Project article
From Holy Rus to the Russian World
A genealogy of the idea of the “Russian World”: from the baptismal memory of Rus, Byzantine inheritance, Holy Rus and the Third Rome to contemporary political theology of war.
Read article
Project title
Church History: Continuity, Ruptures and Autocephalies
The project gathers research, articles, interviews and educational materials devoted to Church history: from early Christian communities and councils to questions of autocephaly, Orthodox jurisdictions, Slavic and Greek church traditions, ecclesial memory and contemporary debates.
Status
In development
Format
Research and media project
Materials
A genealogy of the idea of the “Russian World”: from the baptismal memory of Rus, Byzantine inheritance, Holy Rus and the Third Rome to contemporary political theology of war.
In brief
The project gathers research, articles, interviews and educational materials devoted to Church history: from early Christian communities and councils to questions of autocephaly, Orthodox jurisdictions, Slavic and Greek church traditions, ecclesial memory and contemporary debates.
Project visual frame
Ecclesial memory and sources
A long-term research and media project of Stromata e.V. on Church history, Orthodox traditions, autocephalies, conciliarity, jurisdictions, ecclesial memory and questions in which the past continues to shape contemporary Christian life.
Research directions
The project develops as an open source-based and educational framework. The directions listed here indicate areas of future work, not ready-made conclusions on contested historical or canonical questions.
Autocephaly and ecclesial self-governance
How independent church structures emerged, were recognized, contested or reinterpreted in different historical periods.
Kyivan, Russian and Ukrainian church history
Historical connections, ruptures, interpretations and contemporary questions related to the ecclesial memory of Eastern Europe.
The Greek Church and the Orthodox East
Constantinople, the Church of Greece, Mount Athos, the Eastern patriarchates and the Greek theological tradition as part of broader Orthodox history.
The Early Church
The first Christian communities, conciliarity, liturgical life, church order and the difference between early Christian reality and later models.
Church, empire and people
How political forms, empires, states, languages and national movements influenced church organization and ecclesial self-understanding.
Church History Timeline
A short navigation through major historical periods that help explain how forms of church life, conciliarity, mission, jurisdictions and ecclesial memory changed over time.
1st–3rd centuries
The Early Church
The first Christian communities, martyrdom, liturgical life and early forms of church order.
Why it matters: This period helps us see the Church before later imperial, national and jurisdictional models.
Themes
- community
- martyrdom
- liturgy
- episcopacy
- conciliarity
4th–8th centuries
Councils and the Imperial Church
The age of the Ecumenical Councils, the formation of dogmatic language, the development of church structures and the Church’s relationship with empire.
Why it matters: This is where theological and institutional frameworks emerge, without which later Orthodox tradition cannot be understood.
Themes
- Ecumenical Councils
- dogmatic language
- empire
- patriarchates
- canons
9th–11th centuries
Missions, the Slavic World and the Division of East and West
The Cyrillo-Methodian tradition, the Christianization of the Slavs, the development of church cultures and the gradual estrangement of East and West.
Why it matters: This period shows how Christianity enters new languages, cultures and political spaces.
Themes
- mission
- Slavic tradition
- language
- Kyiv
- East and West
14th–16th centuries
Metropolias, Patriarchates and New Centers
Changing ecclesial centers, the development of new patriarchates, reinterpretations of Byzantium’s legacy and new church-political imaginaries.
Why it matters: Questions of continuity, church memory and new centers of the Orthodox world become especially visible here.
Themes
- metropolias
- patriarchates
- Byzantium
- Moscow
- Kyiv
- continuity
19th–20th centuries
National Churches and Autocephalies
Questions of church independence in the age of empires, national movements, revolutions, emigration and political change.
Why it matters: Many modern disputes about autocephaly, jurisdiction and ecclesial identity cannot be understood without this period.
Themes
- autocephaly
- national movements
- empires
- emigration
- modernity
20th–21st centuries
Contemporary Orthodox Disputes
Diaspora, jurisdictions, Ukraine, autocephalies, conciliarity and the challenges of church life under modern states and global communications.
