Justinian The Great, the Emperor and Saint

Justinian The Great, the Emperor and Saint: Illustrious Byzantine Emperor, Legislator and Codifier of Law, profound Theologian, remarkable Author, and great Defender of the Orthodox Christian Faith, exemplary Philanthropist, Founder of Hagia Sophia at Constantinople, other magnificent churches and the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai, Supporter and Organizer of Monasticism, and a Saint of the Orthodox Church.

Publication Data: Belmont, MA: Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, 2004
Format: softcover
Number of Pages: 312
Dimensions (l × w × h): 23.0 cm × 15.4 cm × 2.1 cm
Additional Information: black-and-white illustrations
ISBN: 0‒914744‒59‒3

   
By Asterios Gerostergios

“This important treatise is the first work that undertakes to relate in a systematic and thorough manner the religious policy of the great Byzantine emperor Justinian I to his religious beliefs. Basing himself primarily on the theological writings, letters, and religious legislative work of Justinian, as well as on the works of his contemporaries, and secondarily on the studies of past and contemporary writers dealing with the Justinian era—Greek, Latin, English, German, Italian, French—Rev. Dr. Asterios Gerostergios succeeds in this endeavor to an eminent degree. In a scholarly, clear and incisive manner, he shows the nature of Justinian’s religious policy and of his religious beliefs, and the close relationship between his religious policy and his religious beliefs in its many aspects.”
—“PREFACE”

CONTENTS

PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
   I. INTRODUCTION
   II. JUSTINIAN IN HIS TIME
      1. The Setting
         i. Political Situation c. 518 A.D.
         ii. Religious Situation c. 518 A.D.
      2. Justinian the Great
   III. JUSTINIAN AS AUTHOR AND THEOLOGIAN
      1. Justinian’s Writings
         I. THEOLOGICAL WRITINGS
         II. LETTERS
         III. DECREES
      2. The Problem of Orthodoxy in the Sixth Century
      3. Justinian’s Credo, as revealed in his Writings
         i. God-Father
         ii. God-Son
         iii. Holy Spirit
         iv. The Holy Virgin Mary
         v. The Church
         vi. Holy Writ and Sacred Tradition
         vii. Man and the Last Judgment
         viii. Concluding Remarks
   IV. JUSTINIAN AND THE NON-CHRISTIANS
      1. Justinian’s Alleged Intolerance in General
      2. Decrees against the Heathen
      3. Decrees against the Jews
      4. Decrees against the Samaritans
      5. Decrees against the Manichaeans
   V. JUSTINIAN AND THE CHRISTIAN HERETICS
      1. Justinian’s position concerning the problem of the relationship between Church and State
      2. The Akakian Schism
      3. Monophysites
         A. First period 518-536: The “suffered in the flesh” controversy
         B. Second Period 536-553: The “Three Chapters” controversy
            i. First Decree against the “Three Chapters”
            ii. Reaction in the East
            iii. Reaction in the West
            iv. The Fifth Ecumenical Synod
         C. Third period 553-565: The Aphthartodocetistic controversy
            i. The recognition of the Synod by Pope Vigilius
            ii. Justinian’s Endeavors for the Recognition of the Synod
            iii. Justinian’s Alleged Aphthartodocetism
   VI. JUSTINIAN AND THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
      1. Decrees relating to Church Institutions
         i. Bishops
         ii. The Governmental System of the Church
            A. The Provincial Synods
            B. The Ecumenical Synods
            C. The Position of the Five Patriarchs in the Ecclesiastical Organization
         iii. Presbyters and Deacons
         iv. Monks and Monastic Institutions
      2. Philanthropic Work
      3. Justinian’s Memory in the Church
   VII. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
ABBREVIATIONS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
NOTES
INDEX