oriental orthodoxy is the faith of those eastern christian churches that recognize only three ecumenical councils – the first council of nicaea, the first council of constantinople and the first council of ephesus. they rejected the dogmatic definitions of the council of chalcedon (c. 451). hence, these oriental orthodox churches are also called old oriental churches, miaphysite churches, or the non-chalcedonian churches. these churches are generally not in communion with any of the multifarious eastern orthodox churches but they are in dialogue for a return to unity.