Nearly 300 years before the rise of a ‘Christianized,’ Eastern Roman Empire, generations of inhabitants in the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East had witnessed a considerable variety and evolution of religious thought. As a result of the expansion of Christian sects throughout the Near East and Mediterranean, in 325 CE, Emperor Constantine I convened a theological council to unite his vast kingdom in the East under a single religious creed. While revisions to the text of the first ‘Nicene Creed’ and subsequent councils would be organized, many dissenting factions refused to relinquish their long-held beliefs and traditions. Some of these ‘heterodox’ sects resisted the religious arm of the Empire and concealed their practices while continuing to worship in secrecy. Clues to the subversion of ‘orthodox’ ecclesiastical mandate may still persist in the mosaic programs of extant churches in the Mediterranean and Transjordan. In particular, the general design of mosaics in the Transjordan (e.g., the Petra Church, Petra; the Church of SS. Lot and Procopius, Khirbet al-Mukhayyat; and the Church of SS. Cosmas and Damian, Jerash) are somewhat similar, yet divergent from designs found within churches from the Italian Peninsula (e.g., the Theodorean Basilical Complex, Aquileia; the Church of San Vitale, Ravenna; and the Church of Sant’Apollinare in Classe, Classe). The purpose of this thesis is to use the principles of semiotic theory to re-evaluate the use of symbols and icons within sacred mosaic programs, juxtaposed against the historical and ecclesiastical context surrounding their creation.

Nearly 300 years before the rise of a 'Christianized,' Eastern Roman Empire, generations of inhabitants in the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East had witnessed a considerable variety and evolution of religious thought. As a result of the expansion of Christian sects throughout the Near East and Mediterranean, in 325 CE, Emperor Constantine I convened a theological council to unite his vast kingdom in the East under a single religious creed. While revisions to the text of the first 'Nicene Creed' and subsequent councils would be organized, many dissenting factions refused to relinquish their long-held beliefs and traditions. Some of these 'heterodox' sects resisted the religious arm of the Empire and concealed their practices while continuing to worship in secrecy. Clues to the subversion of 'orthodox' ecclesiastical mandate may still persist in the mosaic programs of extant churches in the Mediterranean and Transjordan. In particular, the general design of mosaics in the Transjordan (e.g., the Petra Church, Petra; the Church of SS. Lot and Procopius, Khirbet al-Mukhayyat; and the Church of SS. Cosmas and Damian, Jerash) are somewhat similar, yet divergent from designs found within churches from the Italian Peninsula (e.g., the Theodorean Basilical Complex, Aquileia; the Church of San Vitale, Ravenna; and the Church of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Classe). The purpose of this thesis is to use the principles of semiotic theory to re-evaluate the use of symbols and icons within sacred mosaic programs, juxtaposed against the historical and ecclesiastical context surrounding their creation.

The study focuses on the unique phenomenon of society’s changing attitudes towards the Crusades. Right from its inception the Crusades made a lasting impact on history, an impact which is still evident in the present day. Several aspects contributed to the start of the Crusades, among them the world and ideology of the eleventh century, the era in which the Crusades began. In current times there have been calls demanding an apology for the Crusades, while at the same time some within Christianity have felt the need to apologise for the atrocities of the Crusades. The Crusades are often blamed for the animosity between Christians and Muslims, a situation worsened by the fact that leaders on both sides misuse the word ‘crusade’ for their own agendas. The thesis is written within a historiographical framework making use of both critical enquiry and historical criticism. / Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology / M. Th. (Church history)

The study focuses on the unique phenomenon of society’s changing attitudes towards the Crusades. Right from its inception the Crusades made a lasting impact on history, an impact which is still evident in the present day. Several aspects contributed to the start of the Crusades, among them the world and ideology of the eleventh century, the era in which the Crusades began. In current times there have been calls demanding an apology for the Crusades, while at the same time some within Christianity have felt the need to apologise for the atrocities of the Crusades. The Crusades are often blamed for the animosity between Christians and Muslims, a situation worsened by the fact that leaders on both sides misuse the word ‘crusade’ for their own agendas. The thesis is written within a historiographical framework making use of both critical enquiry and historical criticism. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Church history)

