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91-572: The Ecthesis was another attempt by the Byzantine emperors to heal the divisions in the Christian Church over the disputes over the nature of Jesus Christ . In 451 the Council of Chalcedon had ruled that Christ did not possess one divine nature, but instead possessed two distinct natures, one fully divine and one fully human, with both acting in harmony together. This ruling was consistently rejected by

182-654: A bucket or stabbed with a knife. His son Constantine succeeded him as Constantine IV . A brief usurpation in Sicily by Mezezius was quickly suppressed by the new emperor. The historian Robert Hoyland asserts that Mu'awiya was a significant Islamic challenge for Constans to "deny [the divinity of] Jesus and turn to the Great God who I worship, the God of our father Abraham" and speculates that Mu'awiya's tour of Christian sites in Jerusalem

273-403: A water clock mounted with a golden statue of man. The Byzantine historian Theophylact Simocatta , writing during the reign of Heraclius (r. 610–641), relayed information about China's geography , its capital city Khubdan ( Old Turkic : Khumdan , i.e. Chang'an ), its current ruler Taisson whose name meant " Son of God " (Chinese: Tianzi ), and correctly pointed to its reunification by

364-616: A branch of the historical "Catholic Church" and as a via media ("middle way") between traditions, often Lutheranism and Reformed Christianity, or Roman Catholicism and Reformed Christianity. Reformed theology defines the Church as being invisible and visible —the former includes the entire communion of saints and the latter is the "institution that God provides as an agency for God's saving, justifying, and sustaining activity", which John Calvin referred to as "our mother". The Reformed confessions of faith emphasize "the pure teaching of

455-663: A central and defining institution of the Empire, especially in the East or Byzantine Empire , where Constantinople came to be seen as the center of the Christian world, owing in great part to its economic and political power. Once the Western Empire fell to Germanic incursions in the 5th century , the (Roman) Church became for centuries the primary link to Roman civilization for medieval Western Europe and an important channel of influence in

546-667: A church or hold a teaching office in it. A number of historians have noted a twentieth-century "global shift" in Christianity, from a religion largely found in Europe and the Americas to one which is found in the global south . Described as "World Christianity" or "Global Christianity", this term attempts to convey the global nature of the Christian religion. However, the term often focuses on "non- Western Christianity " which "comprises (usually

637-405: A criminal, ultimately being exiled to Cherson , where he died in 655. Constans grew increasingly fearful that his younger brother, Theodosius, could oust him from the throne; he therefore obliged Theodosius to take holy orders and later had him killed in 660. Constans' sons Constantine, Heraclius, and Tiberius had been associated on the throne since the 650s. However, having attracted the hatred of

728-648: A distinct Christian body identified by traits such as a common name, structure, leadership, or doctrine. Individual bodies, however, may use alternative terms to describe themselves, such as "church" or "fellowship". Divisions between one group and another are defined by doctrine and church authority; issues such as the nature of Jesus , the authority of apostolic succession , eschatology , and papal primacy often separate one denomination from another. Groups of denominations often sharing broadly similar beliefs, practices, and historical ties are known as branches of Christianity. Individual Christian denominations vary widely in

819-777: A group of individuals called to gather for some function, in particular an assembly of the citizens of a city, as in Acts 19:32–41 , is the New Testament term referring to the Christian Church (either a particular local group or the whole body of the faithful ). In the Septuagint , the Greek word "ἐκκλησία" is used to translate the Hebrew "קהל" ( qahal ). Most Romance and Celtic languages use derivations of this word, either inherited or borrowed from

910-582: A mark of catholicity, but see the institutional unity of the Catholic Church as manifested in the shared apostolic succession of their episcopacies, rather than a shared episcopal hierarchy or rites. Reformed Christians hold that every person justified by faith in the Gospel committed to the Apostles is a member of "One, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church". From this perspective, the real unity and holiness of

1001-505: A part of it. The Oriental Orthodox Churches claims to be the original Christian Church. The Oriental Orthodox churches' bases their claim primarily on its assertion that it holds to traditions and beliefs of the original Christian Church. They never adopted the theory of the Nature of God, which was formulated later than the break that followed the Council of Chalcedon . The Lutheran churches traditionally hold that their tradition represents

