Oriental Orthodox ChurchBehind its elaborate frescoes and splendid architecture, the Eastern Orthodox Church has played an important role in preserving the Christian tradition throughout history. Since the transfer of the imperial capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Constantinople, Eastern Orthodox Christianity has become a distinct branch of Christianity (Steeves). As Timothy Ware, the author of The Orthodox Church, suggests, major intellectual, cultural, and social developments occurring in another region of the Roman Empire were not entirely consistent with the evolution of Western Christianity (Ware 8 ). These traditions and practices of the Church of Constantinople were adopted by many and still constitute the basic models and ethos of contemporary Orthodoxy. The Eastern Orthodox Church has adopted unique organizational characteristics, beliefs, and traditions, thereby constituting itself as a unique branch of Christianity. While developments in Eastern Christianity occurred independently of Western Christianity, differences in approaches grew to the point of serious alienation between the two (Ware 23-24). As Ware suggests, some of the most striking differences between Eastern and Western Christianity lie in the approach to religious truth, the perception of sin and salvation, and the view of the Holy Spirit. For Orthodox Christians, the truth must be experienced personally (Ware 132). The emphasis is therefore less on the exact definition of religious truth than on the practical and personal experience of the truth in the life of the individual and the Church. This emphasis on personal experience of truth is reflected in the very definition of the word orthodox, which essentially means the correct theological observance of religion (“orthodox”). In Western churches, sin and salvation are viewed primarily in legal terms. God gave humans freedom, and if they abuse it and break God's commandments, they deserve to be punished. God's grace results in forgiveness of transgression and freedom from bondage and punishment. The Eastern Churches see the issue differently. For orthodox theologians, humans were created in the image of God and brought to full participation in divine life. The full communion with God that Adam and Eve enjoyed meant complete freedom and true humanity, for humans are most human when they are completely united with God. The result of sin would then be seen as a blurring of God's image and a barrier. between God and man. Furthermore, salvation is not a process of justification, but of the restoration of man's fellowship with God (Ware 155-161).