Part 2: In Catholic school, we learned that the councils were called by church leaders due to a fundamental question that needed to be answered, but it was solved peacefully and the church reinstated its authority…
But as we‘ve learned in A Short History of Byzantium, church councils were highly political, and the outcome often depended on how many people from each side attended the council.
Part 1: Let‘s talk about ecumenical councils, particularly what their purpose was, what Catholic school said they were, and what they actually were. Whenever there was a conflict in the church, someone in a position of power, many times the emperor, would decree an ecumenical council. The council was a meeting of bishops to discuss the question presented, and the Holy Spirit was supposed to come down and guide the council to the right answer…
We‘re going to pull a little bit from the last book we read because I see parallels: What parallels do you see between the hippodrome mob rebellion and the January 6 insurrection we read about in The Divider? I see parallels, but I want to know what you all think. #thedivider #ashorthistoryofbyzantium #johnjuliusnorwich #peterbaker #susanglasser #donaldtrump #joebiden #justinian #theodora #byzantium #byzantineempire #insurrection #rebellion
New word alert- Homooussios is used to describe Jesus and God as one. Constantine the Great inserted this word into Christian doctrine at the Council of Nicaea to counter Aries of Alexandria who told followers Jesus is not God. #ashorthistoryofbyzantium #johnjuliusnorwich #councilofnicaea #constantinethegreat #byzantineempire #homoousios #arianism #christianity #churchhistory #worldhistory #europeanhistory #history
I keep thinking about how Constantine created laws and legislation that was influenced by Christianity, but never mentioned it or Christ. It reminds me of my reversion to Islam and how I started doing things that were more in line with Islam before I started thinking about reverting. Constantine‘s decision was most likely political, but it makes me wonder if he was starting to adopt a Christian lifestyle before thinking about converting.
pickInformative and well-written. Kaldellis provides a good overview of Byzantine history from the mid-10th century to late 11th century. Topics covered include the reign of Basil II, the Battle of Manzikert, and the lead-up to the 1st Crusade, among others. While mainly focusing on military and political aspects of Byzantium, religion, society and the economy are also touched on.
Definitely worth reading if you're interested in Byzantine history.
Interesting information about becoming emperor.
#Rome #Byzantine
pickI found this book to be informative and interesting. Kaldellis examines the dynamics of political power in the Byzantine Empire through this book, as well as the idea of "popular consent" and how it affected the use of political power. While a little dry in parts, the book is very informative in its subject matter.
#Byzantine
Formation of the Varangian Guard.
#Byzantine
