Overviews
The First Centuries
The first Christians build a faith around
communion and union with each other in love and prayer. As they grew in
size and admitted gentiles many conflicts arose. The natural structure
of civil government was adopted and councils of Bishops met to resolve
differences.
The First
Centuries Lecture
The Churches Develop
The faith had to be expressed in words. To make
these words most effective Christian preachers grounded their teaching
in the local culture. The various cultures in the mediterranian basin
became distinct churches with unique expressions of their common faith
in Jesus.
Each of these major cultures in turn provided
missionaries to spread the word beyond their borders. These
missionaries refined the faith further for those they served but kept
the basis as a framework for the mission church.
The Churches
Develop Lecture
Historical Separations
Separate cultures speak different languages and
have diverse world views. Conflict ensues. Some of the conflicts could
not be resolved and groups of Christians broke away from the main
stream.
Historical
Separations Lecture
Attempts at Reunion
Jesus called his followers to be one as He and the
Father are one. The schisms hurt Christians on both sides and many
worked to heal the rifts. As with all human endevours some look to
force others to their point of view while others seek true
understanding.
Attempts at
Reunion Lecture
Eastern Churches in the West
The various unions had no impact on the general
population until the great immigration of the industrial revolution
brought Eastern and Western christians together in America. Living side
by side all were now seeing and living with the effects of union
between east and west and not all were dealing well with the situation.
Conflict arose.
Eastern Churches
in the West
Eastern Churches Today
After living in America for more than one hundred
years we are no longer an immigrant church seeking to simply take care
of our own. We have an obligation to live and witness our Eastern faith
to the west. We have an obligation to respond to trends in our culture
from our own tradition. The Eastern way of prayer and spirituality has
much to offer modern americans.
Eastern Churches
Today Lecture
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