Orthodoxy is a position of religious conservatism on belief. The general meaning is adherence to traditionally accepted belief or opinion. It is derived from the Greek words orthos meaning "right," "true," or "correct," and doxa meaning "opinion."
The term is in contrast to heresy, which is profession of a belief or doctrine which is contrary to what is traditionally accepted. Within religious groups, a split between orthodoxy and heterodoxy (or the establishment of heretical doctrines) is called a schism.
Orthodox Christianity
Orthodoxy when applied to Christianity oftentimes refers to a branch of Christianity related to the Roman Catholic Church. In the east, churches and priests which held to the traditional order formed into a congregation known as the Eastern Orthodox Church, which did not acknowledge the Pope as the head of Christianity. It is believed by orthodox chrisians that this form of Christianity is the original form all the way back to the death of Jesus Christ when the Apostles started to preach.
