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A survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, “Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa,” helps highlight a number of aspects Ethiopian culture.

Icons, drawn in a distinctive Ethiopian style, are central to the visual culture of Ethiopian Orthodoxy. These depict a number of saints, both Ethiopian and from other Orthodox traditions, along with biblical scenes. Madonna and Child images often feature prominently. In the 20th century, Ethiopian Orthodox Church architecture and religious images were borrowed more explicitly from Europe. The style of representation in Ethiopian Orthodox iconography makes it easy to distinguish good from evil characters. With few exceptions, evil characters are often shown in a profile with only one eye

Catholicism is a tiny minority faith shaped by the practice and standing of Ethiopian Orthodoxy in the national story. In the dominant historical narrative, Ethiopia is a Christian country whose roots are intertwined with the ancient Israelites and the Hebrew bible.

The most popular saints (after Mary) are actually angels – Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael. Ethiopians emphasize their central role as messengers between God and man and often describe them as strong protectors.

Most Ethiopians interviewed in Addis Ababa seem to find charismatic religion to be a bit of a puzzle, given the much more restrained, quiet, and slow pace of worship in the Ge’ez rite in particular, and also in the Latin rite.

Food and abstention from food play a very important role in Ethiopian Catholic life and practice. The norms for Catholic practice here are more lenient than Ethiopian Orthodox practice, but far stricter than in the Latin Catholic world.

Ethiopian Catholics regularly differentiate themselves from the dominant Orthodox religion by stressing the degree to which they learn catechism. But compared to many other countries, Catholicism here also places special stress on the way that the liturgy communicates the faith.

Catholicism in Denmark is a tiny minority religion, an immigrant religion in a country that is among the most secularized countries in the world. In one large cross-cultural study, only 9% of Danes describe religion as being very important in their lives.