Faith History and Culture

Faith history and culture have impacted human history in all places and times.
Faith is connected through belief in a Higher Power.
Human experience reveals that people throughout the ages have looked for something transcendent on which to build their lives or find refuge in a Higher Power and to find expression through religious rituals and cultural traditions.
Cultural assets are found in the language, religion, history, culture and legends that characterizes a society and its people.
Faith history and culture are passed down through the generations to record a way of life and help people to understand how they got to where they are today.
Distinctive Greek cultural assets find expression in its songs, dances, foods and family traditions.
The Greek Orthodox faith provides opportunities to experience the services and celebrations of the Mysteries of Jesus Christ's Birth, Life, Death and Resurrection.
Classical Greece
Western Civilization traces its roots to Classical Greece which was the first and most prominent ancient European civilization that reached its greatest peak during its 5th century BC Golden Age of literary, artistic, architectural, scientific and philosophical achievements.
Philosophers of Classical Civilization's, ancient Greece such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle laid the foundation of western thought through logic and reason.
Herodotus - Father of History
Ancient Greek historian, Herodotus is known as the "Father of History" because he was the first historian to collect and document historical events in the Western world through eyewitness accounts then wrote about his conclusions in a storyteller's manner.
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great (20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), King of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, was one of the most powerful and successful military commanders in history and whose empire spread across three continents created a legacy through the Hellenistic Age (4th to 1st century BC) that made Greek culture and language, the international language - the language of the Bible and its use to spread early Christianity throughout the Roman Empire.
The Renaissance
Three outstanding figures of the Renaissance that began in Florence, Italy, were Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Michelangelo (1475-1564), and Raphael (1483-1520).
The Renaissance from the 14th century to the early 17th century is the cultural and artistic "rebirth" of Greek and Roman Antiquity of classical philosophy, literature and art and challenged established ways of thinking.
The Renaissance started around the years 1350 to 1400 in Florence, Italy through its writers, painters, architects, and philosophers.
It transformed Florence then, the other Italian city-states such as Venice, Milan, Bologna, Ferrara and Rome.
Then, during the 15th century, Renaissance ideas spread from Italy to France and throughout western and northern Europe.

History

Faith History and Culture
Historians ask questions about how and why events happened in order to understand the past and how they have evolved over time to gain valuable insights into the present and future.
Specific times and places of historical events and powerful leaders have profoundly shaped the structure of the world through human migrations, revolutions, religions, empires, industrialization and wars.
Western Culture is Based on Three Historical Factors
1. Ancient Greece
2. Roman Empire
3. Christianity
Ancient Greece influenced all three historical factors.
Faith History and Culture
Europe
Steeped in faith, history and culture, many European countries experienced foreign occupation, border changes over the centuries, colonization and the discovery of the New World, the development of international trade and religious practices have all influenced the lives of people throughout Europe.
Europe is a world leader in art, architecture, food and fashion, it has the most iconic, World Heritage-listed sites, there are famous cities of antiquity like Athens and Rome and there are the cultural and historical treasures of London, Paris, Vienna, Venice, Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Barcelona and Stockholm to name just a few.
Rome
It was The Edict of Milan in February, 313 AD by two Roman emperors, Constantine and Licinius that Christianity was granted religious toleration and decreed that Roman citizens had, “the liberty to observe the religion of their choice and mode of worship.”
Great Britain
The reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603) marked the English Renaissance by some of the greatest poets and literary writers of the period and for its vibrant theater era as William Shakespeare and others composed plays that we still read and watch today.
Naval triumph over the Spanish Armada laid the foundation of the future British Empire as a global super power from 1776 controlling the economies of many countries, with one-fourth of the global population owing allegiance during the reign of Queen Victoria from June 20, 1837 to January 22, 1901.
World War II and its Aftermath
The war years of the 1940s was defined by World War II and the Holocaust that brought death, suffering and displacement manifesting in the dawn of the nuclear age and the beginning of the Cold War which divided the world into two armed camps.

