A brief overview of the historical, dogmatic and liturgical features of the Ehiopian Church

The article provides a brief overview of the history, dogma, liturgical and other traditional features of the Ethiopian Church. Christianity was brought to Ethiopia by the Apostle Philip. The Acts of the Apostles (8:26-30) describes an episode when he baptized the royal eunuch. The Ethiopian Church has preserved the unique features of early Christianity due to its geographical location and historical conditions. In this country, Christianity became the official religion earlier than in many other states. The Tewahedo Church (literally, “One Whole” - the union of Divine and human nature in Christ) is unique in that its name reflects theological views. This is the only example when theological concepts found direct expression in the name of a Christian community. The Ethiopian Church had a long and difficult path to autocephaly. The Coptic Church granted it independence, but for centuries the Ethiopians were forbidden to have their own hierarchy. Despite the differences in traditions and the distance from Alexandria, this did not stop their desire for independence. The relationship between the Russian and Ethiopian Churches has a long history, which is also partially considered in this article. Particular attention is paid to the idea of the Ethiopian Church joining Orthodoxy at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. This topic was reflected in the works of Russian theologians: Archimandrite Porfiry (Uspensky), Professor V. V. Bolotov, Academician B. A. Turaev and I. Yu. Krachkovsky. In the 20th century, the Ethiopian Church had to endure a difficult period of persecution by the state authorities and overcome internal problems and contradictions associated with historical and political circumstances, which also brings its history closer to the history of the Russian Orthodox Church. The leading methods of this work are cultural and comparative historical research, the results of which can be used for a deeper understanding of the role of the Ethiopian Church in world Christianity, as well as for developing strategies to support Christian communities in the face of persecution.