Content:

Introduction.

Part I. Ancient Times (A.D. 33-700).

1. The First Preachers of the Gospel.

The Christian Community in Jerusalem. Stephen, the First Martyr. The Conversion of Saul. The Journeys of the Apostle Paul. The Arrest and Martyrdom of Paul. The Apostle Peter. The Other Apostles. The Apostle John.

2. The Conflict Between Christianity and Paganism.

Progress With Impediments. Persecution Under Nero and Domitian. Persecution Under Trajan. The Persecution Under Hadrian. The Persecution Under Marcus Aurelius. The Persecutions Under Septimus Severus and Maximin. The Decian Persecution. The Persecution Under Valerian. The Persecution Under Diocletian.

3. The Triumph of Christianity over Paganism.

Constantine the Great. The Vision of the Cross. Constantine as the Champion of Christianity. The Sons of Constantine the Great. Julian the Apostate. The Successors of Julian Abolish Paganism. Christianity in Armenia and Iberia. Christianity in Persia, Arabia, India and Abyssinia. Christianity and the New Peoples of the West.

4. The Perils of Heresy.

The Attitude of the Church Towards Heretics. Judaic Heretics: Ebionites, Nazarenes and Elkesaites. Judaic Heretics: Cerinthians. Gnostics. Manichaeans. Antitrinitarians.

5. The First Six Ecumenical Synods.

Arianism. The First Ecumenical Synod. The Second Ecumenical Synod. The Third Ecumenical Synod. The Fourth Ecumenical Synod. The Fifth Ecumenical Synod. The Sixth Ecumenical Synod. Pelagianism and Augustinianism.

6. The Most Eminent Fathers.

The Apostolic Fathers. Apologists. Representatives of the Schools of Asia Minor and Africa. Representatives of the Alexandrian School. Origen. Athanasius. The Three Cappadocians. A Representative of the School of Antioch: Chrysostom. Other Fathers.

7. Christian Life and Worship

The Moral Reformation Brought About by the Gospel. The Tares Among the Wheat. The Church's Treatment of Sinners. The First Hermit. The Spread of the Monastic Life. Places of Public Worship. The Most Important Feast-Days.

Part II. Mediaeval Times. (A.D. 700-1453).

8. The Spread of Christianity Among the Slavs.

Serbs, Croats, Dalmatians, and the Slavs in Greece. The Moravians. The Bulgarians. The Conversion of the Bulgarians. The Russians. The Conversion of the Russians. The Baptism of Vladimir and his People. Vicissitudes of the Russian Church.

9. Iconoclastic and other Disputes.

Leo the Isaurian and His Program of Reform. The War Against Images. The Seventh Ecumenical Synod. Orthodoxy Sunday. The Paulician Heretics. The Bogomil Heretics.

10. The Beginning of the Great Schism.

Church Government. Church Government During the First Three Centuries. Church Government After Constantine the Great. The Five Patriarchates. The Ambition of the Popes of Rome. The Pretension of Pope Nicholas to Become Arbiter of the East. Photius as the Defender of the Independence of his Throne. The So-Called Eighth Ecumenical Synod and its Denunciation.

11. The Completion of the Great Schism.

Michael Cerularius and Leo IX. The Crusades. Emperors Driven by Necessity to Favor Reunion. John VII Palaeologus at Ferrara. The False Union of Florence. The Consequences of the False Union.

12. The Enslavement of the Eastern Church by Mohammedanism.

The Founder of Mohammedanism. The Hegira. The Dogmatic and Ethical System of Mohammedanism. Islam as a Conquering Power. The Subjection of the Patriarchates of Jerusalem, Antioch and Alexandria. The Siege of Constantinople by Mohammed II. The Last Hours of Constantinople. The Significance of the Fall of Constantinople.

13. Mediaeval Letters.

Characteristics of Mediaeval Theology. Theology During the Iconoclastic Quarrels. Theology Under the Macedonian Emperors: Photius. Theology Under the Macedonian Emperors after Photius. Theology Under the Comnenian Dynasty. Theology Under the Palaeologue Dynasty.

14. Christian Life and Worship.

The Condition of Morals. The Reverse of the Medal. The Progress of Monasticism. The Degeneration of Monastic Life. Churches and Icons. Ceremonies and Sacraments. Sacred Hymnology.

Part III. (A.D. 1453-1930). Modern Times.

15. The Night of Oppression and the Dawn of Liberty.

The Conqueror's Promises to Scholarius. The Conqueror's Violation of his Promises. A pious question asked by Selim I. Peskesi, Haratsi, Child-Kidnapping and Forced Conversion to Islam. Dawning Improvement in the Conditions of the Subject Race. The Greek Revolution. Haiti Serif and Hatti Houmayioun.

