 |
Business | Industries | Finance | Tax |
| Index: > A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
|
|||||
| First Prev [ 1 2 ] Next Last |
Episcopalian government is adopted by the majority of churches, and for most of the history of Christianity it has been the only form known to Christendom. There are subtle differences in governmental principles, among episcopalian churches at the present time. To some extent the separation of episcopal churches can be traced to these differences in episcopal theory. The Catholic churches of Rome and Byzantium (Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox in modern terms) are episcopalian, as are the Oriental Orthodox churches.
Rome and Byzantium were, speaking generally, a single episcopalian government, one Church, until the Great Schism in 1054. Also, the non-Chalcedonian churches of the Orient (Nestorian) and Egyptian Coptic Orthodox (Monophysite), are episcopalian; however, differences concerning the person of Christ have caused these not to be in full communion with the Orthodox and the Catholics, ever since the Council of Chalcedon in the fifth century. Likewise, the Coptic Orthodox believe they have true apostolic succession; both the Greek and Coptic Orthodox churches have a bishop in Alexandria, both of whom trace their apostolic succession back to the Apostle Mark (the Coptic bishop claims the title of Pope). There are official ongoing efforts in recent times to heal this ancient breach. Already, the two recognize each other's baptisms, chrismations, and marriages, making intermarriage much easier.
The Roman Catholic Church is episcopalian with a single hierarchy terminating at the top with the Bishop of Rome. The basis of the system is grounded in the assertion that jurisdictional oversight of the Church is not a power that derives from human ambition, but strictly from the authority of Christ which was given to his twelve apostles. From this one authority, all legitimate, governmental representation of the authority of Christ on the earth is committed, by the Holy Spirit, through the laying on of hands, from the Apostles to the bishops, and from bishops to priests, in historical succession. In addition to the New Testament, one of the earliest of the Church fathers to define the importance of episcopalian government is Ignatius of Antioch. The unbroken line of the representation of Christ survived up to a certain historical point in four seats of Apostolic authority: Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome. The Roman Catholic church believes that it exclusively maintains this apostolic succession; the Eastern Orthodox Church makes the same claim. Both agree that apostolic succession means not only historical continuity, but that the church today preserves the same doctrines and practices that were taught by the original twelve apostles, who received them from Jesus Christ.
Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Constantinople, following the conquest of Licinius in 324Events Constantine becomes the sole emperor of the Roman Empire. End of the Tetrarchy as the Roman mode of government. St Peter's Church, Rome, founded. Eustathius becomes bishop of Antioch Births Deaths December 20 Philogonus, Patriarch of Antioch Licini. The seat of the Roman civilized world shifted to Greece and New RomeNew Rome is a term that can be applied to a city or a country. It can be used to express connection with or discontinuity from the "old" Rome, depending upon context. New Rome has been a cultural, historical, and theological concept within much of Western ( ByzantiumByzantium was the original name of the modern city of Istanbul. Byzantium was originally settled by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzantas. The name "Byzantium" is a Latinization of the original Greek name Byzantion .). Along with this shift, the effective administration of the Church also shifted. It was this practical eminence in the East that was acknowledged, first by the Council of Constantinople 381Events First Council of Constantinople second Ecumenical council of the Christian Church: The Nicene creed is affirmed and extended, Apollinarism is declared a heresy. Council of Aquilea: under the guidance of Ambrose, the chief Arianist bishops Palladius, and then ecumenically by the Council of Chalcedon in 451Alternate uses, see Number 451. Events September 20 Attila, king of the Huns, invades Gaul, but is stopped in his tracks at Troyes by Aetius in the Battle of Chalons. Thorismund succeeds Theodorid his father as king of the Visigoths. October 8 Council of, so that the Patriarch (pre-eminent father) of the church under New Rome's domain was for all practical purposes the Bishop of Constantinople. Beginning with John the Faster, the Bishop of Constantinople adopted the title Ecumenical patriarch (pre-eminent father for the whole civilized world), to which the other Patriarchates assented. However, the episcopacy of Rome by virtue of its succession from the Apostles Peter and Paul, although the city was ruined, distant from the seat of secular power, and constantly harassed by invaders, claimed primacy for itself, and the title of "Apostolic See" - the last court of episcopal appeal in very serious matters.
Thus, two ideas of episcopalian succession competed, between Rome and Byzantium. In the East, the Apostolic authority speaking unitedly in episcopal council is primary; and through such a council the Bishop of Byzantium was granted primacy on par with Rome (which placed entire emphasis on episcopal succession from the Apostles). The differences, although subtle, produced a rift between the Bishop of Rome and the rest of Christendom, which continued with some occasional relief throughout much of the history of the Church until it finally ruptured with semi-finality in the Great SchismThe term Great Schism refers to either of two splits in the history of Christianity: Most commonly, it refers to the great East-West Schism the split between the Eastern and Western churches in the eleventh century. In the second schism, the Western Schis (marked by two dates: 16 July, 1054, and the Council of Florence in 1439). The conciliar idea of episcopal government continues in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Today, the Roman Catholic Church sees the Roman Pope as the vicar or sole representative of Christ on Earth. The rest of the hierarchy descends from the Pope on down in a fairly linear fashion. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the sixteen or so autocephalous primates are seen as collectively gathering around Christ, with other archbishops and bishops gathering around them, and so forth, in a model called "conciliar hierarchy". This is based in part on the vision in the book of Revelation of the 24 elders gathered around the throne of Christ, who are believed to represent the 12 patriarchs of Israel and the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ. There is no single patriarch with exclusive authority comparable to the Pope of Rome.
| Politics | Business | Finance |
 |
 |
 |
|