Faith

Faith History and Culture
We need peace of mind.
We need courage and hope.
We need guidance and direction.
We need a light that illuminates our path toward our dreams.
Faith is a spiritual asset that opens our eyes to transcendence (experience beyond the physical level) that sparks the imagination to spiritual realities.
Spiritual inspiration fills one with an inner sense of peace and comfort that only God and Jesus Christ can offer.
Through serving and giving, we share the love we've been given by God through our unique talents, personalities and abilities.
We honor our Savior, Jesus Christ Who came to serve and to give.
We experience the Presence of God in the faces of those we serve.
And, our senses experience God's Creation's above, around and beyond that fill the mind with beauty and contentment.
With faith in God, we see and hear things that the “eye has not seen, nor ear heard” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible."
Thomas Aquinas

True Life Story of an ex-Atheist, Ian McCormack's Near Death Experience (NDE)

Faith History and Culture

Faith History and Culture
Culture is a "way of life" of people living in an environment with shared beliefs, values and traditions.
It defines a people's national identity and unique heritage that is identified by its language, customs, food, dress, arts, architecture as well as the religious rituals of its people.
It includes historic monuments, significant landscapes, archive materials, books, works of art, artifacts and folklore.
The Parthenon-Athens Greece
The Parthenon on the Acropolis is an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece and one of the world's greatest monuments that has been emulated the world over in modern structures.
It showcases the grandeur and the power of Athens at its peak during the 5th century BC.
Italy
Spaghetti, pizza and lasagna are classic foods that are an important part of Italy's food history and have made the Italian cuisine famous around the world.
The modern pizza was first created in Naples on June 11, 1889 by the Neapolitan pizzamaker Raffaele Esposito garnished with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, to represent the national colors of the Italian flag (basil for green, mozzarella for white, and tomatoes for red) for the visit of King Umberto and the Queen consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy.
His pizza creation was named "Pizza Margherita" to honor the Queen.
Great Britain
Fish and chips with salt and vinegar and wrapped in newspaper from the local fish and chip shop was a cheap, staple food consisting of fried battered fish and hot chips became a regular meal among the working classes in England.
Other classic British dishes include the Full English Breakfast, Sunday Roast with Yorkshire Pudding, Lancashire hotpot, Haggis, Bangers and mash, Cornish Pasties, Steak and Kidney Pie, Shepherd's Pie, Cumberland Sausage and Sticky Toffee Pudding.
The legend of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, dressed in Lincoln green in English folklore is portrayed as a popular folk hero through his generosity to the poor and down-trodden peasants during medieval England's oppressive feudal system.
Paris-France
Paris, the "City of Love" is the capital of France and a world-renowned center for art, fashion, cuisine, and culture.
Its language, 19th-century skyline, the River Seine, its romantic chateaux and the iconic Eiffel Tower has made Paris one of the most romantic cities in the world and a popular honeymoon destination.

