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'{{short description|Christian traditions originating from Greek- and Syriac-speaking populations}} {{Eastern Christianity}} {{Christianity|state=collapsed}} '''Eastern Christianity''' comprises [[Christianity|Christian]] traditions and [[Christian denomination|church families]] that originally developed during [[Classical antiquity|classical]] and [[late antiquity]] in the [[Middle East]], [[Egypt]], [[Northeast Africa]], [[Eastern Europe]], [[Asia Minor]], the [[Malabar coast]] of [[South India|southern India]], and parts of the [[Far East]].<ref> Historically, [[Christianity in the Persian Empire]] and in [[Nestorianism | Central Asia]] also had great importance, especially in proselytising in East and South Asia. </ref> The term does not describe a single [[Communion (Christian) |communion]] or [[religious denomination]]. Major Eastern Christian bodies include the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], the [[Oriental Orthodox Churches]], the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] (which have re-established communion with [[Holy See|Rome]] but still maintain [[Christian liturgy|Eastern liturgies]]), [[Protestant Eastern Christianity|Protestant Eastern Christian churches]]<ref name="HämmerliMayer2016" /> who are Protestant in theology but Eastern Christian in cultural practice, and the denominations descended from the historic [[Church of the East]]. The various Eastern churches do not normally refer to themselves as "Eastern", with the exception of the [[Assyrian Church of the East]] and the [[Ancient Church of the East]]. Historically the term '''Eastern Church''' was used in contrast with the (''Western'') [[Latin Church]], centered on [[Holy See|Rome]], which uses the [[Latin liturgical rites]]. The terms "Eastern" and "Western" in this regard originated with geographical divisions in Christianity mirroring the cultural divide between the [[Greek East and Latin West|Hellenistic East and the Latin West]], and the political divide of 395 AD between the [[Western Roman Empire|Western]] and [[Byzantine Empire|Eastern Roman empires]]. Since the [[Protestant Reformation]] of the 16th century, the term "Eastern Christianity" may be used in contrast with "[[Western Christianity]]", which contains not only the Latin Church but also [[Protestantism]] and [[Independent Catholicism]].<ref name="CSSR1976">{{cite book|title= Bulletin for the Study of Religion, Volumes 9-12|year= 1978|publisher= Council on the Study of Religion|language= en|page= 29|quote= Since Eastern Christianity is difficult to define, or even to describe, the subject parameters of the proposed works will be somewhat open-ended.}}</ref> Some Eastern churches have more in common historically and theologically with Western Christianity than with one another. Because the largest church in the East is the body currently known as the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], the term "Orthodox" is often used in a similar fashion to "Eastern", to refer to specific historical Christian communions. However, strictly speaking, most Christian denominations, whether Eastern or Western, regard themselves as [[Orthodoxy|"orthodox"]] (meaning: "following correct beliefs") as well as [[Catholic (term)|"catholic"]] (meaning: "universal"), and as sharing in the [[Four Marks of the Church]] listed in the [[Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed]] (325 AD): "One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic" ({{lang-gr|μία, ἁγία, καθολικὴ καὶ ἀποστολικὴ ἐκκλησία}}).{{NoteTag|This ecumenical creed is today recited in the [[liturgy]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church]] (both [[Latin Church|Latin]] and [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Rites]]), the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], the [[Oriental Orthodox Churches]], the [[Assyrian Church of the East|Church of the East]], the [[Moravian Church]], the [[Lutheran Church]]es, the [[Methodist Church]]es, the [[Anglican Communion]], the [[Reformed Church]]es, and other [[Christian denominations]].<ref> {{cite book |last= Scharper |first= Philip J. |title= Meet the American Catholic |year= 1969|publisher= [[Broadman Press]]|language= en|page= 34|quote= It is interesting to note, however, that the Nicene Creed, recited by Roman Catholics in their worship, is also accepted by millions of other Christians as a testimony of their faith — Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, and members of many of the Reformed Churches.