Byzantine Theology: Historical Trends and Doctrinal Themes

TLDR

For over a thousand years, Eastern Christendom centered in Constantinople, and despite deep East–West rifts marked by conflict, Byzantine art, monasticism, and spirituality have shaped Eastern Europe, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance, yet the West has largely ignored its theological evolution. The paper presents, for the first time in English, a synthesis of Byzantine Christian thought to address the West’s ignorance of its historical evolution and doctrinal significance. The study guides readers through Byzantine complexities, explaining its view of man’s deification, its transcendence of Western captivity, and its survival amid adverse circumstances. The synthesis ultimately shows that Byzantine thought holds surprising contemporary relevance for the reintegration of Christianity, potentially persuading readers to embrace its basic positions.

Abstract

For over a thousand years, Eastern Christendom had as its center the second capital of the Roman Empire-Constantinople, the New Rome,or Byzantium. The geographical division between the Eastern and Western Churches was only one manifestation of deeper rifts, characterized by a long history of conflicts, suspicions, and misunderstandings. Although the art, monasticism, and spirituality of Byzantium have come to be recognized as inspirational and influential in the shaping of Eastern European civilization, and of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as well, the West has been in the main ignorant of the historical evolution and the doctrinal significance of Byzantine theology.Here, for the first time in English, is presented a synthesis of Byzantine Christian thought. The reader is guided through its complexities to an understanding of Byzantium: its view of man and his destiny of deification; its ability to transcend the Western captivity; its survival under quite adverse historical circumstances. In the end, he may well find himself receptive to the basic positions of Byzantine thought, which have attained, in this time of need for the reintegration of Christianity itself, a surprising, contemporary relevance.