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The term '''''Oriental Orthodox''''' refers to the churches of Eastern Christian traditions that keep the faith of only the first three [[Ecumenical Council]]s of the Orthodox [[Orthodox Church]]—the councils of [[First Ecumenical Council|Nicea I]], [[Second Ecumenical Council|Constantinople I]] and [[Third Ecumenical Council|Ephesus]]. The Oriental Orthodox churches rejected the [[dogma|dogmatic definition]]s of the [[Fourth Ecumenical Council|Council of Chalcedon]].
Thus, despite potentially confusing nomenclature, Oriental Orthodox churches are distinct from the churches that collectively are referred to as ''[[Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodoxy]]''.
The Oriental Orthodox churches came to a [[schism|parting of the ways]] with the remainder of [[Christianity]] in the 5th century. The separation resulted in part from the Oriental Orthodox churches' refusal to accept the [[Christology|Christological]] [[dogma]]s promulgated by the [[Fourth Ecumenical Council|Council of Chalcedon]], which held that [[Jesus Christ]] has two [[physis|nature]]s — one divine and one human, although these were inseparable and only act as one [[hypostasis]]. To the [[hierarch]]s who would lead the Oriental Orthodox, this was tantamount to accepting [[Nestorianism]]. In response, they advocated a formula that stressed unity of the [[Incarnation]] over all other considerations. The Oriental Orthodox churches are therefore often called "[[Monophysite]]" churches, although they reject this label, which is associated with [[Eutychianism|Eutychian Monophysitism]], preferring the term ''non-Chalcedonian'' or ''Miaphysite'' churches. Oriental Orthodox Christians anathematize the Monophysite teachings of [[Eutyches]]. They are sometimes also known as ''anti-Chalcedonians''.