Church – imperial power relationship in the Persian Empire of the 5th century: the role of politics in the reception of the First Ecumenical Council
Church – imperial power relationship in the Persian Empire of the 5th century: the role of politics in the reception of the First Ecumenical Council

Summary/Abstract: In the context of Constantine the Great’s reign and his influence on Christian life in the Byzantine Empire, it is of great interest to observe the reception of the First Ecumenical Council in the Eastern Syriac Church – the Council of Seleucia (410). This historical event is a suggestive example of the relationship between a non-Christian emperor and the Church outside the Byzantine Empire, and between the Persian and the Byzantine Empire as well. We will first dwell on the participation of the Eastern-Syriac leaders to the First Council of Nicaea, and then we will focus on the Council of Seleucia – its religious and political context, the implication of the secular power in its organisation, and its paradigmatic role for today state-Church relationship.

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