History of the Church I: Week 11

The Eastern Orthodox Church  Their view of salvation is based on the Greek traditions which are traced back to Paul’s day  Icon worship is the key to their beliefs  Icons are like a window between heaven and earth  We are made in God’s image so the icons represent that image  When man sins, he distorts the image of God. Thus Christ came to restore the full image of God  The church is a mystical image of God renewed by the Holy Spirit

The Eastern Orthodox Church Icons:

The Eastern Orthodox Church  The conversion of Constantine had a profound impact on the eastern church  The church believed the state became the “bearer” of religion and reflected the will of God in the world  Constantine felt personally responsible for the divisions of the church which is why he called the councils to help solve them  These councils became the official doctrines of the church

Justinian  Ruled  He encouraged art and architecture  He made the Hagia Sophia  He developed the Justinian Law Code  Theodora gave women legal rights

Byzantine Art

Hagia Sophia

The Decline of Constantinople  Tensions increased between east and west  In 1054, Pope Leo IX excommunicated the Greek church  Also in the 10 th century, Vladimir, grand prince of Kiev and Russia, converted to Greek Orthodox  When Islamic Turks took Constantinople in 1453, the Greek Church found a new home in Moscow  Russian leaders referred to themselves as Tzar (Caesar)