16. The Four Most Ancient Patriarchates and Cyprus.

The Patriarchate of Constantinople. The System of Government. The Area of Jurisdiction. The Struggle of the Patriarchate for the Retention of its Privileges. The Patriarchate of Alexandria. The Patriarchate of Antioch. The Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The Church of Cyprus.

17. Russia. Greece, Serbia, Roania, Bulgaria and Syria.

Other Orthodox Churches. The Church of Russia in Modern Times. The Church of Greece in Modern Times. Church of Serbia in Modern Times. The Church of Rumania in Modern Times. The Church of Bulgaria in Modern Times. The Church of Syria.

18. Orthodoxy in America.

Albanian Church. Bulgarian Church. Greek Church. Rumanian Church. Russian Church. Serbian Church. Syrian Church. Ukrainian Church.

19. The Relations of Orthodoxy with Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.

Pape Attacks on the Eastern Church. Papism in Constantinople: Cyril Lucar. Papism in Palestine and Syria. Papism in Russia and in Less Distant Countries. The Papal Unia in Greece Today. The First Protestant Letter. The Theologians of Tubingen, the Protestants of Poland, and the Confession of Cyril Lucas. Protestant Missionaries. Anglicans and Orthodox.

20. Theological Literature.

Theological Literature after the Fall of Constantinople. Scholars of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries. Scholars of the Seventeenth Century. Scholars of the Eighteenth Century. The Nineteenth Century. Scholars of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries.

21. Christian Life and Worship.

The Sins of the Enslaved Christians. The Virtues of the Enslaved Christians. Orthodox Missionaries and Martyrs in Modern Times. The Holy Mountain. Other Monastic Centers. Ecclesiastical Art. The Word of God. Pressing Problems to be Solved in the Near Future.

Introduction.

This book forms one of the series which was started by the Holy Metropolis of Thyateira with the publication of the Greek Orthodox Catechism. This brief sketch of Orthodox Church History is intended, as that work was, mainly for Orthodox Christians, who, being born in countries where their mother tongue is not spoken, of necessity have learned, and do more easily understand, the language of the country of their adoption. This book is not intended for use exclusively by children learning their catechism. It is hoped it will be of interest to Orthodox Christians, who desire to have a brief, but reliable, account of the evolution of the Orthodox Church throughout the centuries of the Christian Era. Furthermore, although now there exist some works in English dealing in a general way with the Orthodox Church, we think this is the first time that a short history of the Orthodox Church, the work of an Orthodox Scholar, has come into the hands of English readers. It is a work that touches upon all the periods of its history, and, above all, the latest period, which, for the most part, has not been studied by the non-Orthodox. The close relations, which, of late especially, have developed between the two Churches, the Orthodox and the Anglican, and the recent contact established between them at the Lambeth Conference, render the contents of a book dealing with the fortunes of the Orthodox Church interesting and timely.

   The compiling of this work was entrusted by the Holy Metropolis of Thyateira to the Vicar of the Greek Church in Manchester, the Rev. Constantine Callinicos, the author of many notable religious and theological writings. On the recent publication of an important Commentary on the “Psalms,” he received a signal honor at the hands of the Ecumenical Patriarchate which bestowed on him the title, of rare distinction in the Orthodox Church, “Great Oeconomos of the Great Church.” The Rev. Callinicos has fulfilled the task entrusted to him with great skill. Not only has he refrained from dwelling upon questions which, while included in the life and history of the Church, have no immediate relation to its essential nature; he has also refused merely to collate material which is easily obtainable in the historical writings of other Churches. His deep-rooted love for, and devotion to, the Orthodox Church, his insistence on historical truth and accuracy, and, finally, the polished style of writing are characteristic of the author's present work, as of all his works.

   The translation into English has been zealously carried out by Miss Natzio. The fact that this lady was born and bred in England, and had a successful career at an English University (B. A. and B. Utt. Oxford), has, in itself, a guarantee of the translating accuracy and perfection.

To both the author and the translator, therefore, we express our warmest thanks and give our blessing.

   It is our earnest hope that this book, in fulfilling the purpose with which it was written, may help to make the Orthodox Church more widely known; — a Church which, in the past, watered the tree of Christianity when first it was planted on this earth, with the blood of its martyrs, and even today has martyrs to show in its struggle against the powers which plot against its very existence.

 +The Metropolitan of Thyateira, GERMANOS

London, Palm Sunday, 1931.

Part I.

Ancient Times (A.D. 33-700).