The Apostolic Age and the rise of the Pentarchy.
๐๏ธ Foundational Paper Text: The History of the Orthodox Church The Apostolic Foundation
The 20th century brought the severe trial of state atheism under Soviet and Eastern Bloc communist regimes. Tens of thousands of clergy were martyred, and thousands of churches were destroyed. Despite this brutal systematic oppression, the faith survived underground and experienced a massive resurgence after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. ๐ Suggested Academic References Istoria Biserici Ortodoxe
The 7 Ecumenical Councils and the definition of core dogmas.
The Orthodox Church by Timothy (Kallistos) Ware โ The most widely used English-language introduction to the history and theology of the Church. The Apostolic Age and the rise of the Pentarchy
The Ecumenical Patriarch was granted religious and administrative authority over all Orthodox Christians in the empire, preserving the faith under Islamic rule.
The rise of national autocephalous churches (e.g., Romanian, Serbian, Bulgarian). The severe impact of Soviet and Eastern Bloc communism. Summary of Orthodoxy's historical resilience. The Church's role in the contemporary world. Despite this brutal systematic oppression
The Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire by J.M. Hussey โ Excellent for understanding the medieval development of the Church.