}} </ref>}} Eastern churches (excepting the non-liturgical dissenting bodies) utilise several [[Christian liturgy|liturgical rites]]: the [[Alexandrian Rite]], the [[Armenian Rite]], the [[Byzantine Rite]], the [[East Syriac Rite]] (also known as Persian or Chaldean Rite), and the [[West Syriac Rite]] (also called the Antiochian Rite). == Families of churches == {{Further|History of Eastern Christianity}} [[File:Orthodoxy by Country.svg|right|thumb|upright=2.05|Comparative distribution of [[Eastern Orthodoxy]] and [[Oriental Orthodoxy]] in the world by country {{Columns |width=20em|col1 = '''[[Eastern Orthodoxy]]''' {{legend|#000055|Dominant religion (more than 75%)}} {{legend|#0000AA|Dominant religion (50–75%)}} {{legend|#0000FF|Important minority religion (20–50%)}} {{legend|#5555FF|Important minority religion (5–20%)}} {{legend|#AAAAFF|Minority religion (1–5%)}} |col2 = '''[[Oriental Orthodoxy]]''' {{legend|#660000|Dominant religion (more than 75%)}} {{legend|#CD0000|Dominant religion (50–75%)}} {{legend|#FF3030|Important minority religion (20–50%)}} {{legend|#FF6666|Important minority religion (5–20%)}} {{legend|#FFCCCC|Minority religion (1–5%)}} }}]] Eastern Christians do not share the same religious traditions, but do share many cultural traditions. Christianity divided itself in the East during its early centuries both within and outside of the Roman Empire in disputes about [[Christology]] and fundamental theology, as well as through national divisions (Roman, Persian, etc.). It would be many centuries later that Western Christianity fully split from these traditions as its own communion. Major branches or families of Eastern Christianity, each of which has a distinct [[theology]] and [[dogma]], include the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox communion, the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Assyrian Church of the East.<ref name="HindsonMitchell2013">{{cite book|last1=Hindson|first1=Edward E.|last2=Mitchell|first2=Daniel R.|title=The Popular Encyclopedia of Church History|date=1 August 2013|publisher=Harvest House Publishers|language=English|isbn=9780736948074|page=225}}</ref> In many Eastern churches, some parish priests administer the sacrament of [[chrismation]] to infants after [[baptism]], and priests are allowed to marry before ordination. While all the Eastern Catholic Churches recognize the authority of the [[Pope|Pope of Rome]], some of them who have originally been part of the Orthodox Church or Oriental Orthodox churches closely follow the traditions of Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy, including the tradition of allowing married men to become priests. The Eastern churches' differences from Western Christianity have as much, if not more, to do with culture, language, and politics, as [[Eastern Orthodox – Roman Catholic theological differences|theology]]. For the non-Catholic Eastern churches, a definitive date for the commencement of [[Schism (religion)|schism]] cannot usually be given (see [[East–West Schism]]). The Church of the East declared independence from the churches of the [[Roman Empire]] at its general council in 424, which was before the [[Council of Ephesus]] in 431, and so had nothing to do with the theology declared at that council. Oriental Orthodoxy separated after the [[Council of Chalcedon]] in 451. Since the time of the historian [[Edward Gibbon]], the split between the Church of Rome and the Orthodox Church has been conveniently dated to 1054, though the reality is more complex. This split is sometimes referred to as the ''Great Schism'', but now more usually referred to as the [[East–West Schism]]. This final schism reflected a larger cultural and political division which had developed in Europe and Southwest Asia during the [[Middle Ages]] and coincided with Western Europe's re-emergence from the [[Fall of the Western Roman Empire|collapse of the Western Roman Empire]]. The Ukrainian Lutheran Church developed within [[Galicia (Eastern Europe)|Galicia]] around 1926, with its rites being based on the [[Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]], rather than on the Western ''[[Formula missae|Formula Missae]]''.<ref name="Bebis2013"/><ref name="Webber1992"/> === Eastern Orthodox Church === {{Further|History of the Orthodox Church}} [[File:Christ Hagia Sofia.jpg|thumb|upright|Christ Pantocrator, detail of the Deesis mosaic in [[Hagia Sophia]] – [[Constantinople]] ([[Istanbul]]) 12th century]] The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian body whose adherents are largely based in the Middle East (particularly [[Syria]], [[Lebanon]], [[Jordan]], [[Israel]], and [[State of Palestine|Palestine]]) and [[Turkey]], [[Eastern Europe]] and the [[Caucasus]] ([[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Abkhazia]], [[Ossetia]] etc.), with a growing presence in the [[Western world]]. Eastern Orthodox