Documents
The Syro-Chaldean Church of North America proclaims the Faith of the Apostolic Church as recorded in the Holy Bible. Its primary document is the Holy Bible. This faith is further expressed in a number of documents of which the most important is the Nicene Creed.
In the early centuries of the Church, the bishops gathered in councils to define both canons (Church rules) and doctrine. Of the many councils held through the centuries, some are considered to have been "ecumenical" or world-wide because there were bishops present from throughout the world and the world-wide church subsequently received the teachings of the council. These are also called the Great Councils. The Orthodox and Protestant churches generally accept that there were seven Ecumenical Councils while the Roman Catholic church accepts these seven and others since. The Church of the East accepted only the first two Great Councils as truly ecumenical. These were the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325 and the Council of Constantinople in A.D. 381. It was at these two councils that the Nicene Creed was developed.
While we have not officially adopted the doctrinal formulations promulgated by the Great Councils that followed, we agree generally with the theology and Christology of subsequent councils, in particular the Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451) to which Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Protestants hold.
In addition to the teachings of the early fathers of the Church, we have, in recent years, formulated a number of documents which present the teaching of the Church on a number of matters. These documents include the following:
The Nicene Creed
Liturgy of the Eucharist (Annotated)
Book of Holy Service (with other pastoral rites)
Apostolic Line (Annotated)
The Biblical and Ecclesial Teachings of the Syro-Chaldean Church of North America
On the Sacred Priesthood
On Sex and Sexual Activity
On Marraige, Divorce, and Remarriage