History of the Orthodox Church

from wall to wall throughout its decorated interior. The Sunu, Deesis, and Theotokos mosaics imbedded on the walls of the Hagia Sophia not only beautifies the interior, but are an essential part of the religious beliefs taught and practiced in the Church. In the year 1849, one of the most important and prominent mosaics was discovered during the repairs and restorations under the Swiss-Italian architects, the Fossati brothers. This work of art, called the Sunu Mosaic, is located in the inner…

exists in many cultures aryl religions. Separately, a Christi•n millenarianism is singled out, it is a tewehing based on a literal interpretation of tie prophecy of Reselation 20: 1-6, determining the millennial KinBIom of Gexl on earth at the end of history. Israel and Milleniarianism Jerusalem will be a capital city of the world aryl the kingdom of God. Moreover, city is tie only one which destiny is Every other city will depend to Jerusalem decisions concerning…

By definition, an empire is: “a major political unit having a territory of great extent or a number of territories or peoples under a single sovereign authority.” Throughout history, there have been hundreds, if not thousands of empires that have risen and fallen over millennia. Some of them stand out more than others. In this paper, three of some of the most powerful empires will be discussed: the Mongol empire, the Byzantine Empire, and the Russian Empire. When one hears the term “Mongol…

Constantine saw a vision that ensured his military victory. This is what the church historian Eusebuis wrote about Constantine’s vision, “He saw with his own eyes the trophy of a cross of light in the heavens, above the sun, and bearing the inscription, CONQUER BY THIS. The sign said “CHI-RHO.” Constantine was in a military battle with Maxentuis. The war is called the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. The battle was fought and won by Constantine. The vision proved to be true. Constantine wasn’t…

This essay will address the question, what is a Creed and why did the Church feel the need to produce them? To begin with the essay will define a Creed, later providing context as to why they were. Furthermore, the essay will explain and explore numerous avenues for the Church initiating the creation of Creeds, issues, Church identity, theology, evangelism, ecclesiology, and politics. A Creed has been described as an expression that elaborates on essential Biblical truths, with an attempt to…

it is with little emphasis. This lack of attention opened the doors to fallacies around the deity, equality, and eternality of the Holy Spirit (Ryrie 1999, 64). The next generation of Church Fathers who significantly influenced the development of the Trinity was Augustine (354-430) and a group of three Eastern Orthodox leaders referred to as the Cappadocian Fathers. They were Basil of Caesarea (c.330-379), Gregory of Nyssa (c.330-c.395), and Gregory of Nazianzen (329-89). These four individuals…

formed during the reign of Justinian and his co-emperor, Theodora. It has been immensely transformed over the past 1500 years from a Christian Church, to a Muslim Mosque, and then to a museum; all while surviving multiple earthquakes and attacks over the years. Since this structure has stood for over 1500 years it is important to look back at its history to see how this monument has come to be and what its future should be. Hagia Sophia is greatly valued to the metropolis of Constantinople,…

Protestant wedding vows depend on the type of Protestant church a couple attends but the focus across the board is same. Both the bride and groom vow to commit to their partner through the good times and the bad, honor to cherish their soon to be spouse and promises to remain in holy matrimony until parted by death. All of which are very beautiful and meaningful. As stated, these vows do vary based on the type of Protestant church (Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist) but basic vows are as follows:…

These practices stood out to me as living and viable techniques to enhance my devotional time and my daily life. I want to establish these practices as routine for the rest of my life because I recognize why the church created these practices in the first place. I am not wary that these practices will make me become a traditionalist and that I will worship the practice more than the God that the practice is for. However, I am confident that the more I do these practices…

Jesus Christ: a celestial, heavenly figure shrouded in our contemporary culture as a peaceful prophet whose sole purpose was divine salvation. This representation of Jesus that has permeated throughout history is entirely wrong in Aslan’s perspective. Aslan portrays Jesus as a politically conscious revolutionary who in fact supported violence to a certain extent. Now when Aslan’s critically detested words entered my mind, like most self-proclaimed critics, I mocked this man for his asininity.…