Christians accept the decisions of the [[First seven Ecumenical Councils|first seven ecumenical councils]]. Eastern Orthodox Christianity identifies itself as the original Christian church (see [[early centers of Christianity]]) founded by Christ and the Apostles, and traces its lineage back to the [[early church|early Church]] through the process of [[apostolic succession]] and unchanged theology and practice. Distinguishing characteristics of the Eastern Orthodox Church include the Byzantine Rite (shared with some Eastern Catholic Churches) and an emphasis on the continuation of [[Sacred tradition|Holy Tradition]], which it holds to be apostolic in nature. The Eastern Orthodox Church is organized into self-governing jurisdictions along geographical, national, ethnic or linguistic lines. Eastern Orthodoxy is thus made up of fourteen or sixteen [[autocephaly|autocephalous]] bodies. Smaller churches are autonomous and each have a mother church that is autocephalous. All Eastern Orthodox are united in doctrinal agreement with each other, though a few are not in communion at present, for non-doctrinal reasons. This is in contrast to the Catholic Church and its various churches. Members of the latter are all in communion with each other, parts of a top-down [[hierarchy]] (see [[primus inter pares]]). The Eastern Orthodox reject the [[Filioque|Filioque clause]] as heresy, in sharp contrast with the majority of Catholics. Yet some Catholics who are not in communion with the Catholic Church side with the Eastern Orthodox here and reject this teaching, putting them in theological disagreement with the others. It may also be noted that the Church of Rome was once in communion with the Eastern Orthodox Church, but the two were split after the East–West Schism and thus it is no longer in communion with the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is estimated that there are approximately 240&nbsp;million Eastern Orthodox Christians in the world.{{NoteTag|See details about [[major religious groups]].}} Today, many adherents shun the term "Eastern" as denying the church's universal character. They refer to Eastern Orthodoxy simply as the ''Orthodox Church''.<ref>{{citation |last=Ware |first=Bishop Kallistos (Timothy) |author-link=Kallistos Ware |title=The Orthodox Church |edition=new |publicationplace=New York, NY |publisher=Penguin Books |date=29 Apr 1993 |isbn=978-0-14-014656-1 |ref=none }}</ref> === Oriental Orthodoxy === {{Main|Oriental Orthodox Churches}} Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the churches of Eastern Christian tradition that keep the faith of the first three [[Ecumenical Council|ecumenical council]]s of the [[State church of the Roman Empire|undivided Christian Church]]: the [[First Council of Nicaea]] (AD 325), the [[First Council of Constantinople]] (381) and the [[Council of Ephesus]] (431), while rejecting the [[dogmatic definition]]s of the [[Council of Chalcedon]] (451). Hence, these churches are also called the ''Old Oriental churches''. They comprise the [[Coptic Orthodox Church]], the [[Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church]], the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church]], the [[Syriac Orthodox Church|Jacobite Syrian Church of Antioch]] and the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]]. Oriental Orthodoxy developed in reaction to Chalcedon on the eastern limit of the [[Byzantine Empire]] and in [[Egypt]], Syria and [[Mesopotamia]]. In those locations, there are also Eastern Orthodox [[patriarch]]s, but the rivalry between the two has largely vanished in the centuries since the schism. === Church of the East === {{Main|Church of the East|Nestorianism|Lakhmids}} Historically, the Church of the East was the widest reaching branch of Eastern Christianity, at its height spreading from its heartland in [[Persia]]n-ruled [[Assyria]] to the Mediterranean, India, and China. Originally the only Christian church recognized by [[Zoroastrian]]-led [[Sassanid Empire|Sassanid Persia]] (through its alliance with the Lakhmids, the regional rivals to the Byzantines and its [[Ghassanid]] vassal), the Church of the East declared itself independent of other churches in 424 and over the next century became affiliated with Nestorianism, a Christological doctrine advanced by [[Nestorius]], [[Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople|Patriarch of Constantinople]] from 428 to 431, which had been declared heretical in the Roman Empire. Thereafter it was often known, possibly inaccurately, as the Nestorian Church in the West. Surviving a period of persecution within Persia, the Church of the East flourished under the [[Abbasid Caliphate]] and branched out, establishing dioceses throughout Asia. After another period of expansion under the [[Mongol Empire]], the church went into decline starting in the 14th century, and was eventually largely confined to its founding [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] adherent's heartland in the [[Assyrian homeland]], although another remnant survived on the [[Malabar Coast]] of India. In the 16th century, dynastic struggles sent the church into schism, resulting in the formation of two rival churches: The [[Chaldean Church]], which entered into communion with Rome as an Eastern Catholic Church, and the Assyrian Church of the East. The followers of these two churches are almost exclusively ethnic Assyrians. In India, the local Church of the East community, known as the Saint Thomas Christians, experienced its own rifts as a result of Portuguese influence. ==== Assyrian Church of the East ==== {{Main|Church of the East|Assyrian Church of the East}} The Assyrian Church of the East emerged from the historical Church of the East, which was centered in Mesopotamia/Assyria, then part of the [[Sasanian Empire|Persian Empire]], and spread widely throughout Asia. The modern Assyrian Church of the East emerged in the 16th century following a split with the Chaldean Church, which later entered into communion with Rome as an Eastern Catholic Church. The Church of the East was associated with the doctrine of Nestorianism, advanced by Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople from 428 – 431, which emphasized the disunion between the human and divine natures of [[Jesus]]. Nestorius and his doctrine were condemned at the Council of Ephesus in 431, leading to the [[Nestorian Schism]] in which churches supporting Nestorius split from the rest of Christianity. Many followers relocated to Persia and became affiliated with the local Christian community there. This community adopted an increasingly Nestorian theology and was thereafter often known as the Nestorian Church. As such, the Church of the East accepts only the first two ecumenical councils of the undivided Church—the First Council of Nicaea and the First Council of Constantinople—as defining its faith tradition, and rapidly took a different course from other Eastern Christians. The Church of the East spread widely through Persia and into Asia, being introduced to India by the 6th century and to the Mongols and China in the 7th century. It experienced periodic expansion until the 14th century, when the church was nearly destroyed by the collapse of the Mongol Empire and the conquests of [[Timur]]. By the 16th century it was largely confined to Iraq, northeast Syria, southeast Turkey, northwest [[Iran]] and the Malabar Coast of India ([[Kerala]]). The split of the 15th century, which saw the emergence of separate Assyrian and Chaldean Churches, left only the former as an independent sect. Additional splits into the 20th century further affected the history of the Assyrian Church of the East. ==== Saint Thomas Christians ==== {{Main|Saint Thomas Christians}} The [[Saint Thomas Christians]] are an ancient body of Christians on the southwest coast of [[India]] who trace their origins to the evangelical activity of [[Thomas the Apostle]] in the 1st century.<ref name="AFM">A. E. Medlycott, ''India and The Apostle Thomas'', pp.1-71, 213-97; M. R. James, ''Apocryphal New Testament'', pp.364-436; Eusebius, ''History'', chapter 4:30; [[J. N. Farquhar]], ''The Apostle Thomas in North India'', chapter 4:30; V. A. Smith, ''Early History of India'', p.235; L. W. Brown, ''The Indian Christians of St. Thomas'', p.49-59</ref> By the 5th century the Saint Thomas Christians were part of the Church of the East, or Nestorian Church. Until the middle of the 17th century and the arrival of the Portuguese, the Thomas Christians were all one in faith and rite. Thereafter, divisions arose among them, and consequently they are today of several different rites. === Eastern Catholic Churches === <!--Use of "churches" denotes plural, not proper noun--> {{Main|Eastern Catholic Churches}} [[File:Kanjirappally Bishop Mar Mathew Arackal at Tomb of Mar Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly.jpg|thumb|An Eastern Catholic bishop of the [[Syro-Malabar]] Church holding the Mar Thoma Cross which symbolizes the heritage and identity of the [[Saint Thomas Christians]] of [[Christianity in India|India]]]] The twenty-three Eastern Catholic Churches are in communion with the [[Holy See]] at the Vatican despite being rooted in the theological and liturgical traditions of Eastern Christianity. These churches were originally part of the Orthodox East, but have since been reconciled to the Roman Church. Many of these churches were originally part of one of the above families and so are closely related to them by way of ethos and [[Liturgy|liturgical practice]]. As in the other Eastern churches, married men may become priests, and parish priests administer the [[sacrament|mystery]] of [[confirmation]] to newborn infants immediately after baptism, via the rite of chrismation; the infants are then administered [[Eucharist|Holy Communion]]. The Syro-Malabar Church, which is part of the Saint Thomas Christian community in India, follows East Syriac traditions and liturgy. Other Saint Thomas Christians of India, who were originally of the same East Syriac tradition, passed instead to the West Syriac tradition and now form part of Oriental Orthodoxy (some from the Oriental Orthodox in India united with the Catholic Church in 1930 and became the [[Syro-Malankara Catholic Church]]). The [[Maronite Church]] claims never to have been separated from Rome, and has no counterpart Orthodox Church out of communion with the Pope. It is therefore inaccurate to refer to it as a "Uniate" Church. The [[Italo-Albanian Catholic Church]] has also never been out of communion with Rome, but, unlike the Maronite Church, it resembles the [[Byzantine Rite|liturgical rite]] of [[Orthodox Church]]<nowiki/>es. === Dissenting movements === [[File:Ukrlckremenec.jpg|thumb|upright|The Church of the Cross of the Lord is located in [[Kremenets]] and is part of the [[Ukrainian Lutheran Church]], which uses the Byzantine Rite.]] In addition to these four mainstream branches, there are a number of much smaller groups which originated from disputes with the dominant tradition of their original areas. Most of these are either part of the more traditional [[Old Believer]] movement, which arose from a [[Schism (religion)|schism]] within Russian Orthodoxy, or the more radical [[Spiritual Christianity]] movement. The latter includes a number of diverse "[[Low church|low-church]]" groups, from the Bible-centered [[Molokan]]s to the anarchic [[Doukhobor]]s to the self-mutilating [[Skoptsy]]. None of these groups are in communion with the mainstream churches listed above, aside from a few Old Believer parishes in communion with the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]]. There are also national dissidents, where ethnic groups want their own nation-church, such as the [[Macedonian Orthodox Church]] and the [[Montenegrin Orthodox Church]]; both are domiciles of the [[Serbian Orthodox Church]]. There are also some [[Protestantism|Reformed]] Churches which share characteristics of Eastern Christianity, to varying extents. ===="True Orthodox" churches==== {{Main|True Orthodoxy}} Starting in the 1920s, [[Greek Old Calendarists|parallel hierarchies]] formed in opposition to local Orthodox churches over ecumenism and other matters. These jurisdictions sometimes refer to themselves as being "True Orthodox". In Russia, underground churches formed and maintained solidarity with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia until the late 1970s. There are now traditionalist Orthodox in every area, though in Asia and the Middle East their presence is negligible. ==== Protestant Eastern Churches ==== {{Main|Protestant Eastern Christianity}} [[Protestant Eastern Christianity]] comprises a collection of heterogeneous Protestant denominations which are mostly the result of [[Protestantism|Protestant]] Churches adopting reformational variants of [[Orthodox Christianity|Orthodox Christian]] liturgy and worship.<ref>{{cite web |title=Believers Eastern Church |url=https://www.bec.org/history/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Church History |url=http://steci.org/church-history/ |website=St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India (steci) is an episcopal Church}}</ref> Some others are the result of [[reformation]]s of [[Orthodox Christianity|Orthodox Christian]] beliefs and practices, inspired by the teachings of Western Protestant missionaries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Heritage – Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church |url=http://marthoma.in/the-church/heritage/}}</ref> Denominations of this category include the [[Ukrainian Lutheran Church]], [[St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India]], [[Believers Eastern Church]], [[Evangelical Orthodox Church]], etc. ===== Byzantine Rite Lutheranism ===== {{Main|Byzantine Rite Lutheranism}} [[Byzantine Rite Lutheranism]] arose in the Ukrainian Lutheran Church around 1926.<ref name="HämmerliMayer2016">{{cite book|last1=Hämmerli|first1=Maria|last2=Mayer|first2=Jean-François|title=Orthodox Identities in Western Europe: Migration, Settlement and Innovation|date=23 May 2016|publisher=Routledge|language=English|isbn=9781317084914|page=13}}</ref> It sprung up in the region of Galicia and its rites are based on the [[Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom|Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]].