ORTHODOX CHURCH HISTORY
We hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all.
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St. Vincent of Lérins
5th Century
The Orthodox Church maintains the original Christian faith as handed down from Christ through His apostles. We trace our roots directly to the early Church and preserve its fullness for today's world.
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For the first thousand years, Orthodox Christianity was essentially one church with five Patriarchal centers: Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, Alexandria, and Constantinople. These Patriarchates formed a cohesive whole, living in full communion and community with one another. Occasionally, heretical disputes would occur and the responses to these were recorded in what is now known as The Seven Ecumenical Councils. Some schismatic groups did depart from the Church at various times, yet her core was unified until the 11th century when the Roman Patriarch separated from the rest, resulting in the Great Schism.
Nearly a thousand years after the Great Schism, the other four Patriarchal Churches have remained in full communion and virtually identical in practice to the Apostolic church inspired by New Testament record.
We do not change the everlasting boundaries which our fathers have set, but we keep the Tradition, just as we received it.
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John of Damascus
8th Century
Orthodoxy Through the Ages
Apostolic Age (33-100 AD)
33 Pentecost – The Holy Spirit descends on the Apostles and gives birth to the Church. Rapid spread of the Church throughout the Roman Empire and beyond begins.
45-80 Apostles Paul, Peter, James, John and Judas write their epistles. Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are written.
49 Council at Jerusalem (Acts 15) establishes precedent for addressing Church disputes in Council. James presides as bishop. Gradually Sunday (called the Lord's Day) replaces the Sabbath as the day of worship.
60-180 Several Gnostic sects appear which attempt to infiltrate Christian communities.
64-67 Persecution of Christians in Rome under Emperor Nero. Sts. Peter and Paul become martyrs.
69 Bishop Ignatius consecrated in Antioch in heart of New Testament era; St. Peter had been the first bishop there. Other early bishops include James, Polycarp, and Clement.
70 Destruction of Jerusalem, foretold by Jesus (Matt. Ch. 24).
71 Apostle Mark introduces Christianity to Egypt.
95 Book of Revelation written by the Apostle John on island of Patmos; later John writes his Gospel.
Age of Persecution (100-313 AD)
96-98 Persecution of Christians under Emperor Domitian.
†110 St. Ignatius Bishop of Antioch, the author of several important epistles, is martyred at Rome.
108-124 Persecution under Emperor Trajan, continuing under Emperor Hadrian (3rd)
150 St. Justin Martyr describes the liturgical worship of the Church centered in the Eucharist. Liturgical worship is rooted in both the Old and New Testament.
†202 St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons is martyred, author of several books against heresies.
215-290 The rise of Christian schools in Alexandria and Antioch.
244-49 The Roman Emperor Decius persecutes Christians.
†258 St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, author and theologian is martyred.
300 Christianization of Britain
†303 St. Alban is martyred
†300-305 The Emperor Diocletian vows to vanquish Christianity. Thousands of Christians, including St. George, St. Barbara, and St. Catherine are martyred.
Age of the Ecumenical Councils (313-787 AD)
313 Emperor Constantine ends persecution of Christians and gives them the right to freely exercise their faith. The Edict of Milan marks an end to the period of Roman persecution of Christianity.
325 The Council of Nicea settles the major heretical challenges to the Christian Faith posed when the heretic Arius asserts Christ was created by the Father. St. Athanasius defends the eternality of the Son of God. Nicea is the first of Seven Ecumenical (Church-wide) Councils (325 – 787).
326 Empress Helena finds the Cross of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. Later she builds the Church of the Resurrection on the place of Christ's Resurrection, where each year Orthodox Pascha (Easter) the Holy Fire descends.
330 Beginning and spread of monasticism in Egypt: St. Anthony and Pachomius.
330-410 Period of the great Fathers of the Church: Sts. Athanasius, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, Ambrose of Milan, John Chrysostom and others.
†343 St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia.
381 The Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople reaffirms the need to have five Patriarchates: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem.
397 Synod of Carthage ratifies Biblical Canon.
451 Council of Chalcedon affirms apostolic doctrine of two natures in Christ.
563 The Great Church, Hagia Sofia, consecrated in Constantinople.
787 The era of Ecumenical Seventh Council ends at Nicea; the Seventh Council restores the centuries old use of icons to the church.
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Late-Byzantine Era (787-1054 AD)
864 The Prince Boris of Bulgaria is baptized. About this time Sts. Cyril and Methodius spread the Orthodox faith among the Slavs.
870 Conversion of Serbia
988 Prince Vladimir is baptized and begins conversion of the Rus (Russians) to Christianity.
1051 Sts. Anthony and Theodosius found their monastery near Kiev.
Age of Division (1054-1453 AD)
1054 The Great Schism occurs. Two major issues include Rome's claim to a universal papal supremacy and her addition of the filioque clause to the Nicene Creed. The Photian Schism (880) further complicates the debate.
1066 Norman conquest of Britain. Orthodox hierarchs are replaced with those loyal to Rome.
1095 The Crusades, begun by the Roman Church, weaken the Eastern Orthodox churches in Palestine and Syria.
1187 Saladin retakes Jerusalem from crusader army at Battle of Hattin, and returns Christian holy places to Orthodox Church.
1204 The Sack of Constantinople by the crusaders adds to the estrangement between East and West.
1333 St. Gregory Palamas defends the Orthodox practice of hesychast spirituality and the use of the Jesus Prayer.
1438 St. Mark of Ephesus defends the Orthodox faith at the Council of Florence.
1453 Turks overrun Constantinople; Byzantine empire ends.
Modern Era (1453-Present)
1455 Gutenberg makes first printed Bible.
1517 Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses to the door of the Roman Church in Wittenburg, begins Protestant Reformation.
1782 First publishing of the PHILOKALIA, a classic of spirituality.
1794 Russian missionaries, St. Herman and others arrive in Alaska; introduce Orthodoxy to North America.
1870 Papal infallibility becomes Roman Dogma.
1917 The revolution in Russia begins. Christians are persecuted and martyred.
1918 Bishop Tikhon of San Francisco becomes Patriarch of Russia.
1988 1000 years of Orthodoxy in Russia.
2025 1,992 years of Orthodox Christianity. The Church continues to grow globally while maintaining the unchanging apostolic faith.
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