Discover Orthodox Christianity: History & Dogma
Class 1: Faith, martyrdom, and the unchanging truth that shaped the heart of Christ’s Church
The following is a summary of a class presentation at Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton, Florida. The 85 minute video of the class is embedded below. This is the first of a 5 part series on the basics of Orthodox Christianity. For part 2, click here. For part 3, click here. For part 4, click here.
While it would not be inappropriate to start earlier in time, for this discussion we will start at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, filling them with divine grace and the ability to preach the Gospel in many languages. From that moment, Christian ministry as we know it was born, and the Apostles went forth to spread the Good News throughout the world.
The path of the Church was marked by martyrdom from its earliest days. St. Stephen, the first martyr, faced death by stoning while seeing a vision of Christ in heaven. His martyrdom set a pattern that would be followed by countless faithful throughout the centuries. The blood of the martyrs, as Tertullian would later write, truly became the seed of the Church.
For nearly three centuries, Christians faced waves of persecution under various Roman emperors. From Nero to Diocletian, the faithful were thrown to lions, burned as human torches, and suffered countless other torments. Yet they remained steadfast, and their numbers grew. And then in AD 313 the Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, legalizing Christianity. The empire gradually became Christian, and the Church emerged from the catacombs into the light of day.
The age of the Ecumenical Councils followed, as the Church defended the true faith against various heresies. The First Council (Nicaea, 325) proclaimed Christ's divinity against Arianism. The Second (Constantinople, 381) affirmed the Holy Spirit's divinity. The Third (Ephesus, 431) declared Mary as Theotokos. The Fourth (Chalcedon, 451) defined Christ's two natures. The Fifth (Constantinople, 553) clarified Christological teachings. The Sixth (Constantinople, 680-681) condemned Monothelitism. The Seventh (Nicaea, 787) defended holy icons against iconoclasm.
This Seventh Council was particularly crucial, as it defeated what we call the "heresy of heresies"—iconoclasm. The Church stood firm in its understanding that icons are excellent teaching tools and aids in prayer, and that honoring them is honoring Christ himself. As Saint John of Damascus has said: “The Word made flesh has deified flesh… likewise God has deified matter, making it spirit-bearing. If flesh has become a vehicle of the Spirit, then so—though in a different way—can wood and paint.” Through all these challenges, the Church remained unchanged in its essential faith and teaching.
Sadly, differences between East and West grew over centuries, culminating in the Great Schism. While 1054 is often cited as the date of separation, the true breaking point came with the Fourth Crusade's sack of Constantinople in 1204, when Western crusaders brutally attacked their fellow Christians. The schism was the result of both the addition of the filioque to the Nicene Creed and the rise of Roman Papal supremacy.
The Church faced new challenges with the rise of Islam, and suffered for many centuries. The centuries of Islamic rule over much of the Orthodox world culminated in the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. Yet even darker times lay ahead. In the 20th century, Orthodox Christians endured unprecedented persecution under Nazis, Fascists, and especially Communists. The Russian Church alone saw thousands of martyrs under Soviet rule, including the Royal Martyrs and countless priests, monks, and faithful.
Yet even as the Church suffered in the Old World, it took root in the New. The Russian mission to Alaska in 1794 brought Orthodoxy to North America, with St. Herman leading the way. Earlier, Russian Orthodox immigrants had come to Alaska in 1741, and Greek immigrants had established themselves in Florida in the 1760s. In the 20th century, influential hierarchs like Archbishop Athenagoras and Archbishop Iakovos provided inspiring leadership for the growing Orthodox presence in America.
Today, we stand as inheritors of this precious faith, passed down through generations of martyrs, confessors, and faithful Christians. The Orthodox Church remains unchanged in its essential teachings since Apostolic times, maintaining the fullness of Christian truth. Like those who came before us, we are called to preserve this pearl of great price for future generations.
Our responsibility is great, but so is our joy. We follow in the footsteps of countless saints who maintained the faith despite persecution, hardship, and death itself. As our journey forward in the modern world as Orthodox Christians, we remember that we do not walk alone, but in communion with all those who have gone before us in the faith.
Let us honor their memory by preserving and living this holy tradition, passing it on undiminished to those who will come after us. For in Orthodoxy, we find not just the truth about God, but the path to eternal life in him.
Very interesting. Thank you. Raised evangelical, in a couple weeks I start an Orthodox catechism class.