Eastern Orthodox theology holds that divine revelation is transmitted through both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, which together constitute one indivisible reality. Tradition encompasses the Seven Ecumenical Councils, the consensus of the Holy Fathers, the canons of the Church, the ancient liturgies, the creedal formulae, and the ongoing life of the Holy Spirit in the Body of Christ. The Orthodox understanding of Tradition is dynamic: it is the living memory of the Holy Spirit in the Church.

The Seven Ecumenical Councils (Nicaea I through Nicaea II) are the supreme binding doctrinal authority, their teachings protected by the infallibility promised to the whole Church ('the Church will never err'). Private revelations—however significant to individuals—do not add to the deposit of faith and are not binding on the faithful. The hesychast tradition within Orthodoxy, while deeply experiential and mystical, always grounds its experience in the dogmatic Tradition of the Councils and the Fathers.