Church History
The Byzantine Empire & Orthodoxy
The Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire (330-1453) was the political and cultural cradle of Orthodox Christianity. The 'symphony' (symphonia) of Church and State meant the Emperor protected the Church while the Church sanctified the Empire. Constantinople was the 'New Rome,' the center of Christian civilization. Byzantine culture produced the liturgy, theology, art, law, and monasticism that define Orthodoxy.
Sources
- Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church (Ch. 2-4) archive.org
- Procopius, On Buildings (eyewitness account of Byzantine imperial culture)
- Fr. Georges Florovsky, The Byzantine Fathers of the Fifth Century archive.org