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1092-604: A short respite and made it possible for Constans to hold on to the western portions of Armenia. In 654, however, Mu'awiya renewed his raids by sea, plundering Rhodes . Constans led a fleet to attack the Muslims at Phoinike (off Lycia ) in 655 at the Battle of the Masts , but he was defeated: 500 Byzantine ships were destroyed in the battle, and the Emperor himself was almost killed. The sea battle

1183-519: Is clear that he considered the problem one of terminology, not theology. However, this compromise position was firmly opposed by the Patriarch of Jerusalem , Sophronius , and the doctrine was repudiated at the synod of Cyprus. Yet Patriarch Sergius refused to give in, and in 638 he and Heraclius released a slightly amended formula, called the Ecthesis . In this revision, the question of the energy of Christ

1274-530: Is maintained by some Anglicans , holds that those Churches that have preserved apostolic succession are part of the true Church. This is in contrast to the one true church applied to a specific concrete Christian institution, a Christian ecclesiological position maintained by the Catholic Church , the Eastern Orthodox Church , the Oriental Orthodox churches , Assyrian Church of the East , and

1365-566: Is used for local communities as well as in a universal sense to mean all believers. The earliest recorded use of the term Christianity (Greek: Χριστιανισμός ) was by Ignatius of Antioch , in around 100 AD. The Four Marks of the Church first expressed in the Nicene Creed (381) are that the Church is one , holy , catholic (universal), and apostolic (originating from the apostles ). The Greek word ekklēsia , literally "called out" or "called forth" and commonly used to indicate

1456-508: The 4th century as the State Church of the Roman Empire . Already in the 2nd century, Christians denounced teachings that they saw as heresies , especially Gnosticism but also Montanism . Ignatius of Antioch at the beginning of that century and Irenaeus at the end saw union with the bishops as the test of correct Christian faith. After legalization of the Church in the 4th century,

1547-471: The 7th century , the Islamic Caliphates rose and gradually began to conquer larger and larger areas of the Christian world . Excepting North Africa and most of Spain , northern and western Europe escaped largely unscathed by Islamic expansion, in great part because richer Constantinople and its empire acted as a magnet for the onslaught. The challenge presented by the Muslims would help to solidify

1638-564: The Ancient Church of the East . Most English translations of the New Testament generally use the word church as a translation of the Ancient Greek ἐκκλησία ( romanized ecclesia ), found in the original Greek texts , which generally meant an "assembly" or "congregation". This term appears in two verses of the Gospel of Matthew , 24 verses of the Acts of the Apostles , 58 verses of

1729-651: The Frankish king Charlemagne set the Church on a course towards separation. The political and theological divisions would grow until Rome and the East excommunicated each other in the 11th century , ultimately leading to the division of the Church into the Western (Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) churches. In 1448, not long before the Byzantine Empire collapsed, the Russian Orthodox Church gained independence from

1820-458: The Gospel of Matthew . When Jesus says to Simon Peter, "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church", the church is the community instituted by Christ, but in the other passage the church is the local community to which one belongs: "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church." The term is used much more frequently in other parts of the New Testament, designating, as in

1911-556: The Latin form ecclesia . The English language word "church" is from the Old English word cirice or Circe , derived from West Germanic *kirika , which in turn comes from the Greek κυριακή kuriakē , meaning "of the Lord" (possessive form of κύριος kurios "ruler" or "lord"). Kuriakē in the sense of "church" is most likely a shortening of κυριακὴ οἰκία kuriakē oikia ("house of

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2002-590: The Non-Chalcedonians , who were against the idea of the two natures, maintaining that the humanity and divinity of Christ were united in one nature. Throughout the 6th century, the Byzantine Emperors either covertly encouraged this group ( Anastasius I ), or actively persecuted them ( Justin II ). By the beginning of the 7th century, the court and the religious hierarchy at Constantinople were by and large firmly in

2093-581: The Old High German cognate chirihha . The Christian Church originated in Roman Judea in the first century AD/CE , founded on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth , who first gathered disciples . Those disciples later became known as " Christians "; according to Scripture , Jesus commanded them to spread his teachings to all the world . For most Christians, the holiday of Pentecost (an event that occurred after Jesus' ascension to Heaven ) represents

