Dude, do you think I, an Orthodox Christian, coming from that region don't know about the Byzantine Empire? I laughed at you calling it the Byzantines and the bizarre claim that early Christians were unitarian (there were such heretical sects, but why do you assume they are the "true Christians" and not the majority ones who held to the teachings of the apostolic Church?)

The Church was headed by the Patriarch or bishop of Constantinople, who was appointed or removed by the emperor.

No, the Orthodox Church was always synodal and decentralized. The Empire was ruled according to the dual-headed eagle principle of symphonia - joint governance of Church and state working in harmony in their respective roles. The Church took care of spiritual matters and the state - of civil matters. The Emperor was crowned and anointed by the Church and he held a minor clerical order (diakonos). Yes, some emperors overstepped their boundaries and meddled into Church matters but that's not how the system was set up. Namely, this system is distinct from the Western Catholic system which came to be defined by a geopolitical struggle between the secularized Papacy greedy for political supremacy (owning a bank, a standing army and militarized orders etc.) and the God-Emperor kings who sought to rule all by themselves, getting rid of the RC Church (culminating in Henry VIII who made his own church where he's the head and later Napoleon who notoriously crowned himself in a self-worshipping ceremony).

The doctrine of the Trinity was not explicit in the books that constitute the New Testament, but it was implicit in John, and the New Testament possessed a triadic understanding of God and contained a number of Trinitarian formulas.

The Trinity is present both in the New and the Old Testament and that has been the traditional teaching of the Church as evident from the early Church fathers. The Rublev icon that shows up at the link you posted depicts the Trinity as seen by Abraham in Genesis 18.

You shouldn't be debating history and especially early Church history if you haven't red a lot on the topic. Reading some wacko's book or watching zeitgeist and tiktok reels about it won't do the job.

Dude, do you think I, an Orthodox Christian, don't know about the Byzantine Empire? I laughed at you calling it the Byzantines and the bizarre claim that early Christians were unitarian (there were such heretical sects, but why do you assume they are the "true Christians" and not the majority ones who held to the teachings of the apostolic Church?)

The Church was headed by the Patriarch or bishop of Constantinople, who was appointed or removed by the emperor.

No, the Orthodox Church was always synodal and decentralized. The Empire was ruled according to the dual-headed eagle principle of symphonia - joint governance of Church and state working in harmony in their respective roles. The Church took care of spiritual matters and the state - of civil matters. The Emperor was crowned and anointed by the Church and he held a minor clerical order (diakonos). Yes, some emperors overstepped their boundaries and meddled into Church matters but that's not how the system was set up. Namely, this system is distinct from the Western Catholic system which came to be defined by a geopolitical struggle between the secularized Papacy greedy for political supremacy (owning a bank, a standing army and militarized orders etc.) and the God-Emperor kings who sought to rule all by themselves, getting rid of the RC Church (culminating in Henry VIII who made his own church where he's the head and later Napoleon who notoriously crowned himself in a self-worshipping ceremony).

The doctrine of the Trinity was not explicit in the books that constitute the New Testament, but it was implicit in John, and the New Testament possessed a triadic understanding of God and contained a number of Trinitarian formulas.

The Trinity is present both in the New and the Old Testament and that has been the traditional teaching of the Church as evident from the early Church fathers. The Rublev icon that shows up at the link you posted depicts the Trinity as seen by Abraham in Genesis 18.

You shouldn't be debating history and especially early Church history if you haven't red a lot on the topic. Reading some wacko's book or watching zeitgeist and tiktok reels about it won't do the job.

Dude, do you think I, an Orthodox Christian, don't know about the Byzantine Empire? I laughed at you calling it the Byzantines and the bizarre claim that early Christians were unitarian (there were such heretical sects, but why do you assume they are the "true Christians" and not the majority ones who held to the teachings of the apostolic Church?)

The Church was headed by the Patriarch or bishop of Constantinople, who was appointed or removed by the emperor.

No, the Orthodox Church was always synodal and decentralized. The Empire was ruled according to the dual-headed eagle principle of symphonia - joint governance of Church and state working in harmony in their respective roles. The Church took care of spiritual matters and the state - of civil matters. The Emperor was crowned and anointed by the Church and he held a minor clerical order (diakonos). Yes, some emperors overstepped their boundaries and meddled into Church matters but that's not how the system was set up. Namely, this system is distinct from the Western Catholic system which came to be defined by a geopolitical struggle between the secularized Papacy greedy for political supremacy (owning a bank, a standing army and militarized orders etc.) and the God-Emperor kings who sought to rule all by themselves, getting rid of the RC Church (culminating in Henry VIII who made his own church where he's the head and later Napoleon who notoriously crowned himself in a self-worshipping ceremony).