<ref name="Bebis2013">{{cite web|url=http://www.omhksea.org/2013/03/the-divine-liturgy-of-saint-john-chrysostom-used-by-the-ukrainian-lutheran-church-and-its-missing-elements/|title=The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, used by the Ukrainian Lutheran Church, and its missing elements|last=Bebis|first=Vassilios|date=30 March 2013|publisher=[[Eastern Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia]]|language=English|accessdate=18 September 2018|quote=A revised Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is also celebrated in Ukraine by members of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church. This Church was organized originally in 1926 in the “Galicia” region of Ukraine, which was at that time under the government of Poland. The liturgical rites used by the Ukrainian Lutherans reflected their Byzantine tradition. They did not use a Lutheran revision of the Latin Mass in their services, but instead they used a Lutheran revision of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.}}</ref><ref name="Webber1992">{{cite web|url=https://www.blc.edu/comm/gargy/gargy1/liturgical_church.html|title=Why is the Lutheran Church a Liturgical Church?|last=Webber|first=David Jay|year=1992|publisher=[[Bethany Lutheran College]]|language=English|accessdate=18 September 2018|quote=In the Byzantine world, however, this pattern of worship would not be informed by the liturgical history of the Latin church, as with the Reformation-era church orders, but by the liturgical history of the Byzantine church. (This was in fact what occurred with the Ukrainian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession, which published in its 1933 Ukrainian Evangelical Service Book the first ever Lutheran liturgical order derived from the historic Eastern Rite.)}}</ref> The church suffered [[Persecution of Christians in the Eastern Bloc|persecution under the Communist régime]], which implemented a policy of [[state atheism]].<ref name="Dushnyck1991">{{cite book|last=Dushnyck|first=Walter|title=The Ukrainian Heritage in America|year=1991|publisher=Ukrainian Congress Committee of America|language=English|isbn=9781879001008|page=94}}</ref> == Catholic–Orthodox ecumenism == Ecumenical dialogue since the 1964 meeting between [[Pope Paul VI]] and Orthodox Patriarch [[Athenagoras I]] has awoken the nearly 1000-year hopes for Christian unity. Since the lifting of excommunications during the Paul VI and Athenagoras I meeting in Jerusalem there have been other significant meetings between Popes and Ecumenical Patriarchs of Constantinople. One of the most recent meetings was between Benedict XVI and Bartholomew I, who jointly signed the ''Common Declaration''. It states that "We give thanks to the Author of all that is good, who allows us once again, in prayer and in dialogue, to express the joy we feel as brothers and to renew ''our commitment to move towards '''full communion'''''".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecupatriarchate.org/ |title=Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople |publisher=Ecupatriarchate.org |date= |accessdate=2014-03-07}}</ref> In 2013 Patriarch [[Bartholomew I]] attended the installation ceremony of the new Roman Catholic Pope, [[Pope Francis|Francis]], which was the first time any Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople had ever attended such an installation.<ref>{{cite web|title=auto|url=http://orthodoxyandheterodoxy.org/2013/03/21/the-first-ecumenical-patriarch-at-a-papal-inauguration-not-just-since-1054/}}</ref> === Rejection of Uniatism === At a meeting in [[Balamand]], [[Lebanon]], in June 1993, the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church declared that these initiatives that "led to the union of certain communities with the See of Rome and brought with them, as a consequence, the breaking of communion with their Mother Churches of the East … took place not without the interference of extra-ecclesial interests";<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/ch_orthodox_docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_19930624_lebanon_en.html SEVENTH PLENARY SESSION (Vatican Website)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031223144638/http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/ch_orthodox_docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_19930624_lebanon_en.html |date=December 23, 2003 }}</ref> and that what has been called "[[uniatism]]" "can no longer be accepted either as a method to be followed nor as a model