BETA
Chapter 1
The parting of East and West
Chapter 2
Windows to the divine
Chapter 3
Sacred architecture and spaces
Chapter 4
Rituals, mysteries, and the calendar
YOUR GOAL
Master of The Eastern Orthodox Church
Ch 1 · The parting of East and West
renaissanceman Sort beliefs and icons into East or West to discover why the Christian church split.
renaissanceman East West Christian Schism
For the Orthodox, a sacred art you'll find, Icons are windows to the divine mind.
renaissanceman When Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453, Moscow emerged as a powerful new spiritual center, often called the 'Third Rome.'
renaissanceman Prince Volodymyr of Kyiv adopted Eastern Orthodox Christianity in 988, forever shaping the cultural and spiritual landscape of Eastern Europe.
Fun Fact
The beauty test: Prince Volodymyr rejected Islam because it banned alcohol, famously stating that 'drinking is the joy of the Rus' before choosing Orthodoxy.
Glossary
schism (noun)
A formal division or split within a religious body or organization into opposing factions. In 1054, mutual excommunications between Rome and Constantinople permanently divided the Christian Church.
A formal division or split within a religious body or organization into opposing factions. In 1054, mutual excommunications between Rome and Constantinople permanently divided the Christian Church.
Quiz
Which ruler of Kievan Rus officially adopted Eastern Orthodoxy as his state's religion in the year 988?
Quiz
Who was the head of the Byzantine delegation during the Great Schism of 1054?
Quiz
What famous Byzantine cathedral in Constantinople amazed Russian envoys with its heavenly beauty?
Quiz
Which city came to be known as the 'Third Rome' after the fall of Constantinople in 1453?
Quiz
In what year did the Great Schism formally split the Western Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches?
Quiz
Which ancient language, developed in the 9th century, is still used in Russian Orthodox liturgies today?
Quiz
What term refers to a self-governing Orthodox Church that elects its own head patriarch?
Quiz
Which alphabet, named after a Byzantine saint, was created to translate religious texts for Eastern European Slavs?