Topic: Which Christian Emperor Had the Most Significant Positive Impact on the Church?

[Justin Kissel]

St. Constantine - Issued edict of toleration, provided several important secular advantages, called first ecumenical council, etc.

St. Theodosius - Established Nicene Orthodoxy as the official religion of the empire, called second ecumenical council, etc.

St. Justinian - Recovered lost Orthodox lands and protected existing lands, called fifth ecumenical council, etc.

[JamesR]

Well Nero produced the most martyrs...

[Justin Kissel]

Well Nero produced the most martyrs...

I would have guessed Diocletian...  and I said Christian Emperor... 

[ialmisry]

St. Constantine: Emperors Theodosius and Justinian are impossible without him.

[Mor Ephrem]

No St Abgar?  No St Drtad? 

[ialmisry]

^Just kings, not emperors.

[Mor Ephrem]

Oh phooey.  A rose by any other name...

[Justin Kissel]

Wouldn't it be cool if we used emperor instead of czar in American politics? Emperor of Science would get a lot more respect than science czar.

[Justin Kissel]

No posts yet about how evil Emperor Constantine was. This is a good sign.

[Alveus Lacuna]

No posts yet about how evil Emperor Constantine was.

He made it pagan!!!!!

[sheenj]

I would nominate, HIH Haile Selassie I, especially for his role in calling the Council of Addis Ababa in 1965.

[biro]

I voted for St. Justinian. There is some really beautiful music of his feast on the Church of Greece website. That's not why I voted for him, but it's true too.

[Gamliel]

I also voted for Justinian for beginning to build (or rebuild) the Hagia Sophia.

[Cyrillic]

St. Constantine. He's definitely one of my favorite saints.

[Ansgar]

I would nominate, HIH Haile Selassie I, especially for his role in calling the Council of Addis Ababa in 1965.

What was that council about?

Anyways, I really don't know which one to pick. They all did great things.

[john_mo]

I would nominate, HIH Haile Selassie I, especially for his role in calling the Council of Addis Ababa in 1965.

He was so Byzantine. 

[Justin Kissel]

I am somewhat let down that the wrong emperor is winning (and by a landslide), but alas, what can you do?

[john_mo]

I've always been a bit more of a Justinian man myself.  St. Constantin's life seems a bit shady to me, and I'm not saying he was shady, just then our accounts of him are not very satisfying.  A lot of this is because of Zosimos, the pagan historian from whom we get most of our accounts of Constantin's life.  Zosimos was anti-Christian and was apparently trying to re-establish pagan beliefs.  He also lived centuries after Constantin's time.

Justinian was clearly Orthodox, and skillfully finished what Constantin started. 
 

[Mor Ephrem]

I've always been a bit more of a Justinian man myself.  St. Constantin's life seems a bit shady to me...

LOL.  I get what you mean, but LOL.

[Cyrillic]

Justinian was clearly Orthodox

*kuch* Aphtartodocetism *kuch*

[john_mo]

Justinian was clearly Orthodox

*kuch* Aphtartodocetism *kuch*

Binged it, googled it.  Can't find any info on this in English.  Help a brotha out!

[Cyrillic]

Justinian was clearly Orthodox

*kuch* Aphtartodocetism *kuch*

Binged it, googled it.  Can't find any info on this in English.  Help a brotha out!

Justinian died a disciple of the heretical Julian of Halicarnassus who taught aphtartodocetism. Here's a link. It's a bad one, but still.

[mike]

Does Stalin count as Orthodox?

[Mor Ephrem]

Orthodox or not, he wasn't an emperor. 

[Justin Kissel]

Orthodox or not, he wasn't an emperor.  

Perhaps not officially, but "rare simpleton" is an anagram of "emperor stalin." Make of that what you will.

[NicholasMyra]

St. Justinian - Recovered lost Orthodox lands and protected existing lands, called fifth ecumenical council, etc.