of the unity our Churches are seeking" (section 12). At the same time, the Commission stated: * 3) Concerning the Eastern Catholic Churches, it is clear that they, as part of the Catholic Communion, have the right to exist and to act in response to the spiritual needs of their faithful. * 16) The Oriental Catholic Churches who have desired to re-establish full communion with the See of Rome and have remained faithful to it, have the rights and obligations which are connected with this communion. * 22) Pastoral activity in the Catholic Church, Latin as well as Oriental, no longer aims at having the faithful of one Church pass over to the other; that is to say, it no longer aims at proselytizing among the Orthodox. It aims at answering the spiritual needs of its own faithful and it has no desire for expansion at the expense of the Orthodox Church. Within these perspectives, so that there will be no longer place for mistrust and suspicion, it is necessary that there be reciprocal exchanges of information about various pastoral projects and that thus cooperation between bishops and all those with responsibilities in our Churches, can be set in motion and develop. == Migration trends == There has been a significant Christian migration in the 20th century from the Near East. Fifteen hundred years ago Christians were the majority population in today's Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Egypt. In 1914 Christians constituted 25% of the population of the Ottoman Empire. At the beginning of the 21st century Christians constituted 6% – 7% of the region's population: less than 1% in Turkey, 3% in Iraq, 12% in Syria, 39% in Lebanon, 6% in Jordan, 2.5% in Israel/Palestine and 15–20% in Egypt. As of 2011 Eastern Orthodox Christians are [[American upper class|among the wealthiest]] Christians in the United States.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/faith-education-and-income/|title=Faith, Education and Income|work=The New York Times|accessdate=May 13, 2011|first=David|last=Leonhardt|date=2011-05-13}}</ref> They also tend to be better educated than most other religious groups in America, having a high number of [[Academic degree|graduate]] (68%) and [[post-graduate]] (28%) degrees per capita.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf|title=US Religious Landscape Survey: Diverse and Dynamic|format=PDF|publisher=The Pew Forum|page=85|publication-date=February 2008|accessdate=2012-09-17|ref=refEducationLevel}}</ref> == Role of Christians in the Islamic culture == {{See also|Christian influences in Islam}} Christians, especially Nestorians, contributed to the Arab Islamic Civilization during the [[Ummayads]] and the [[Abbasids]] by translating works of [[Greek philosophers]] to [[Syriac language|Syriac]] and afterwards to [[Arabic language|Arabic]].<ref>Hill, Donald. ''Islamic Science and Engineering''. 1993. Edinburgh Univ. Press. {{ISBN|0-7486-0455-3}}, p.4</ref> They also excelled in philosophy, science (such as [[Hunayn ibn Ishaq]], [[Qusta ibn Luqa]], [[Masawaiyh]], [[Patriarch Eutychius of Alexandria|Patriarch Eutychius]], [[Jabril ibn Bukhtishu]] etc.) and [[theology]] (such as [[Tatian]], [[Bar Daisan]], [[Babai the Great]], [[Nestorius]], [[Toma bar Yacoub]], etc.) and the personal physicians of the Abbasid Caliphs were often Assyrian Christians such as the long serving [[Bukhtishu]]<nowiki/>s.<ref>Rémi Brague, [http://www.christiansofiraq.com/assyriancontributionstotheislamiccivilization.htm Assyrians contributions to the Islamic civilization]</ref><ref>Britannica, [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/409819/Nestorian Nestorian]</ref> Many scholars of the [[House of Wisdom]] were of Christian background.<ref>Hyman and Walsh ''Philosophy in the Middle Ages'' Indianapolis, 1973, p. 204' Meri, Josef W. and Jere L. Bacharach, Editors, ''Medieval Islamic Civilization'' Vol.1, A-K, Index, 2006, p. 304.</ref> A hospital and medical training center existed at [[Gundeshapur]]. The city of Gundeshapur was founded in AD 271 by the Sassanid king [[Shapur I]]. It was one of the major cities in [[Khuzestan]] province of the Persian empire in what is today Iran. A large percentage of the population was Syriacs, most of whom were Christians. Under the rule of [[Khusraw I]], refuge was granted to Greek [[Nestorian Christian]] philosophers including the scholars of the Persian School of [[Edessa, Mesopotamia|Edessa]] ([[Urfa]]), also called the Academy of [[Athens]], a Christian theological and medical university. These scholars made their way to Gundeshapur in 529 following the closing of the academy by Emperor Justinian. They were engaged in medical sciences and initiated the first translation projects of medical texts.