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Timeline of Orthodox Tewahedo Christianity

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′ The following is a chronology of the Orthodox Tewahedo Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Churches from their base history to the present.

Early history

[edit]
  • Biblical claims – According to the traditional claims, John Chrysostom speaks of the "Ethiopians present in Jerusalem" as being able to understand the preaching of Peter in Acts, 2:38.[1][2]
  • Early 4th century – Some Apostles reportedly took missions to Ethiopia. Socrates of Constantinople stated Ethiopia was one of region preached by Matthew the Apostle where a specific mention of "Ethiopia south of the Caspian Sea".[3]
  • 1st century – according to the New Testament book Acts, 8:26–27,[4] Christianity was entered to Ethiopia by means of Philip the Evangelist via baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch.[5]
  • 330 AD – Christianity, it is widely considered, is introduced to Ethiopia by a Syrian Greek named Frumentius, after his voyage with his brother Aedesius to the Kingdom of Aksum. There, the two brothers were captured by the native Aksumite and brought to court forwarded to King Ezana, who was converted to Christian by influence of Frumentius.[6][7]
  • 356 AD – Emperor Constantius writes a letter to King Ezana asking him to replace Frumentius with an Arian bishop, which Ezana rejects.[8]
  • 480 – Arrival of "Nine Saints" monastic anti-Chalcedonian refugees who allegedly introduced Pachomian monastic life to Ethiopia.

Middle Ages

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  • 960 AD – Queen Gudit persecutes Axumite Christians during the sacking of the city.[9]
  • 12th century – Communion with Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria.[10]
  • Late 14th century – Samuel of Waldebba founds the Waldebba monastery, which would go on to be one of the most important monasteries in Ethiopia.
  • 1439 – During the reign of Emperor Zara Yaqob, a religious discussion took place between Giyorgis and a French visitor led to the dispatch of an embassy from Ethiopia to the Vatican.[10]
  • 1507 – Mateus, an Armenian, had been sent as an Ethiopian envoy to Portugal.[11]
  • 1520 – an embassy under Dom Rodrigo de Lima landed in Ethiopia.[11]

Early modern period

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  • 1534 – Michael the Deacon met with Martin Luther and affirmed the Augsburg Confession as a "good creed".[12] In addition, Martin Luther stated that the Lutheran Mass agreed with that used by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. As a result, the Lutheran churches extended fellowship with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.[12]
  • 1620 – Council of Fogära called to debate between the Jesuit and Ethiopian Orthodox views.[13] Tewahedo (union), Qəbat (unction), and Yetsegga Leg (Son of Grace) christological movements arise in response to questions raised by Jesuits at this council about the anointing of Christ.[14]
  • 1622 – Conversion of Emperor Susenyos I to Roman Catholicism under the pressure of Jesuits.[15]
  • 1624 – Susenyos proclaimed the primacy of Rome and condemned local practices which included Saturday Sabbath and frequent fasts.[16]
  • 1632 – Emperor Fasilides restored the state administration to Orthodox Tewahedo after ten years conflict.[17]
  • 1633 – Fasilides expelled the Jesuits and in 1665, he ordered that all Jesuit books (the Book of the Franks) be burned.[18]
  • 23 June 1655 – Emperor Fasilides and Metropolitan Mika'el IV hold a council, anathematizing anyone who does not hold to the Qəbat doctrine.[19]
  • 1687 – Emperor Iyasu I holds a council condemning the Qəbat doctrine.[19]
  • Late 17th century – A series of decisive councils are held from 1689 to 1699 declaring Yetsegga Leg as official doctrine.[13]
  • March 1707 – Emperor Takla Haymanot holds a council condemning and imprisoning the Qəbat leaders.[19]
  • Early 18th century – The Patriarch of Alexandria suggests a new creed to unite the Tewahedo and Qəbat factions, but it is seen as favoring the Tewahedo, sparking new conflict.[20]
  • Mid 18th century – The Śost Lədät (Three Births) christological movement arises during the continuing christological crisis.[20]
  • 1 October 1763 – After a massacre of monastics, a council at Kayla Meda in Gondär has Qəbat and Tewahedo theologians join together to counter the Śost Lədät.[19][21]
  • 1855 – Emperor Tewodros II calls council of Amba Cara, affirming Tewahedo.[21]
  • 1878 – Each region of Ethiopia supports a different christological position, threatening a greater conflict. Emperor Yohannis of Ethiopia convenes a council at Boru Meda to eliminate the christological disputes, affirming the Tewahedo position and condemning the Qəbat and Śost Lədät.The Tewahedo position has remained de facto the official position of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church ever since.[20]
  • 19th century – Publication of Amharic translation Bible began developing.[22]