+ Married St. Theodora

[john_mo]

St. Justinian - Recovered lost Orthodox lands and protected existing lands, called fifth ecumenical council, etc.

+ Married St. Theodora

He married a Theodora, but she was no saint.  In fact she was a heretic who was against Justinian's choice of Chalcedonian Christianity.  I think the particular St. Theodora you're thinking of was also an empress, but was the wife of Theophilos and lived in the 9th century.  She was the one who ended iconoclasm. 

[Justin Kissel]

St. Justinian - Recovered lost Orthodox lands and protected existing lands, called fifth ecumenical council, etc.

+ Married St. Theodora

He married a Theodora, but she was no saint.  In fact she was a heretic who was against Justinian's choice of Chalcedonian Christianity.  I think the particular St. Theodora you're thinking of was also an empress, but was the wife of Theophilos and lived in the 9th century.  She was the one who ended iconoclasm. 

But given her pre-imperial employment, I bet Justinian's Theodora was easier on the eyes. Perhaps that's what he was thinking of.

[minasoliman]

St. Justinian - Recovered lost Orthodox lands and protected existing lands, called fifth ecumenical council, etc.

+ Married St. Theodora

He married a Theodora, but she was no saint.  In fact she was a heretic who was against Justinian's choice of Chalcedonian Christianity.  I think the particular St. Theodora you're thinking of was also an empress, but was the wife of Theophilos and lived in the 9th century.  She was the one who ended iconoclasm. 

from http://oca.org/saints/lives/2013/11/14/103302-st-theodora-the-empress

St Theodora the Empress
Commemorated on November 14

Saint Theodora was the wife of St Justinian the emperor, and lived during the sixth century.

The Empress Theodora was at first a notorious harlot and actress, and an adherent of the Monophysite heresy, but then she repented. After becoming empress, she led a virtuous life, maintaining purity of both soul and body. She provided wise counsel for her husband during his reign, and she also saved his throne during the Nika riots of 532 through her political intelligence and expertise.

St Theodora died in 548.

So which Church do you go to that makes here "not a saint", because it seems to me the Orthodox Church celebrates her sainthood.

[john_mo]

St. Justinian - Recovered lost Orthodox lands and protected existing lands, called fifth ecumenical council, etc.

+ Married St. Theodora

He married a Theodora, but she was no saint.  In fact she was a heretic who was against Justinian's choice of Chalcedonian Christianity.  I think the particular St. Theodora you're thinking of was also an empress, but was the wife of Theophilos and lived in the 9th century.  She was the one who ended iconoclasm. 

from http://oca.org/saints/lives/2013/11/14/103302-st-theodora-the-empress

St Theodora the Empress
Commemorated on November 14

Saint Theodora was the wife of St Justinian the emperor, and lived during the sixth century.

The Empress Theodora was at first a notorious harlot and actress, and an adherent of the Monophysite heresy, but then she repented. After becoming empress, she led a virtuous life, maintaining purity of both soul and body. She provided wise counsel for her husband during his reign, and she also saved his throne during the Nika riots of 532 through her political intelligence and expertise.

St Theodora died in 548.

So which Church do you go to that makes here "not a saint", because it seems to me the Orthodox Church celebrates her sainthood.

Well I'll be darned.  Thanks for this info.  The strange thing is that I actually tried to research whether or not she was a saint a few months ago, and I couldn't find any such information.  I was initially told by a fellow Orthodox that she wasn't a saint.  I googled her, and all that came up was for Theodora of Alexandria or the wife of Theophilos. I just took a gander at her wikipedia page, and while the one for St Justinian mentions him being a saint, there is no such info for Theodora.

My apologies for the misinformation.  I can only say that, for some reason, her sainthood doesn't seem to be well known.  At least from what I've seen.  Also, this is great!  Even before knowing this I always thought she was an amazing leader.

[minasoliman]

My apologies for being snarky.  I thought it was well known that she was a saint by both EOs and OOs.

[john_mo]

My apologies for being snarky.  I thought it was well known that she was a saint by both EOs and OOs.

