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Eastern Orthodox vs. Presbyterian / Reformed

A side-by-side comparison of Eastern Orthodox and Presbyterian / Reformed 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.

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Presbyterian / Reformed

The Reformed tradition follows the teaching of John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli and their heirs, and Presbyterian churches are its best-known family. It stresses the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, and government by elders (presbyters).

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At a glance

Where they differ: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Books of the Bible; The Trinity; How a person is saved; Can a saved person fall away?; Predestination and free will; 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; The Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.

Where they agree: Baptism; Day of worship.

Side by side

Question	Eastern Orthodox	Presbyterian / Reformed
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 alone is the supreme authority. Confessions such as the Westminster Confession are subordinate standards that summarize its teaching.
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 Westminster Confession says the Apocrypha is not inspired and has no authority in the church.
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, as defined at Nicaea and Constantinople and restated in the Reformed confessions.
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.	Justification by grace alone through faith alone, with salvation entirely God’s work from election to glory. Good works are the fruit and evidence of faith.
Can a saved person fall away?Differ	Yes. Because salvation is a lifelong cooperation with God, a person can turn away from it, though repentance is always possible.	No. The “perseverance of the saints” holds that those whom God has truly chosen will be kept in faith to the end, though they may stumble seriously.
Predestination and free willDiffer	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.	God unconditionally chose those he would save before the foundation of the world, which is the classic Calvinist position. Its five points are often summarized by the acronym TULIP.
BaptismAgree	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.	A sign and seal of God’s covenant promise. Infants of believers are baptized, generally by sprinkling or pouring, and baptism is not thought to save automatically.
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.	Christ is truly present, but spiritually, through the Holy Spirit, for those who receive by faith. It is a sign and seal, not a change in the elements.
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 sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
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.	Governed by elders. Each congregation is led by a session of elders, which belongs to a presbytery, then a regional synod and a national General Assembly.
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. The PC(USA) ordains women as pastors and elders, while the PCA and other conservative bodies reserve those offices for men.
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 honored as the mother of Jesus, and saints are remembered as examples. Prayer is directed to God alone.
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 pass at once into Christ’s presence and await the resurrection. The unsaved face eternal punishment.
Style of worshipDiffer	Highly liturgical. The Divine Liturgy is sung, with icons, incense and chanting, often in the traditional language of the country.	Centered on the preaching of the Word. Worship is more sober than in Catholic or Lutheran churches and traditionally uses hymns and psalms, with some congregations now using contemporary music.
The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsVaries	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 gives gifts to the church. Traditionally, many Reformed teachers held that miraculous gifts ended with the apostles (cessationism), while others, including charismatic Presbyterians, disagree.
Day of worshipAgree	Sunday, called “the Lord’s Day,” is the weekly celebration of the resurrection.	Sunday, called the Lord’s Day. Some Reformed churches apply the Sabbath commandment to Sunday strictly.
Best known for	The Divine Liturgy, icons, monasticism (especially on Mount Athos), the doctrine of theosis and continuity with the ancient church.	The sovereignty of God, careful doctrine, government by elders and a long history of education and biblical scholarship.

“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. Presbyterian / Reformed