The subject of this thesis is the Synopsis Chronike (or Synopsis Sathas), a Byzantine chronicle of the thirteenth century that conveys the history of the world, starting from Adam and concluding with the recapture of Constantinople in 1261. The study focuses on the first part of the text (Adam – Nikephoros Botaneiates), and more specifically on the comprehensive presentation and analysis of the whole corpus of its sources, passage by passage, in order to reconstruct the background of the chronicle and to determine its place in the Byzantine chronicle tradition. Following the introductory first chapter, which sets out the aims of the thesis and establishes its methodology, chapter two offers an overview of the chronicle itself, and a first discussion of the main issues it presents: the key characteristics of its narrative structure, its manuscript tradition, and – mainly – the problem of its authorship, with special reference to the commonly supposed author, Theodore Skoutariotes, bishop of Kyzikos. Chapter three conveys a detailed presentation of the results of our research; following the discussion of the sources and influences of the proem, it attempts to place each passage of the Synopsis Chronike in the context of any related texts, which are then identified as 'main sources', 'other sources' and 'parallel passages', depending on their link to the Synopsis Chronike. Chapter four discusses individually each text that appears as a source of the Synopsis Chronike, and locates its place amongst the whole corpus of the sources. Furthermore, it examines the passages for which we were not able to identify a main source, and suggests possible sources that have not survived. Finally, the concluding chapter of the thesis summarises the earlier discussion, and attempts to combine the different pieces of information, and to provide an overall picture of the background of the Synopsis Chronike in order to establish – to the degree that it is possible – its position in the Byzantine chronicle tradition.

Le présent mémoire se donne pour fin d'étudier, en les replaçant au sein du contexte politique de leur époque, deux textes importants de la pensée politique de Justinien : l'Ekthesis d'Agapète le diacre, et le Dialogue de science politique. Ces deux textes représentent le point de vue de deux groupes d'acceptation de Constantinople – à savoir des groupes qui peuvent participer à l’élévation ou à la destitution d’un empereur : le clergé, et l'élite des sénateurs et des hauts-fonctionnaires. À partir de ce cadre conceptuel, il s'agira, pour ce mémoire, de définir les problématiques ayant trait à la fonction et la conception du pouvoir impérial et à la forme de l'État, telles que les présentent ces deux textes. À terme, devra émerger comme cadre interprétatif l'affrontement de deux tendances: d'une part, un hellénisme politique christianisé (associé au clergé), et, d'autre part, une romanité conjuguée à une vision néoplatonicienne du monde (associée à l'élite sénatoriale et fonctionnaire). Ces deux traditions posent des questions différentes. D'un côté, celle de l'orthodoxie de l'empereur et de la nécessité, pour ce dernier, de suivre les préceptes de l'éthique chrétienne, de se montrer digne de Dieu, dont il est le serviteur; de l'autre, celle de la sauvegarde de l'héritage romain, portant notamment sur le rôle du Sénat et l’importance de la loi, de même que le lien entre empereur et philosophe. / The object of this thesis is to study two important texts of the political thought of the Age of Justinian by replacing them in the political context of the Age. The two texts represent the point of view of two acceptation groups of Constantinople – groups that can participate in the election or the destitution of an emperor : the clergy and the elite of the senators and the high spheres of the bureaucracy. What will emerge is a clash between two tendencies : on the one hand a christianised political hellenism (associated with the clergy) and on the other a roman vision mixed to neoplatonician metaphysics (associated with senators and the high spheres of the bureaucracy). The two tendencies/traditions ask different questions. The first one asks the questions of the orthodoxy of the emperor and of the necessity for him to follow the rules of christian ethics, as well as to show himself worthy of God, of whom he is the servant; the other, the question of the preservation of the roman heritage, particularly in regards of the role of the Senate and the importance of the law, and of the relation between imperial power and philosophy.

No description available.

M.A. / 144 This dissertation is essential because it has indicated the reasons, which have caused the religious juxtaposition, then antagonism, between Constantinople and Rome from the patriarchate of Photios (867) to the days of Michael Keroularios (1054), as well as the consequences that have emanated from it, both at political and social level. It is a historical comparative study, which avoids the narrow limits of theological “misunderstandings” and the various dogmatic interpretations. It is placed within a social, political and cultural framework that has resulted from the particular cultural conditions as these have been formed in both parts of the Roman Empire.This particular study has followed the historical comparative method for the analysis of the religious juxtaposition between Constantinople and Rome. The sources were studied in their original Medieval Greek language according to the historical-critical and philological methodology. The study is completed by the comparison of two Schisms of the year 867 between patriarch Photios and Pope Nicholas I, and of the year 1054 between patriarch Michael Keroularios and Cardinal Umberto, and their consequences, especially from a Byzantine point of view.

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The thesis addresses the monuments of Great Moravian church architecture and is based on the material accumulated during the past century. It analyzes the influence of different architectural styles, the hypotheses by different scholars and the existing contradictions between them. The thesis covers a selection of church buildings many of which possess a special spiritual value. Special attention is paid to the hypothesis of the construction date and architectural sources of Ste. Catherine church in Tamovice. Of special interest are the interviews and consultations with leading Czech and German researchers, historians and archeologists carried out while working on the thesis.