<ref>''The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 22:2'' Mehmet Mahfuz Söylemez, ''The Jundishapur School: Its History, Structure, and Functions'', p.3.</ref> The arrival of these medical practitioners from Edessa marks the beginning of the hospital and medical center at Gundeshapur.<ref>Gail Marlow Taylor, ''The Physicians of Gundeshapur'', (University of California, Irvine), p.7.</ref> It included a medical school and hospital (bimaristan), a pharmacology laboratory, a translation house, a library and an observatory.<ref>Cyril Elgood, ''A Medical History of Persia and the Eastern Caliphate'', (Cambridge University Press, 1951), p.7.</ref> Indian doctors also contributed to the school at Gundeshapur, most notably the medical researcher Mankah. Later after Islamic invasion, the writings of Mankah and of the Indian doctor Sustura were translated into Arabic at [[Baghdad]].<ref>Cyril Elgood, ''A Medical History of Persia and the Eastern Caliphate'', (Cambridge University Press, 1951), p.3.</ref> [[Daud al-Antaki]] was one of the last generation of influential Arab Christian writers. [[Arab Christians]] and Arabic-Speaking Christians especially [[Maronites]] played important roles in [[Al-Nahda]], and because Arab Christians formed the educated [[upper class|upper]] and bourgeois classes, they have had a significant impact in politics, business and culture, and most important figures of the Al-Nahda movement were Christian Arabs.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131019093522/http://miradaglobal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1643%3Amarcha-historica-de-los-arabes-iel-tercer-momento&catid=27%3Apolitica&Itemid=16&lang=en] "The historical march of the Arabs: the third moment."</ref> Today [[Arab Christians]] still play important roles in the Arab world, and Christians are relatively wealthy, well educated, and politically moderate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/don-belt/pope-to-arab-christians-k_b_203943.html|title=Pope to Arab Christians: Keep the Faith|work=The Huffington Post|accessdate=20 April 2016|date=2009-06-15}}</ref> == See also == {{Portal|Christianity|Religion}} {{columns-list|colwidth=22em| * [[Apophatic theology]] * [[Ascetical theology]] * [[Cappadocian Fathers]] * [[Desert Fathers]] * [[Eastern Christian monasticism]] * [[Eastern Orthodox – Roman Catholic ecclesiastical differences]] * [[Eastern Orthodox Christian theology]] * [[Eastern Party]] * [[Essence–energies distinction (Eastern Orthodox theology)]] * [[History of Eastern Christianity]] * [[Intermediate Region]] * [[History of the Orthodox Church]] * [[Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy]] * [[List of Eastern Christianity-related topics]] * [[Mystical theology]] * [[Syriac Christianity]] * [[Tabor Light]] }} == Notes == {{NoteFoot}} == References == {{Reflist}} == Further reading == * {{cite book|editor=Angold, Michael|title=The Cambridge History of Christianity|volume=Volume 5, Eastern Christianity|year=2006|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-81113-2}} * Julius Assfalg (ed.), Kleines Wörterbuch des christlichen Orients, Wiesbaden 1975. * {{Cite book|ref=harv|last=FitzGerald|first=Thomas|chapter=Eastern Christianity in the United States|title=The Blackwell Companion to Eastern Christianity|year=2007|location=Malden, MA|publisher=Blackwell Publishing|pages=269–279|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fHtSuvaVAAoC}} * {{cite book|last=Jenkins|first=Philip|title=The Lost History Of Christianity|url=https://archive.org/details/losthistoryofchr00jenk|url-access=registration|year=2008|publisher=HarperCollins|location=New York|isbn=978-0-06-147281-7}} == External links == * [https://web.archive.org/web/20091205011935/http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=3&IndexView=toc Eastern Christian Churches] * [http://www.melkite.org/eastern.htm Eastern Catholics] Information concerning Christians of Eastern rites who are in communion with, and under the jurisdiction of, the [[Pope]], the Bishop of Rome. * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070709011102/http://chant.theologian.org/ Byzantine Chant Studies Page] * [http://www.gocanada.org/ The Greek Orthodox Church in Canada] * [http://commons.orthodoxwiki.org/Main_Page OrthodoxWiki] * [http://steliasmelkite.org/music/ Sample of Melkite Chant in English] * [http://maryourmother.net/Eastern.html The Eastern Christian Churches] {{Chant}} {{Oriental Orthodoxy footer}} {{Eastern Orthodox Church footer}} {{Catholic Church footer}} {{Ethnic groups with significant Eastern Christian membership}} {{Christianity footer}} {{Western culture}} [[Category:Eastern Christianity| ]] [[Category:Christian terminology]]'