20th century

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21st century

[edit]
  • 16 August 2012 – death of Abune Paulos.[35]
  • 28 February 2013 – Abune Mathias from Agame province, elected as the 6th Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.[36]
  • 25 July 2018 – with the assistance of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, delegation took place between Patriarchate in Addis Ababa and those from the United States exiled Churches and declared reunification in Washington, D.C.[37]
  • 22 January 2023 – Abune Sawiros, Abune Ewostatewos and Abune Zena Markos designated 26-made Archbishops to overthrow the Holy Synod led by Patriarch Abune Mathias in Oromia Region diocese. The Holy Synod responded the ordination as "illegal" and excommunicated three archbishops on 26 January. On 31 January, the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed convened a discussion on the matter, which he told he would ensure resolution for the conflict. His speech widely criticized by Holy Synod for lack of protection and also alleged involvement to the illegally formed Synod.[38]

References

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  1. ^ "Our History". The Ethiopian Orthodox Archdiocese. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  2. ^ "Churches Ethiopia: Inspiring and Blissful- 5 Houses". www.gorebet.com. 2020-05-03. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  3. ^ Socrates and Sozomenus Ecclesiastical Histories, p. 57.
  4. ^ "Bible Gateway passage: Acts 8:26-40 – English Standard Version". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  5. ^ Shauf, Scott (2009). "Locating the Eunuch: Characterization and Narrative Context in Acts 8:26-40". The Catholic Biblical Quarterly. 71 (4): 762–775. ISSN 0008-7912. JSTOR 43726615.
  6. ^ Harrower, Michael J (Winter 2019). "Beta Samati: discovery and excavation of an Aksumite town" (PDF). Antiquity. 93 (372): 1534–52. doi:10.15184/aqy.2019.84 – via Cambridge.org.
  7. ^ Windmuller-Luna, Kristen. "Monumental Architecture of the Aksumite Empire". www.metmuseum.org. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  8. ^ "CHURCH FATHERS: Apologia ad Constantium (Athanasius)". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  9. ^ "This badass queen took revenge on Ethiopia in 960 AD for chopping off her breasts". Face2Face Africa. 2018-06-30. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  10. ^ a b Butler 1911, p. 95.
  11. ^ a b Butler 1911, p. 96.
  12. ^ a b "Martin Luther and Ethiopian Christianity: Historical Traces". The University of Chicago Divinity School. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  13. ^ a b c Mihretie, Kindeneh Endeg (2014). "Founded by, Dedicated to, and Fighting About the Holy Savior: Schism in Wald ba, a Microcosm of Factionalism in the Ethiopian Church". Northeast African Studies. 14 (1): 60.
  14. ^ Strauss, Stephen J. (1997). Perspectives on the Nature of Christ in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church: A Case Study in Contextualized Theology. Illinois: William Carey International University Press. pp. 78–85. ISBN 9780865850484.
  15. ^ Crummey, Donald (2012). "Pedro Páez's History of Ethiopia, 1622 (review)". The Catholic Historical Review. 98 (4): 835–836. doi:10.1353/cat.2012.0269. ISSN 1534-0708. S2CID 159736355.