No need to apologize.  I am just so glad to hear that she is in fact a saint.  As I said, I was always a Theodora fan from a historical standpoint, so this news made my day.

I just find it sad how all I heard about her before was that she was non-Chalcedonian.

[NicholasMyra]

St. Justinian - Recovered lost Orthodox lands and protected existing lands, called fifth ecumenical council, etc.

+ Married St. Theodora

He married a Theodora, but she was no saint. 

There is Empress Theodora the wife of Justinian and Empress Theodora who convened the Seventh Ecumenical Council. Both are saints.

[NicholasMyra]

I just find it sad how all I heard about her before was that she was non-Chalcedonian.

This was not well defined at their time. She was sympathetic to non-Chalcedonians, but so was St. Justinian in his attempts to reconcile the schism. She was more tolerant of the persons themselves from what I understand.

[JamesR]

Didn't St. Justinian fall into the trap that so many other men fall into when they get a burnin' in their loins and marry a stripper who promoted heresy?

[Mor Ephrem]

Fail.

[NicholasMyra]

Didn't St. Justinian fall into the trap that so many other men fall into when they get a burnin' in their loins and marry a stripper who promoted heresy?

No.

[Santagranddad]

Didn't St. Justinian fall into the trap that so many other men fall into when they get a burnin' in their loins and marry a stripper who promoted heresy?

Groan, I don't believe my eyes.

[Mor Ephrem]

Didn't St. Justinian fall into the trap that so many other men fall into when they get a burnin' in their loins and marry a stripper who promoted heresy?

Groan, I don't believe my eyes.

It's good not to be in communion with some people, isn't it? 

[Shanghaiski]

Justinian was clearly Orthodox

*kuch* Aphtartodocetism *kuch*

A scholarly book I have on his life appears to disprove that allegation.

[Shanghaiski]

Justinian was clearly Orthodox

*kuch* Aphtartodocetism *kuch*

Binged it, googled it.  Can't find any info on this in English.  Help a brotha out!

Justinian died a disciple of the heretical Julian of Halicarnassus who taught aphtartodocetism. Here's a link. It's a bad one, but still.

And the Church gives as much credence to that as St. Constantine being an Arian. Next.

[Shanghaiski]

St. Justinian - Recovered lost Orthodox lands and protected existing lands, called fifth ecumenical council, etc.

+ Married St. Theodora

He married a Theodora, but she was no saint.  In fact she was a heretic who was against Justinian's choice of Chalcedonian Christianity.  I think the particular St. Theodora you're thinking of was also an empress, but was the wife of Theophilos and lived in the 9th century.  She was the one who ended iconoclasm. 

Can we stop slandering the saints now? St. Theodora is in the Synaxarion and her feast is celebrated with her husband. If you have a complaint, take it to the Church's complaints department. Due to heavy volume, there's a 1000 year backlog. Your complaint will be answered in the order it was received.

[Shanghaiski]

My apologies for being snarky.  I thought it was well known that she was a saint by both EOs and OOs.

No need to apologize.  I am just so glad to hear that she is in fact a saint.  As I said, I was always a Theodora fan from a historical standpoint, so this news made my day.

I just find it sad how all I heard about her before was that she was non-Chalcedonian.

Sorry. I responded as I read through the tread and missed your later posts. Apologies.

[Shanghaiski]

Didn't St. Justinian fall into the trap that so many other men fall into when they get a burnin' in their loins and marry a stripper who promoted heresy?

Groan, I don't believe my eyes.

Santagranddad, meet JamesR.

[Shanghaiski]

I just find it sad how all I heard about her before was that she was non-Chalcedonian.

This was not well defined at their time. She was sympathetic to non-Chalcedonians, but so was St. Justinian in his attempts to reconcile the schism. She was more tolerant of the persons themselves from what I understand.

St. Theodora the Empress is one of the few post-Chalcedonian saints to be venerated officially by the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox.