• The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom (from the 5th century)
is the most widely used form of worship in the Byzantine tradition.
• There are other Eastern liturgies besides those originating within
the empire, all with claims to considerable antiquity.
o The Chaldean (or Assyrian) rite is celebrated in Syriac among
certain Christians of the Middle East.
o The Armenian rite is used among Christians in the country
of Georgia.o The Maronites of Lebanon, Cyprus, Syria, and Israel celebrate
a distinct form of the liturgy in Syriac.• In addition to the Liturgy of John Chrysostom, two other forms of
worship are celebrated within Orthodoxy.
o The Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great (from the 4th
century) is used on the five Sundays of Lent, the saint’s feast
day, and some other occasions.
o The Divine Liturgy of Saint James of Jerusalem is apocryphally
ascribed to the 1st century but probably comes from the 4th and
is also used rarely.• Orthodox worship is kinesthetic and aesthetic in both a dramatically
and theologically powerful manner. Although the basic elements of
the Eucharistic celebration are the same as in the Roman liturgy,
there is no mistaking the distinctively grand style of the Orthodox
version, even in the smallest and poorest church.
o The wearing of rich and ornate vestments, the singing of
chants, the liberal use of incense and candles, the constant
movement of ministers with processions and prostrations—all
provide a wealth of sensory impressions. If Protestant worship
sometimes seems mainly a matter of the head and if Catholic
liturgy seems often a matter of the heart, Orthodox liturgy is
unmistakably a matter of the body.