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Church and State - The Byzantine Legacy© Stefan Crisbasan
Jul 31, 1998
"Thou couldest have no power at all against Me, except if it were given thee from above." (John 19:11). The attitude of Christians towards civil authority is founded upon the teaching and the example of Jesus Christ, who even knowing of the coalition between Herod and Pilate against Him (Acts 4:27), recognized the objective role of this authority. Jesus did not identify the order of Caesar with the will of God, nor the power of the world with the power of God, nor the State with the Kingdom of God: "Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my
servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. (John 18:36) He did not attached any religious function to the political order, other than to be an instrument of God (John 19:11). The service to those that have the authority does not mean domination, but responsibility toward the common good. The Church brings Eucharistic thanksgiving for those: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men. For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty." (1 Tim. 2:1-2). The Church does not impose a certain political or economic system. However, she demands that in every form of human society there must be applied biblical principles and the evangelical values. This is what the Byzantine world knew of the Orthodox Church. The Byzantine Empire was the most cultivated the strongest military force and the richest state of Europe. Its civilization was an amalgam of three elements: Christian religion, Greek culture and Roman tradition. During the three centuries, while the Western Europe was a land of partly tamed barbarians, the Byzantine Empire was a highly civilized state where the most felicitous merger of Christianity and Hellenism produced a fascinating culture. The last four centuries of the empire's existence, from 1057 to 1453, was a period of gradual decrease in power. Few states played such an important part in history, as did the Byzantine Empire. In it was developed the eastern civilization that still exists in Balkans, Greece and Russia. Bit by bit, directly or indirectly, the knowledge build up by the people of the ancient world and preserved in the Byzantine empire found its way to the people of the West as they grew mature enough to receive it.
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Because of the fact that at Suite101 Religion section is a general "Spirituality" topic that covers areas of my topic I find redundant and unnecessary to write anything about Orthodox Christianity at ...
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That's identical to the Catholic Tradition on Mary. If you wish, we can pursue further discussion on the topic when I have a little more time - maybe on a different thread? Raymond St. George ...
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Stefan CrisbasanRaymond, The Virgin Mary, having given Herself entirely up to God, even though She repulsed from herself
every impulse to sin, still felt the weakness of human nature more powe ...
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Mary was sinless at the time of conception of Jesus Christ, at the
Announciation. Does that mean she had not sinned to that point in her life, or that she was purified of a ...
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Stefan Crisbasan
Raymond,
I hope the begining of classes are going well for you. I also recall the Orthodox believe that Mary was sinless Mary was sinless at the time of concepti ...
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