A Little Un-Orthodox
These sacred images of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and saints were central to Orthodox worship—until some emperors tried to ban them.
What are icons?
In the early Church, these men withdrew from society to live lives of prayer, fasting, and devotion, often in remote deserts or monasteries.
What are monks?
This was the common name for the peoples of Eastern Europe who converted to Christianity
What are the Slavs?
Born in Britain, kidnapped by pirates, and later returning as a missionary, this saint is credited with converting much of Ireland to Christianity.
Who is Saint Patrick?
In Genesis, God commanded this man to build an enormous ark, preserving his family and pairs of every animal during a catastrophic flood.
Who is Noah?
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, this religious leader held the highest church office in the Byzantine Empire, though he still bowed to the emperor’s authority.
Who is the Patriarch?
The female counterpart to a monastery, this type of community provided nuns a place to dedicate their lives to God.
What is a convent?
Based on the Greek alphabet, this writing system was developed so the Slavs could read the Bible in their own language.
These Germanic tribes drove off the Celts and settled in England after the fall of Rome and were gradually converted to Christianity by missionaries.
Who are the Anglo-Saxons?
This Old Testament prophet is remembered less for his preaching in Nineveh than for the three dramatic days he spent inside a giant whale.
Who is Jonah?
This Byzantine emperor sparked a major controversy by ordering the destruction of icons in the 700s, angering both the faithful and the pope in Rome.
Who is Emperor Leo III?
These Western Roman Catholic rules for monks and nuns stressed giving up material goods and spreading Christianity through missionary work, becoming the backbone of medieval monastic life.
What are the Benedictine Rules?
This branch of Christianity became the chosen faith of the Slavs of Eastern Europe, spreading widely through missionary efforts.
What is the Eastern Orthodox Church?
Known as “the Great,” this pope sent missionaries to England to spread Christianity, strengthening ties with Rome.
Who is Pope Gregory I?
Before he became king, this son of Jesse gained fame for striking down the Philistine giant Goliath with only a sling and a single stone.
Who is David?
When the Pope crowned this Frankish ruler “Holy Roman Emperor” in the year 800, the Byzantines bristled at what they saw as a rival Roman Empire.
Who is Charlemagne?
Written for the Eastern Orthodox Church, these rules emphasized prayer, community service, and caring for the poor over isolation.
What are the Basilian Rules?
Alliances with this powerful empire encouraged many Slavic nations to adopt Eastern Orthodoxy as their official religion.
What is the Byzantine Empire?
This missionary, sent by Pope Gregory, became the first Archbishop of Canterbury and converted the king of Kent.
Who is Augustine?
Though the Jewish leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy, it was this imperial power that sentenced him to death by crucifixion.
The year 1054 marked this permanent split between Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, a divide that still exists today.
This wealthy Roman noblewoman worked with Jerome to translate the Bible into Latin and used her fortune to establish monasteries.
Who is Paula of Rome?
Known as the “Apostles to the Slavs,” these two brothers spread Christianity in Eastern Europe and created a new alphabet to translate the Bible.
Who are Cyril and Methodius?
This English city became the religious center of the Church in England, with its archbishop serving as the leader of English Christians.
What is Canterbury?
According to the Gospels, she accepted the Angel Gabriel’s announcement that she would give birth to the baby Jesus
Who is Mary?