2184-671: The Pantheon ) of their ornaments and bronze to be carried back to Constantinople, and in 666 declared the Pope to have no jurisdiction over the Archbishop of Ravenna , since that city was the seat of the Exarch, his immediate representative. His subsequent moves in Calabria and Sardinia were marked by further strippings and request of tributes that enraged his Italian subjects. According to Warren Treadgold ,

2275-701: The Patriarch of Constantinople . As a result of the redevelopment of Western Europe , and the gradual fall of the Eastern Roman Empire to the Arabs and Turks (helped by warfare against Eastern Christians ), the final Fall of Constantinople in 1453 resulted in Eastern scholars fleeing to the West bringing ancient manuscripts, which was a factor in the beginning of the period of the Western Renaissance there. Rome

2366-707: The Pauline epistles (including the earliest instances of its use in relation to a Christian body), two verses of the Letter to the Hebrews , one verse of the Epistle of James , three verses of the Third Epistle of John , and 19 verses of the Book of Revelation . In total, ἐκκλησία appears 114 times in the New Testament, although not every instance is a technical reference to the church. As such it

2457-514: The Septuagint in the sense of an assembly gathered for religious reasons, often for a liturgy ; in that translation ἐκκλησία stood for the Hebrew word קהל ( qahal ), which however it also rendered as συναγωγή ( synagōgē , "synagogue"), the two Greek words being largely synonymous until Christians distinguished them more clearly. The term ἐκκλησία appears in only two verses of the Gospels, in both cases in

2548-593: The Type of Constans in 648. His reign coincided with Muslim invasions under, Umar, Uthman, and Mu'awiya I in the late 640s to 660s. Constans was the first emperor to visit Rome since the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476, and the last one to visit Rome while the Empire still held it. Constans was born on 7 November 630 in Constantinople , the Byzantine capital, to Gregoria and Constantine III . Constantine

2639-549: The church visible , institutions in which "the Word of God purely preached and listened to, and the sacraments administered according to Christ's institution", as well as the church invisible —all "who are truly saved " (with these beings members of the visible church). In this understanding of the invisible church, "Christian Church" (or catholic Church) does not refer to a particular Christian denomination, but includes all individuals who have been saved. The branch theory , which

2730-664: The true visible Church . The Augsburg Confession found within the Book of Concord , a compendium of belief of the Lutheran Churches , teaches that "the faith as confessed by Luther and his followers is nothing new, but the true catholic faith, and that their churches represent the true catholic or universal church". When the Lutherans presented the Augsburg Confession to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1530, they believe to have "showed that each article of faith and practice

2821-439: The 15-year old Heraclonas as senior emperor. In September 641, the 10-year old Constans II was crowned co-emperor due to rumors that Heraclonas and Martina poisoned Constantine III. Later that same year, on or around 5 November, Heraclonas was deposed by Valentinus , one of Heraclius’ most trusted generals, and Constans II was left as sole emperor. Constans owed his rise to the throne to a popular reaction against his uncle and to

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2912-620: The Arabs ( Da shi 大食) sent their commander "Mo-yi" ( Chinese : 摩拽伐之, Pinyin : Mó zhuāi fá zhī ), to besiege the Byzantine capital , Constantinople , and forced the Byzantines to pay them tribute. This Arab commander "Mo-yi" was identified by historian Friedrich Hirth as Muawiyah I (r. 661–680), the governor of Syria before becoming the Umayyad caliph . The same books also described Constantinople in some detail as having massive granite walls and

3003-540: The Arabs. Now Constans could turn to church matters once again. Pope Martin I had condemned both Monothelitism and Constans' attempt to halt debates over it in the Lateran Council of 649 . The Emperor ordered the Exarch of Ravenna to arrest the Pope. Exarch Olympius excused himself from this task, but his successor, Theodore I Calliopas , carried it out in 653. Pope Martin was brought to Constantinople and condemned as

3094-520: The Bible to speak of the people of God , such as the image of the vineyard used particularly in the Gospel of John . The New Testament never uses the adjectives "catholic" or "universal" with reference to the Christian Church, but does indicate that the local communities are one church, collectively, that Christians must always seek to be in concord, as the Congregation of God, that the Gospel must extend to

