When was eastern orthodox founded

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Share Flipboard Email. Mary Fairchild. Christianity Expert. Mary Fairchild is a full-time Christian minister, writer, and editor of two Christian anthologies, including "Stories of Cavalry.

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Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. Copyright , Patheos. The great ecclesiastical cities of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem, which had come under the political control of Islam centuries earlier, were now joined by Constantinople. Throughout the Ottoman Empire, Christians came to be treated as second-class citizens who paid heavy taxes and wore distinctive dress.

Thousands of Christians suffered martyrdom. Patriarchs were deposed and murdered. Churches, monasteries, and schools were closed and destroyed.

Only with the liberation of Greece in , did some of the brutality come to an end. However, there were a series of vicious massacres at the beginning of this century.

And, even today, Christians are denied their basic human rights in parts of Asia Minor. After the decline of Byzantium, the Church in Russia thrived for nearly years. However, with the Bolshevik revolution of , Orthodoxy found itself confronted with the beliefs and political policies of militant atheists. Most churches were closed; and a policy was inaugurated to eliminate Christianity from Russia, a land which was steeped in Orthodoxy since the tenth century. In the years between the two World Wars, Orthodox Christians in Russia suffered much cruel and devastating persecution.

Only since have there been modifications in government policy which have permitted the Church some degree of existence. Today, in many of the lands which were once the pride and glory of Eastern Christendom, the Orthodox Church struggles amid great obstacles and persecution. It has been observed that in recent centuries there have been more martyrs than during the great persecutions of the early Church.

Yet, despite injustices and indignities, the Faith survives. Throughout the past two hundred years the Orthodox Church in the Western Hemisphere has been developing as a valuable presence and distinctive witness. For example, in the United States, Orthodoxy has been recognized as one of the four major faiths. She has more than five million members, who are grouped into more than a dozen ecclesiastical jurisdictions.

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, which is the largest, has about parishes and operates church schools, parochial schools, an orphanage, a college, and a graduate theological school. Many believe that Orthodoxy in America has the potential for true renewal, creative development, and missionary activity which can contribute greatly to American life.

From the beginning of this century, the Orthodox Church has been committed to the Ecumenical Movement. This quest for Christian unity is the boldest attack on division since the early centuries of the Church. The Patriarchate of Constantinople not only inspired the movement for unity with an encyclical in , but also was one of the co-founders of the World Council of Churches in The cause of Christian unity was a special concern of the late and beloved Patriarch Athenagoras.

He labored greatly to promote a renewed sense of collegiality among the various Orthodox Churches, as well as to inaugurate a true dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church.

In the year , the Patriarch looked toward the future and declared: May the Lord of mercy send as soon as possible to our holy Eastern and Western Churches the grace of celebrating the Divine Eucharist anew and of communicating again together The common chalice stands out luminously on the horizon of the Church.

Treasures Of Orthodoxy is a series of pamphlets written for the non-Orthodox, especially those who are considering becoming members of the Orthodox Church and who wish to deepen their appreciation of her faith, worship, and traditions. The pamphlets are authored by Fr. The pamphlet titles are as follows:. Thomas Fitzgerald. The Time of Persecution The earliest Church, which is described in the Epistles and the Acts of the Apostles, did not confine itself to the land of Judea.