Download Church History I - Week 11

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 527-565
 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 10th 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)