation in discernment and daily life. Miraculous gifts are not emphasized.
Day of worshipAgree	Sunday, called “the Lord’s Day,” is the weekly celebration of the resurrection.	Sunday.
Best known for	The Divine Liturgy, icons, monasticism (especially on Mount Athos), the doctrine of theosis and continuity with the ancient church.	Peace witness and refusal of violence, adult baptism, simple living, mutual aid and service through relief organizations.

“Agree” means the two traditions take the same broad position, although the wording above may still note finer differences. “Varies” means at least one of the two is itself divided on the question, so no single position can be given. These summaries describe typical teaching, and individual churches may vary. For an authoritative statement, consult each denomination’s own confessions.

Eastern Orthodox vs. Anabaptist / Mennonite