Emperors and elections : reconciling the Orthodox tradition with modern politics
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Emperors and elections : reconciling the Orthodox tradition with modern politics
Troitsa Books, c2000
Available at 1 libraries
  Aomori
  Iwate
  Miyagi
  Akita
  Yamagata
  Fukushima
  Ibaraki
  Tochigi
  Gunma
  Saitama
  Chiba
  Tokyo
  Kanagawa
  Niigata
  Toyama
  Ishikawa
  Fukui
  Yamanashi
  Nagano
  Gifu
  Shizuoka
  Aichi
  Mie
  Shiga
  Kyoto
  Osaka
  Hyogo
  Nara
  Wakayama
  Tottori
  Shimane
  Okayama
  Hiroshima
  Yamaguchi
  Tokushima
  Kagawa
  Ehime
  Kochi
  Fukuoka
  Saga
  Nagasaki
  Kumamoto
  Oita
  Miyazaki
  Kagoshima
  Okinawa
  Korea
  China
  Thailand
  United Kingdom
  Germany
  Switzerland
  France
  Belgium
  Netherlands
  Sweden
  Norway
  United States of America
Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. [145]-151) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Can the social and political values of Orthodox Christianity play a role in stabilising democratic-republican regimes in the states which comprise the traditional heartland of Orthodoxy? For sixteen centuries, from the time of Constantine to the rise of Lenin, the orthodox world was characterised by a close relationship between imperial throne and holy altar. To what extent, however, is this the only acceptable pattern for defining the relationship between Church and political society? This work seeks to reexamine the traditional understanding of the role of the Emperor in the Orthodox world as well as to provide insight into the Orthodox notion of 'conciliarity' as reflected both in Church and state structures of the historic Orthodox world. Far from being a semi-divine figure, the Emperor's position in the Church developed based on his position as the representative of the laity. The concept of popular election is not a modern or 'Western' idea but very much rooted in the historic experience of local Orthodox congregations and communities. The Fathers of the Church saw human beings as being gifted with free will, reason, and responsibility, capable of self-determination an choice. Not only can Orthodoxy comfortably co-exist with the institutions of modern democracy, Orthodox concepts about the dignity of the individual and the importance of the community can make a valuable contribution to modern political thought. A short discussion on Orthodox attitudes towards economic problems and education is also included.
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