Why it matters: Modern church conflicts often use historical arguments, so they must be considered together with sources, memory and context.
Themes
- diaspora
- Ukraine
- jurisdictions
- conciliarity
- church memory
The first Christian communities, martyrdom, liturgical life and early forms of church order.
Why it matters: This period helps us see the Church before later imperial, national and jurisdictional models.
Themes
- community
- martyrdom
- liturgy
- episcopacy
- conciliarity
About the project
Church history rarely remains only the past. It continues to influence how Christian communities understand tradition, continuity, authority, memory, independence and responsibility. For this reason, the project approaches church history not as a closed chronology, but as a living field of sources, interpretations and debates.
We distinguish between historical research, theological interpretation, ecclesial position and political commentary. This is especially important for topics where church history becomes part of contemporary conflicts, identity disputes and jurisdictional arguments.
The project is designed to develop gradually. It may include articles, interviews, source-based guides, visual essays, thematic dossiers and future media formats.
Future interviews and media
The project envisions the gradual preparation of interviews and video materials on Church history, Orthodox traditions, autocephaly, the Early Church and contemporary questions of ecclesial memory. Until specific guests and dates are confirmed, the page should use cautious wording such as “planned”, “in preparation” and “will develop over time”.
Related Stromata directions
The project is connected with other Stromata e.V. directions: the documentary study of Mount Athos, materials on faith and the human image, and the project on marriage, culture and human maturity. Each of these directions addresses, in different ways, how Christian tradition lives in history, culture and human experience.
Why it matters
Church history shapes contemporary Christian life not only through memory of the past, but also through the language of church unity, independence, tradition and responsibility. For Stromata e.V., it is important to prepare materials that do not replace research with slogans, do not present contested questions as simple answers, and help readers distinguish sources, contexts and levels of interpretation.
Completed so far
- The first research framework of the project has been formulated.
- Initial themes have been defined: autocephaly, ecclesial self-governance, Orthodox jurisdictions, the Early Church and ecclesial memory.
Planned publications
- Research articles and reference materials
- Future interviews and video materials after guests and topics are confirmed
- Thematic collections of sources and contexts
- A separate interactive Church History timeline after periods, sources and editorial wording are approved
Working expense categories
Structured categories for future project reporting:
- research
- editing
- translations
- interviews
- video production
- publication
Financial status
Data will be published after confirmed income and expenses are available.
For targeted project support: spenden@stromata-ev.de.
First areas of work
In the first phase, the project will collect and prepare materials around questions of autocephaly, ecclesial self-governance and contemporary Orthodox jurisdictions. Later, the section may expand through interviews, articles and research cycles on the Early Church, Greek Orthodoxy, ecclesial memory and the history of Christian traditions.
In preparation
The autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church: historical context
A research material on the development of ecclesial self-governance of the Moscow / Russian Church and on how this subject is interpreted within the broader history of Orthodox autocephalies. Wording and sources require separate editorial review before publication.
In preparation
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church after 2022: church-historical and canonical context
A material on the contemporary position of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in relation to the Moscow Patriarchate, considered in a church-historical, canonical and source-based context. Public wording should remain cautious and verifiable.
Planned
Conversations on Church history
Future interviews with historians, theologians, researchers of Orthodox traditions and witnesses of church life. Specific guests and dates will be announced only after confirmation.
Implementation stage
The project is in development: the first directions, source framework, editorial method and future structure of materials are being formed.
Support the research work
You can support the long-term research and educational work of Stromata e.V. through the official support section of the website. Support helps prepare articles, interviews, translations, video materials and public educational projects. Specific financial and donation-related wording should remain within the existing support-page architecture and Finance/Legal-reviewed wording.
Go to the support sectionProject updates
- The first public framework of the project on Church history, continuity, ruptures and autocephalies has been created.
- The first materials will be prepared gradually and published only after editorial review of wording and sources.
Other Stromata Projects
Here you can browse other areas of Stromata and open the individual project pages.
Project 1 of 6: Boundary of Matter