3185-704: The Bishops in communion with him". A 2007 declaration of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith clarified that, in this passage, "'subsistence' means this perduring, historical continuity and the permanence of all the elements instituted by Christ in the Catholic Church, in which the Church of Christ is concretely found on this earth", and acknowledged that grace can be operative within religious communities separated from

3276-411: The Byzantine hierarchy (but they still had to provide the jizya ). Since the areas that remained to the empire were largely Chalcedonian, the need to reach a theological compromise soon disappeared. Yet the Byzantine emperors were still not finished with the doctrine of Monotheletism. Constans II , the grandson of Heraclius was not a supporter of Monotheletism, and was determined to end the dispute with

3367-515: The Catholic Church due to some "elements of sanctification and truth" within them, but also added "Nevertheless, the word 'subsists' can only be attributed to the Catholic Church alone precisely because it refers to the mark of unity that we profess in the symbols of the faith (I believe... in the 'one' Church); and this 'one' Church subsists in the Catholic Church." The Catholic Church teaches that only corporate bodies of Christians led by bishops with valid holy orders can be recognized as "churches" in

3458-670: The Catholic Church. At this time, a series of non-theological disputes also led to the English Reformation which led to the independence of the Church of England . Then, during the Age of Exploration and the Age of Imperialism , Western Europe spread the Catholic Church and the Protestant churches around the world, especially in the Americas . These developments in turn have led to Christianity being

3549-680: The Chalcedonian camp. However, this put them at odds with the majority Non-Chalcedonians in Egypt , Syria , Mesopotamia and Armenia . Such a division was dangerous in an empire that was under threat from the Persian Sassanids , especially as the Non-Chalcedonians considered their schismatic brethren to be more of a threat than any foreign invader. Consequently, the emperors at Constantinople were always seeking some method of rapprochement to heal

3640-443: The Church, no one can hope for life or salvation unless he is excused through ignorance beyond his control." The papal encyclical Mystici corporis (Pope Pius XII, 1943), expresses the dogmatic ecclesiology of the Catholic Church thus: "If we would define and describe this true Church of Jesus Christ—which is the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, Roman Church–we shall find no expression more noble, more sublime, or more divine, than

3731-442: The Confessor . The persecutions of the zealous prosecutors only ended with the death of Constans in 668, and Monothelitism was officially condemned at the Third Council of Constantinople (the Sixth Ecumenical Council , 680–681) in favor of Dyothelitism , which put to rest the issue of the Ecthesis . Christian Church In ecclesiology , the Christian Church is what different Christian denominations conceive of as being

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3822-429: The Gospel of Matthew, either an individual local community or all of them collectively. Even passages that do not use the term ἐκκλησία may refer to the church with other expressions, as in the first 14 chapters of the Epistle to the Romans , in which ἐκκλησία is totally absent but which repeatedly uses the cognate word κλήτοι ( klētoi , "called"). The church may be referred to also through images traditionally employed in

3913-411: The Holy Spirit creates an openness in mission which allows for coordinated effort towards church planting and growth." Today there is a wide diversity of Christian groups, with a variety of different doctrines and traditions. These controversies between the various branches of Christianity naturally include significant differences in their respective ecclesiologies. "Denomination" is a generic term for

4004-508: The Lombards again, but he was defeated by the Beneventani at Forino , between Avellino and Salerno . In 663 Constans visited Rome for twelve days—the first emperor since the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and, along with John V Palaiologos , one of only two Eastern Roman emperors since the division of the Roman empire in 395 to set foot in Rome—and was received with great honor by Pope Vitalian (657–672). Although on friendly terms with Vitalian, he stripped buildings (including

4095-552: The Lord") or ἐκκλησία κυριακή ekklēsia kuriakē ("congregation of the Lord"). Christian churches were sometimes called κυριακόν kuriakon (adjective meaning "of the Lord") in Greek starting in the 4th century, but ekklēsia and βασιλική basilikē were more common. The word is one of many direct Greek-to-Germanic loans of Christian terminology, via the Goths . The Slavic terms for "church" ( Old Church Slavonic црькꙑ [ crĭky ], Bulgarian църква [ carkva ], Russian церковь [ cerkov' ], Slovenian cerkev) are via