The doctrine of the Trinity was not explicit in the books that constitute the New Testament, but it was implicit in John, and the New Testament possessed a triadic understanding of God and contained a number of Trinitarian formulas.

The Trinity is present both in the New and the Old Testament and that has been the traditional teaching of the Church as evident from the early Church fathers. The Rublev icon that shows up at the link you posted depicts the Trinity as seen by Abraham in Genesis 18.

You shouldn't be debating history and especially early Church history if you haven't red a lot on the topic. Watching zeitgeist and tiktok reels about it won't do the job.

Dude, do you think I, an Orthodox Christian, don't know about the Byzantine Empire? I laughed at you calling it the Byzantines and the bizarre claim that early Christians were unitarian (there were such heretical sects, but why do you assume they are the "true Christians" and not the majority ones who held to the teachings of the apostolic Church?)

The Church was headed by the Patriarch or bishop of Constantinople, who was appointed or removed by the emperor.

No, the Orthodox Church was always synodal and decentralized. The Empire was ruled according to the dual-headed eagle principle of symphonia - joint governance of Church and state working in harmony in their respective roles. The Church took care of spiritual matters and the state - of civil matters. The Emperor was crowned and anointed by the Church and he held a minor clerical order (diakonos). Yes, some emperors overstepped their boundaries and meddled into Church matters but that's not how the system was set up. Namely, this system is distinct from the Western Catholic system which came to be defined by a geopolitical struggle between the secularized Papacy greedy for political supremacy (owning a bank, a standing army and militarized orders etc.) and the God-Emperor kings who sought to rule all by themselves, getting rid of the RC Church (culminating in Henry VIII who made his own church where he's the head and later Napoleon who notoriously crowned himself in a self-worshipping ceremony).

The doctrine of the Trinity was not explicit in the books that constitute the New Testament, but it was implicit in John, and the New Testament possessed a triadic understanding of God and contained a number of Trinitarian formulas.

The Trinity is present both in the New and the Old Testament and that has been the traditional teaching of the Church as evident from the early Church fathers. The Rublev icon that shows up at the link you posted depicts the Trinity as seen by Abraham in Genesis 18.

Dude, do you think I, an Orthodox Christian, don't know about the Byzantine Empire? I laughed at you calling it the Byzantines.

The Church was headed by the Patriarch or bishop of Constantinople, who was appointed or removed by the emperor.

No, the Orthodox Church was always synodal and decentralized. The Empire was ruled according to the dual-headed eagle principle of symphonia - joint governance of Church and state working in harmony in their respective roles. The Church took care of spiritual matters and the state - of civil matters. The Emperor was crowned and anointed by the Church and he held a minor clerical order (diakonos). Yes, some emperors overstepped their boundaries and meddled into Church matters but that's not how the system was set up. Namely, this system is distinct from the Western Catholic system which came to be defined by a geopolitical struggle between the secularized Papacy greedy for political supremacy (owning a bank, a standing army and militarized orders etc.) and the God-Emperor kings who sought to rule all by themselves, getting rid of the RC Church (culminating in Henry VIII who made his own church where he's the head and later Napoleon who notoriously crowned himself in a self-worshipping ceremony).

The doctrine of the Trinity was not explicit in the books that constitute the New Testament, but it was implicit in John, and the New Testament possessed a triadic understanding of God and contained a number of Trinitarian formulas.

The Trinity is present both in the New and the Old Testament and that has been the traditional teaching of the Church as evident from the early Church fathers. The Rublev icon that shows up at the link you posted depicts the Trinity as seen by Abraham in Genesis 18.

Dude, do you think I, an Orthodox Christian, don't know about the Byzantine Empire? I laughed at you calling it the Byzantines.

The Church was headed by the Patriarch or bishop of Constantinople, who was appointed or removed by the emperor.

No, the Orthodox Church was always synodal and decentralized. The Empire was ruled according to the dual-headed eagle principle of symphonia - joint governance of Church and state working in harmony in their respective roles. The Church took care of spiritual matters and the state - of civil matters. The Emperor was crowned and anointed by the Church and he held a minor clerical order (diakonos). Yes, some emperors overstepped their boundaries and meddled into Church matters but that's not how the system was set up. Namely, this system is distinct from the Western Catholic system which came to be defined by a geopolitical struggle between the secularized Papacy greedy for political supremacy (owning a bank, a standing army and militarized orders etc.) and the God-Emperor kings who sought to rule all by themselves, getting rid of the RC Church.

The doctrine of the Trinity was not explicit in the books that constitute the New Testament, but it was implicit in John, and the New Testament possessed a triadic understanding of God and contained a number of Trinitarian formulas.

The Trinity is present both in the New and the Old Testament and that has been the traditional teaching of the Church as evident from the early Church fathers. The Rublev icon that shows up at the link you posted depicts the Trinity as seen by Abraham in Genesis 18.