Church History
The Eastern Christian tradition has a long history — from the apostolic age, through the conciliar period of the fourth to the eighth century, the Byzantine centuries, the long Ottoman captivity, the Christianization of the Slavic lands, the modern diaspora, and the upheavals of the twentieth century. The articles in this section take important moments one at a time and explain what happened, what was at stake, and how the Church remembers it.
The Seven Ecumenical Councils — An Overview
A short guide to the seven councils that the Orthodox Church recognizes as ecumenical — when they met, what they decided, and why.
The Iconoclast Controversy
The eighth- and ninth-century Byzantine controversy over the veneration of icons — what was at stake, how it was resolved, and why it still matters.
The Baptism of Rus' (988)
The conversion of Kievan Rus' to Orthodox Christianity under Saint Vladimir the Great — the political story, the religious story, and what it has meant since.
Mount Athos — A Short History
The monastic republic on the third peninsula of Chalkidiki — its founding in the tenth century, its golden age, its troubles, and its present life.
The First Council of Nicaea (325)
The first ecumenical council, called by the emperor Constantine to settle the Arian controversy — what was at stake and what was decided.
The Great Schism of 1054
The slow estrangement of Eastern and Western Christianity — the events of July 1054, what really caused them, and how the schism became permanent.