4186-451: The Methodists in the world. Many Baptists , who uphold the doctrine of Baptist successionism (also known as Landmarkism ), "argue that their history can be traced across the centuries to New Testament times" and "claim that Baptists have represented the true church" that "has been, present in every period of history". Walter B. Shurden, the founding executive director of the Center for Baptist Studies at Mercer University , writes that

4277-441: The Roman Empire officially adopted the Nicene version of Christianity as its state religion . Prior to this date, Constantius II (337–361) and Valens (364–378) had personally favored Arian or Semi-Arian forms of Christianity, but Valens' successor Theodosius I supported the more Athanasian or Trinitarian doctrine as expounded in the Nicene Creed from the 1st Council of Nicaea.j On this date, Theodosius I decreed that only

4368-408: The West for the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine , emperors. While, in the West, the so-called orthodox Church competed against the Arian Christian and pagan faiths of the Germanic rulers and spread outside what had been the Empire to Ireland, Germany, Scandinavia, and the western Slavs , in the East Christianity spread to the Slavs in what is now Russia , south-central and eastern Europe. Starting in

4459-437: The basis for the Pentarchy proposed by Justinian I . Of these five, one was in the West ( Rome ) and the rest in the East ( Constantinople , Jerusalem , Antioch , and Alexandria ). Even after the split of the Roman Empire the Church remained a relatively united institution (apart from Oriental Orthodoxy and some other groups which separated from the rest of the state-sanctioned Church earlier). The Church came to be

4550-508: The birthday of the Church, signified by the descent of the Holy Spirit on gathered disciples. Springing out of Second Temple Judaism , from Christianity's earliest days, Christians accepted non- Jews ( Gentiles ) without requiring full adoption of Jewish customs (such as circumcision ). The parallels in the Jewish faith are the Proselytes , Godfearers , and Noahide Law ; see also Biblical law in Christianity . Some think that conflict with Jewish religious authorities quickly led to

4641-442: The breach in the church, and thereby prevent the empire's enemies from taking advantage of the internal divisions. With the reign of Heraclius, he and the Patriarch Sergius had attempted to find common ground between the Chalcedonians and the Non-Chalcedonians by issuing the doctrine of the single energy of Christ during the mid 630s. It did gain some acceptance initially, with Pope Honorius I giving his written assent, though it

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4732-439: The citizens of Constantinople, Constans decided to leave the capital and to move to Syracuse in Sicily . On his way, he stopped in Macedonia and fought the Slavs at Thessalonica with success. Then, in the winter of 662–663, he made his camp at Athens. From there, in 663, he continued to Italy. He launched an assault against the Lombard Duchy of Benevento , which then encompassed most of Southern Italy . Taking advantage of

4823-438: The countryside, and eventually the Arab army managed to force him to embark for home. The situation was complicated by the violent opposition to Monothelitism by the clergy in the west and the related rebellion of the Exarch of Carthage , Gregory the Patrician . The latter fell in battle against the army of caliph Uthman, and the region remained a vassal state under the Caliphate until civil war broke out and imperial rule

4914-455: The crime of magic. In the centuries of state-sponsored Christianity that followed, pagans and heretical Christians were routinely persecuted by the Empire and the many kingdoms and countries that later occupied its place, but some Germanic tribes remained Arian well into the Middle Ages (see also Christendom ). The Church within the Roman Empire was organized under metropolitan sees , with five rising to particular prominence and forming

5005-431: The debate between Arianism and Trinitarianism , with the emperors favouring now one side now the other, was a major controversy. In using the word ἐκκλησία ( ekklēsia ), early Christians were employing a term that, while it designated the assembly of a Greek city-state, in which only citizens could participate, was traditionally used by Greek-speaking Jews to speak of Israel, the people of God, and that appeared in

5096-422: The degree to which they recognize one another. Several claim to be the direct and sole authentic successor the church founded by Jesus Christ in the 1st century AD. Others, however, believe in denominationalism, where some or all Christian denominations are legitimate churches of the same religion regardless of their distinguishing labels, beliefs, and practices. Because of this concept, some Christian bodies reject

5187-408: The doctrine completely, leading to a major schism between the eastern and western halves of the orthodox church. When news reach Heraclius of the Pope's condemnation, he was already old and ill, and the news only hastened his death, declaring with his dying breath that the controversy was all due to Sergius, and that the Patriarch had pressured him to give his unwilling approval to the Ecthesis . This