  16. ^ Yumpu.com. "Gondar – Phi Kappa Psi". yumpu.com. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  17. ^ "The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church". www.ethiopianorthodox.org. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  18. ^ Sargent, Jesse (2018). "Following in Jesuit Footsteps". In Maryks, Robert Aleksander; Mkenda, Festo (eds.). Following in Jesuit Footsteps: British Expeditions to Ethiopia in the Early Victorian Era. Vol. 13. Brill. pp. 33–58. JSTOR 10.1163/j.ctvbqs62t.5. Retrieved 2022-08-21. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  19. ^ a b c d Admasu, Bitwoded; Mekonnen, Teferi; Sahile, Sisay (2023). "Exploring Christological Controversies in the Gondarine Period: The Significance of Amba Cara Council and the Role of Tawahedo and Qabat Monastic Clergies, 1622-1854". ERJSSH. 10 (2): 116–124.
  20. ^ a b c Strauss, Stephen J. (1997). Perspectives on the Nature of Christ in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church: A Case Study in Contextualized Theology. Illinois: William Carey International University Press. pp. 78–85. ISBN 9780865850484.
  21. ^ a b Binns, John (2020). The Orthodox Church of Ethiopia : A History. T&T Clark. p. 152. ISBN 978-0567695024.
  22. ^ Hammerschmidt, Ernst (1963). "A Brief History of German Contributions to the Study of Ethiopia". Journal of Ethiopian Studies. 1 (2): 30–48. ISSN 0304-2243. JSTOR 41965697.
  23. ^ "ethiopian orthodox church service". presma.upnvj.ac.id. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  24. ^ "Ethiopia: The Postwar Period, 1945-60: Reform and Opposition ~a HREF="/et_00_00.html#et_01_05"". memory.loc.gov. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  25. ^ "Pope Joseph II of Alexandria and Related Topics". hyperleapsite. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  26. ^ "Basilios | Ethiopian religious leader | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  27. ^ "Haile Selassie and the African Diaspora". Keraneyo MedhaneAlem. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  28. ^ "Ethiopia – Land Reform". countrystudies.us. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  29. ^ Ufheil-Somers, Amanda (1982-06-15). "Ethiopia's Revolution from Above". MERIP. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  30. ^ ""Common Declaration" of Pope Shenoudah III, Catholicos Aram I, and Patriarch Paulos". News and Media. Armenian Orthodox Church. 22 July 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-08-28.
  31. ^ "Ethiopia's exiled patriarch Bishop Merkorios returns". BBC News. 2018-08-01. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  32. ^ Haustein, Jörg; Østebø, Terje (2011-11-01). "EPRDF's revolutionary democracy and religious plurality: Islam and Christianity in post-Derg Ethiopia". Journal of Eastern African Studies. 5 (4): 755–772. doi:10.1080/17531055.2011.642539. ISSN 1753-1055. S2CID 59042446.
  33. ^ Goldman, Ari L. (22 September 1992). "U.S. Branch Leaves Ethiopian Orthodox Church". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  34. ^ Prunier, Gérard; Ficquet, Éloi (2015). Understanding Contemporary Ethiopia. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-1-84904-261-1.
  35. ^ "Ethiopian church patriarch Abune Paulos dies". BBC News. 16 August 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  36. ^ "Ethiopian church appoints Abune Mathias as patriarch". BBC News. 2013-03-01. Retrieved 2013-03-03.
  37. ^ "Ethiopian Church officially declared reunification in the presence of PM Abiy Ahmed". Borkena Ethiopian News. 2018-07-26. Archived from the original on 2021-09-11.
  38. ^ St, Addis; ard (2023-02-02). "News Analysis: As schism deepens, Orthodox Synod slams PM Abiy's remarks on ongoing crisis point by point, threaten to organize worldwide protest". Addis Standard. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
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