The Papacy and the Orthodox: Sources and History of a Debate (Oxford Studies in Historical Theology)

The Papacy and the Orthodox examines the centuries-long debate over the primacy and authority of the Bishop of Rome, especially in relation to the Christian East, and offers a comprehensive history of the debate and its underlying theological issues. Siecienski masterfully brings together all of the biblical, patristic, and historical material necessary to understand this longstanding debate. This book is an invaluable resource as both Catholics and Orthodox continue to reexamine the sources and history of the debate. The Papacy and the Orthodox: Sources and History of a Debate examines the centuries-long debate over the primacy and authority of the Bishop of Rome, especially in relation to the Christian East. It lays out, in an informative, entertaining, clear manner, the entire history of the debate and the theological issues involved. It begins by looking at the sources of the debate, objectively analyzing the history and texts that have long divided the Catholic and Orthodox world. It then details the 2000 year history of the papacy’s reception or rejection among the Orthodox, beginning with the question that continues to bedevil ecumenists—what was the role of the Bishop of Rome during the period of the undivided church? As Rome’s prestige and power grew, so did debates over the pope’s authority, its source, and its extent. The controversy became acute following the Gregorian Reform and Fourth Crusade, as Roman demands for obedience were increasingly met with strident refusals from the East, who saw in the pope’s universalist claims an overturning of the Church’s synodal structure. By the time Vatican I (1870) declared the pope’s infallibility and universal jurisdiction—doctrines the Orthodox vehemently rejected—it was clear that the papacy, long seen by Catholics as the ministry of unity, had now become its chief obstacle. Yet the twentieth century provided hope that the dynamic could change, as polemics gave way to dialogue and both Catholics and Orthodox began to reexamine the sources and history of the debate in a new light -- University Press Scholarship Online The Papacy and the Orthodox examines the centuries-long debate over the primacy and authority of the Bishop of Rome, especially in relation to the Christian East, and offers a comprehensive history of the debate and its underlying theological issues.Siecienski masterfully brings together all of the biblical, patristic, and historical material necessary to understand this longstanding debate. This book is an invaluable resource as both Catholics and Orthodox continue to reexamine the sources and history of the debate. The Historical Peter -- Peter In Scripture -- Peter In The Exegesis Of The Fathers -- The Church Of Rome In The Patristic Era -- The Papacy From The Seventh Through The Tenth Centuries -- The Age Of The Great Schism And The Gregorian Reform -- The Fourth Crusade To The Eve Of The Council Of Florence -- The Council Of Ferrara-florence To Vatican I -- The Twentieth And Twenty-first Centuries. A. Edward Siecienski. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 419-488) And Index. The Papacy and the Orthodox examines the history of the centuries-long debate over the primacy and authority of the Bishop of Rome, especially in relation to the Christian East.