5278-408: The eastern patriarchs agreeing to the formula, and gaining many adherents across the east, including Cyrus of Alexandria and Arkadios II of Cyprus. But during 638 in Rome, Pope Honorius I who was thought by many to have supported monothelitism died. His successor Pope Severinus condemned the Ecthesis outright, and so was forbidden his seat until 640. His successor Pope John IV also rejected

5369-419: The ends of the earth and to all nations , that the church is open to all peoples and must not be divided, etc. The first recorded application of " catholic " or "universal" to the church is by Ignatius of Antioch in about 107 in his Epistle to the Smyrnaeans, chapter VIII: "Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be; as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church." On February 27, 380,

5460-448: The exotic) instances of Christian faith in 'the global South', in Asia, Africa and Latin America." It also includes indigenous or diasporic forms in Western Europe and North America. Constans II (Byzantine Empire) Constans II ( Ancient Greek : Κώνστας , romanized :  Kōnstas ; 7 November 630 – 15 July 668), also called " the Bearded " ( Ancient Greek : ὁ Πωγωνᾶτος , romanized :  ho Pōgōnãtos ),

5551-483: The expulsion of Christians from the synagogues in Jerusalem . The Church gradually spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond , gaining major establishments in cities such as Jerusalem , Antioch , and Edessa . The Roman authorities persecuted it because Christians refused to make sacrifice to the Roman gods , and challenged the imperial cult . The Church was legalized in the Roman empire , and then promoted by Emperors Constantine I and Theodosius I in

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5642-418: The fact that Lombard king Grimoald I of Benevento was engaged against Frankish forces from Neustria , Constans disembarked at Taranto and besieged Lucera and Benevento . However, the latter resisted and Constans withdrew to Naples . During the journey from Benevento to Naples, Constans II was defeated by Mitolas, Count of Capua, near Pugna. Constans ordered Saburrus , the commander of his army, to attack

5733-407: The first themes were created between 659 and 661, during the reign of Constans II. However, John Haldon states that this idea is not supported by a "a shred of evidence", although redistribution of the armies across the Anatolian provinces did take place, and likely resulted in administrative changes. On 15 July 668, he was assassinated in his bath by his chamberlain , either killed with

5824-400: The followers of Trinitarian Christianity were entitled to be referred to as Catholic Christians , while all others were to be considered to be heretics, which was considered illegal. In 385, this new legal situation resulted, in the first case of many to come, in the capital punishment of a heretic, namely Priscillian , condemned to death, with several of his followers, by a civil tribunal for

5915-408: The founder of the movement "John Wesley once noted that what God had achieved in the development of Methodism was no mere human endeavor but the work of God. As such it would be preserved by God so long as history remained." Calling it "the grand depositum" of the Methodist faith, Wesley specifically taught that the propagation of the doctrine of entire sanctification was the reason that God raised up

6006-449: The four marks that the Creed attributes to the genuine Church, and the essence of a mark is to be visible. A church whose identity and belief varied from country to country and from age to age would not be "one" in their estimation. As such they see themselves not as a denomination, but as pre-denominational; not as one of many faith communities, but the original and sole true Church. Many Baptist and Congregationalist theologians accept

6097-414: The gospel ( pura doctrina evangelii ) and the right administration of the sacraments ( recta administratio sacramentorum )" as "the two most necessary signs of the true visible church". Methodists affirm belief in "the one true Church, Apostolic and Universal", viewing their churches as constituting a "privileged branch of this true church". With regard to the position of Methodism within Christendom ,

6188-406: The largest religion in the world today. The Catholic Church teaches in its doctrine that it is the original church founded by Christ on the Apostles in the 1st century AD. The encyclical of Pope Pius IX , Singulari Quidem , states: "There is only one true, holy, Catholic Church, which is the Apostolic Roman Church. There is only one See founded on Peter by the word of the Lord [...] Outside of

6279-454: The local sense as the only valid application of the term church . They strongly reject the notion of a universal ( catholic ) church. These denominations argue that all uses of the Greek word ekklesia in the New Testament are speaking of either a particular local group or of the notion of "church" in the abstract, and never of a single, worldwide Church. Many Anglicans , Lutherans , Old Catholics , and Independent Catholics view unity as

