Eastern Orthodoxy

=== Virgin Mary and other saints ===

[[File:Tinos panagia evangelistria 200707 04.jpg|thumb|[[Our Lady of Tinos]] is the major [[Marian shrine]] in Greece]]
[[File:Vladimirskaya.jpg|thumb|The [[Theotokos of Vladimir]], one of the most venerated of Orthodox Christian icons of the [[Blessed Virgin Mary|Virgin Mary]]]]

Pre-eminent among the saints is the [[Blessed Virgin Mary|Virgin Mary]] (commonly referred to as ''Theotokos'' or ''Bogoroditsa'': "[[Mother of God]]"). In [[Eastern Orthodox theology]], the Mother of God is the fulfillment of the Old Testament archetypes revealed in the [[Ark of the Covenant]] (because she carried the New Covenant in the person of Christ) and the [[burning bush]] that appeared before [[Moses]] (symbolising the Mother of God's carrying of God without being consumed).<ref>{{cite book|last=Meyendorff|first=Gregory of Nyssa; transl., introduction and notes by Abraham J. Malherbe and Everett Ferguson; preface by John|title=The life of Moses|year=1978|publisher=Paulist Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8091-2112-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/gregoryofnyssa00abra/page/59 59]|url=https://archive.org/details/gregoryofnyssa00abra/page/59|access-date=4 October 2013}}</ref>

The Eastern Orthodox believe that Christ, from the moment of his conception, was both fully God and fully human. Mary is thus called the ''Theotokos'' or ''Bogoroditsa'' as an affirmation of the divinity of the one to whom she gave birth. It is also believed that her virginity was not compromised in conceiving God-incarnate, that she was not harmed and that she remained forever a virgin. Scriptural references to "brothers" of Christ are interpreted as kin. Due to her unique place in salvation history according to Eastern Orthodox teaching, Mary is honoured above all other saints in this religion and especially venerated for the great work that God accomplished through her.{{sfn|Ware|1993|pp=257–258}}

The Eastern Orthodox Church regards the bodies of all saints as holy because of their participation in prescribed rituals called [[Eastern Orthodox Church#Holy_mysteries_(sacraments)|holy mysteries]]. Physical items connected with saints are also regarded as holy, through their participation in the earthly works of those saints. According to Eastern Orthodox church teaching and tradition, God himself bears witness to this holiness of saints' [[relic|relics]] through the many miracles connected with them that have been reported throughout history since biblical times, often including healing from disease and injury.{{sfn|Ware|1993|p=234}}