Church and State in the reign of Emperor Heraclius (610-641)
Church and State in the reign of Emperor Heraclius (610-641)

Summary/Abstract: The study examines the relations between the Church and the Byzantine state under Emperor Heraclius. Emperor Heraclius‟s church legislation marked the beginnings of a new stage in the relations between the Church and the state, characterized by an attempt to emancipate the Church from imperial authority. On the other hand, through its representatives, the Church became actively involved in the social and political life of the Byzantine state. Heraclius aimed to reconcile the Imperial Church with the Non-Chalcedonian Churches in the East. The Patriarch Sergius supported the Emperor‟s religious politics. Heraclius‟s religious politics have reached a climax once the Ekthesis decree was passed (638), which led to the Monothelism crisis. This decree is a manifest expression of Heraclius‟s Caesaropapism, since he used the Church as an instrument for the advancement of his political goals.

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