6370-439: The ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper . Any celebration of these ordinances by non-Baptists is invalid." Other Baptists do not adhere to Landmarkism and thus hold a broader understanding of what constitutes the true Christian Church, e.g. the American Baptist Churches (which are maintain ecumenical relations with other Churches). In Pentecostalism , "ecclesiology as seen through his concept of networks, where

6461-404: The phrase which calls it 'the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ'." The Second Vatican Council's dogmatic constitution, Lumen gentium (1964), further declares that "the one Church of Christ which in the Creed is professed as one, holy, catholic and apostolic, [...] constituted and organized in the world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by

6552-675: The plan, as the first Fitna broke out in 656. In 658, with the eastern frontier under less pressure, Constans defeated the Slavs in the Balkans , temporarily reasserting some notion of Byzantine rule over them and resettled some of them in Anatolia ( c.  649 or 667). In 659 he campaigned far to the east, taking advantage of a rebellion against the Caliphate in Media . The same year he concluded peace with

6643-482: The proper sense. In Catholic documents, communities without such bishops are formally called ecclesial communities . The Eastern Orthodox Church claims to be the original Christian Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church bases its claim primarily on its assertion that it holds to traditions and beliefs of the original Christian Church. It also claims that four out of the five sees of the Pentarchy (excluding Rome) are still

6734-409: The protection of the soldiers led by Valentinus. Although the precocious emperor addressed the senate with a speech blaming Heraclonas and Martina for eliminating his father, he reigned under a regency of senators led by Patriarch Paul II of Constantinople . In 644, Valentinus attempted to seize power for himself, but failed. Under Constans, the Byzantines completely withdrew from Egypt in 642, and

6825-685: The religious identity of eastern Christians even as it gradually weakened the Eastern Empire. Even in the Muslim World , the Church survived (e.g., the modern Copts , Maronites , and others) albeit at times with great difficulty. Although there had long been frictions between the Bishop of Rome (i.e., the patriarch of the Catholic Church proper) and the eastern patriarchs within the Byzantine Empire , Rome's changing allegiance from Constantinople to

6916-439: The same year, they raided Africa and killed Gregory. In 648, the Arabs raided into Phrygia , and in 649 they launched their first maritime expedition against Crete . A major Arab offensive into Cilicia and Isauria in 650–651 forced the Emperor to enter into negotiations with Caliph Uthman's governor of Syria , Mu'awiya I ( r.  656–661 ), who later reigned as the first Umayyad caliph. The truce that followed allowed

7007-401: The term "denomination" to describe themselves, to avoid implying equivalency with other churches or denominations. The Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church believe that the term one in the Nicene Creed describes and prescribes a visible institutional and doctrinal unity, not only geographically throughout the world, but also historically throughout history. They see unity as one of

7098-509: The theology of Landmarkism, which he states is integral of the history of the Southern Baptist Convention , upholds the ideas that "Only Baptist churches can trace their lineage in uninterrupted fashion back to the New Testament, and only Baptist churches therefore are true churches." In addition Shurden writes that Baptists who uphold successionism believe that "only a true church-that is, a Baptist church-can legitimately celebrate

7189-530: The third Rashidun caliph Uthman ( r.  644–656 ) launched numerous attacks on the islands of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas . A Byzantine fleet under the admiral Manuel occupied Alexandria again in 645, and the Alexandrians hailed him as a liberator, since the caliphate levied heavier taxes and showed less respect for their religion. However, Manuel squandered his time and popularity in plundering

7280-432: The true body of Christians or the original institution established by Jesus Christ . "Christian Church" has also been used in academia as a synonym for Christianity , despite the fact that it is composed of multiple churches or denominations, many of which hold a doctrinal claim of being the one true church to the exclusion of the others. For many Protestant Christians, the Christian Church has two components:

7371-494: The west. Consequently, he ordered that all discussion about the Monothelite doctrine was to cease and that all theological positions were to be as before the Monothelite controversy erupted, issuing his Typos in 648 to this effect. This directive was ignored in the west, as the Ecthesis was condemned by the Lateran Council of 649 . This infuriated emperor Constans who ordered the arrest and trials of Pope Martin I and Maximus

7462-511: The whole church established through the Apostles is yet to be revealed; and meanwhile, the extent and peace of the church on earth is imperfectly realized in a visible way. The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod declares that the Christian Church, properly speaking, consists only of those who have faith in the gospel (i.e., the forgiveness of sins which Christ gained for all people), even if they are in church bodies that teach error, but excluding those who do not have such faith, even if they belong to

7553-523: Was a son of Emperor Heraclius , while his mother Gregoria was a daughter of Nicetas , a first cousin of Heraclius. Heraclius died in February 641 and was succeeded by Constantine III and Heraclonas , his younger half-brother through Heraclius' second marriage to Martina . Constans was most likely elevated to caesar by his father to ease his succession to the throne against Martina and her sons. Constantine died suddenly after three months of rule, leaving

7644-581: Was again restored. Constans attempted to steer a middle line in the church dispute between Orthodoxy and Monothelitism by refusing to persecute either and prohibiting further discussion of the natures of Jesus Christ by decree in 648 (the Type of Constans ). Naturally, this live-and-let-live compromise satisfied few passionate participants in the dispute. Meanwhile, the advance of the Rashidun Caliphate continued unabated. In 647 they entered Armenia and Cappadocia and sacked Caesarea Mazaca . In

7735-778: Was done to demonstrate "the fact that he, and not the Byzantine emperor, was now God's representative on earth". The Chinese dynastic histories of the Old Book of Tang and New Book of Tang mention several embassies made by Fu lin (拂菻), which they equated with Daqin (the Roman Empire ). These are recorded as having begun in the year 643 with an embassy sent by the king Boduoli (波多力, Constans II Pogonatos) to Emperor Taizong of Tang , bearing gifts such as red glass and green gemstones . Other contacts are reported taking place in 667, 701, and perhaps 719, sometimes through Central Asian intermediaries. These histories also record that

7826-532: Was not relevant. Instead, it promoted the belief that while Christ possessed two natures, he had only a single will. This notion of Monotheletism, the Doctrine of the Single Will as proscribed in the Ecthesis was sent as an edict to all four eastern metropolitan sees. A copy was posted in the narthex of Hagia Sophia , and when Sergius died in December 638, it looked as if Heraclius might actually achieve his goal, with

7917-707: Was seen by the Western Church as Christianity's heartland. Some Eastern churches even broke with Eastern Orthodoxy and entered into communion with Rome ( the "Uniate" Eastern Catholic Churches ). The changes brought on by the Renaissance eventually led to the Protestant Reformation during which the Protestant Lutheran and the Reformed followers of Calvin, Hus, Zwingli, Melancthon, Knox, and others split from

8008-512: Was so devastating that the emperor escaped only by trading clothes with one of his men. Before the battle, chronicler Theophanes the Confessor says, the Emperor dreamed of being at Thessalonica ; this dream predicted his defeat against the Arabs because the word Thessalonika is similar to the sentence "thes allo niken", which means "gave victory to another (the enemy)". Caliph Uthman was preparing to attack Constantinople , but he did not carry out

8099-560: Was the Byzantine emperor from 641 to 668. Constans was the last attested emperor to serve as consul , in 642, although the office continued to exist until the reign of Leo VI the Wise (r. 886–912). His religious policy saw him steering a middle line in disputes between the Orthodoxy and Monothelitism by refusing to persecute either and prohibited discussion of the natures of Jesus Christ under

8190-525: Was the final attempt to win over the Non-Chalcedonians to union with the Chalcedonians by means of a theological compromise. The areas that were largely Non-Chalcedonian were soon overrun by the Islamic armies that poured in from the sands of Arabia in 634. The new conquerors allowed the Non-Chalcedonians to practice their faith in peace, which suited them since they no longer had the need to bend their beliefs to

8281-587: Was true first of all to Holy Scripture, and then also to the teaching of the church fathers and the councils". Nevertheless, the Lutheran churches teach that "there are indeed true Christians in other churches" as "other denominations also preach the Word of God, though mixed with error"; since the proclamation of the Word of God bears fruit, Lutheran theology accepts the appellation "Church" for other Christian denominations. Anglicans generally understand their tradition as

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