Next Wednesday, we will discuss Chapter 14 which deals with the Orthodox Church during the time of the Crusades, up until its fall by the Ottomans in 1453, and the Orthodox Church’s struggle under Ottoman control afterwards.

The Fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453

Please write a summary on one of these topics:

1. Describe what effect the First Crusade had upon the Byzantine Empire.  What led them to seek Pope Urban II’s help in 1095?  How did rising tensions between the Catholic Church and the Byzantine Orthodox Church form and evolve over time?
2. Discuss the affects the Siege of Constantinople in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade had to deepen further rifts in the relationship between Catholics and Orthodox.  Describe what role the Venetians played in the Siege.  Discuss the role that Pope Innocent III played in this Crusade.  How does this affect your view of the political activities and motives of the Catholic Church during this time?
3.  Discuss the thought and theology behind one of the most familiar features of the Orthodox Church interior: the iconostasis.
4. Discuss the form of mystical prayer in Orthodoxy called hesychasm and the feud between Palamas and Barlaam over this practice.  Discuss how the use of Western theology affected their arguments for and against hesychasm.
5. Describe the treatment of Orthodox believers after the Ottoman conquest of the Byzantine empire in 1453.  How did Ottoman policies help or hinder the Orthodox Church?  Describe how the Oecumenical Patriarch’s role changed under Ottoman rule.
6. Describe the Patriarch Cyril Lucaris‘s (1572 – 1638) relationship with England and Protestant theology.  What were the circumstances that led to his eventual demise?

Please hand in your submissions by Wed., February 5.