Biblical Asia Minor

Faith History and Culture
After Jerusalem, the second most important place for spreading Christianity was Asia Minor.
Hellenistic Antioch
It was at Antioch that Gentiles (non-Jew) were first baptized into the Christian church and were called Christian.
From Antioch, Saint Paul set out on his first missionary journey to Christianize the gentile (non-Jew) world.
And, it was at Antioch that Matthew’s First Gospel of the New Testament was written following the Great Commission.
Hellenistic Alexandria
Alexandria was a center for Biblical Studies where the Septuagint (Greek version of the Hebrew Bible) was commissioned, which was the oldest Greek version of the Old Testament.
Biblical Asia Minor was also the birthplace of many famous Greek Saints which included Saint Paul (a Jew born in Tarsus, Asia Minor), Saint Luke the Evangelist, Saint Timothy, Saint George, Saint Nicholas, Saint Basil and Saint Helene (the mother of the Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great) to name just a few.
Byzantium became famous as Constantinople and capital of the first Orthodox, Christian Empire.
The Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great and his mother Helene are venerated as Saints by the Orthodox Church with their Feast Day being May 21.
Orthodox Centers Evangelized by the Apostles
*Centers founded throughout Greece by Saint Paul.
*Antiochian, Asia Minor churches founded by Saint Peter.
*Egyptian churches founded by Saint Mark (including the Ethiopian of Africa or Abyssinia).
*Syrian (or Assyrian), along with the Byzantine, Georgian and Russian churches founded by Saint Andrew.
*Armenian church, as well as the churches of Samaria and Judea founded by Saint Jude and Saint Bartholomew.
*Church of Jerusalem founded by Saint James.
Saint John the Evangelist
The Apostle John the Evangelist was exiled in the first century AD to the Greek island of Patmos, then, a Roman penal colony near Asia Minor for being Christian.
According to Revelation 1:11, Jesus Christ instructs John of Patmos to: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven Churches declaring the triumphs and failings of those churches and to warn each congregation to repent.
Seven Churches of Revelation
Revelation’s seven churches were Christian communities in Asia Minor that received Jesus Christ's Apocalyptic Message and then spread to the rest of the Christian communities of Asia Minor.
1. Ephesus
Ephesus (Greek: Ἔφεσος), built by Ionian Greek colonists in the 10th century BC.
During Early Christianity, the church at Ephesus is representative of the Apostolic Period from 30 AD to 95 A.D when the Church was involved in Christian Doctrine.
2. Smyrna
Smyrna, Asia Minor's greatest ancient Greek city was founded in the 11th century BC by Aeolian Greek settlers.
The church at Smyrna represents the persecuted church (martyr church) that existed from 95 AD to about 312 AD and existed at the time that the Book of Revelation was written.
The other Churches of Revelation are:
3. Pergamum
4. Thyatira
5. Sardis
6. Philadelphia
7. Laodicea
Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the Christian symbol of faith that was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea, Asia Minor in 325 AD.
Written in Greek, it is one of the most famous and influential creeds in the history of faith because it conveys the core Tenets of Christianity - it settled the question of how Christians can worship one God and the Divinity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
The Nicene Creed's principal liturgical use is in the context of both baptism and the Eucharist in the East and in the context of the Eucharist in the West.
Adopted into Latin liturgies between the 8th and 11th centuries.
Translated into English in 1970, 1971 and 1975

Biblical Greece

Faith History and Culture
Christianity emerged in Judea during the Roman Empire and enforced by Roman law but was dominated by the Hellenistic culture and language of Alexander the Great ushered in from the 4th century BC.
The main centers of early Christianity were the four Greek-speaking in the East:
*Jerusalem
*Antioch
*Alexandria
*Constantinople (Byzantium)
*Rome was the Latin-speaking center in the West.
Greek philosophy provided the intellectual foundation for Christian theology during the first to the fourth centuries to shape early Christian belief.
The New Testament was written in the Greek language to reach the broader Gentile (non-Jew) audience because Greek was the primary language of scholarship, for business, social communication and trade between cultures.
Hellenistic Age
The Hellenistic Age (4th to 1st century BC) dominated much of the Mediterranean and Middle East.
Greek became the international language of the Greco-Roman Period (332 BC - 395 AD).
Hellenism and Judaism formed the basis of Early Christianity.
Christianity was able to spread and flourish because the Eastern half of the Roman Empire was Hellenized.
The Apostles names were Hellenized and Greek names were also given to children throughout Judea and the Diaspora (e.g. Andrew, Peter, Paul, Thomas, Simon Philip, Alexander, Jason).
The Septuagint (Old Testament) is a translation of the Law of Moses from Hebrew into Greek by 132 BC - its name means "translation by seventy men".
The New Testament was written in Greek between 50 and 120 AD.
Greek was used to preach the Gospel of Christ throughout the Roman Empire.
The Bible was translated into Latin between 383 and 404 by St Jerome - known as the Biblia Vulgata.
The first English translation of the Bible was produced by Miles Coverdale in 1535.
Faith History and Culture
Saint Paul
Greece received the early Gospel Message direct from the Apostle Paul as documented in in the book of Acts in the Bible creating early centers of Christianity with Gentile adherents in the predominantly Greek-speaking eastern half of the Roman Empire.
Greece became the third most important place for spreading Christianity.
It then spread throughout the Hellenistic world and beyond the Roman Empire into Assyria, Mesopotamia, Armenia, Georgia and Persia.
His journey in Greece touches not only the believers but also everybody who loves history.
Saint Paul's Gentile doctrine would change the course of Christianity from a small sect of Judaism that ultimately, became a world faith with many Christian denominations.
Saint Paul's Missionary Journey to Greece
Saint Paul made two missionary journeys to Greece between 53 and 61 AD to bring Christianity to its people.
From there, it spread quickly throughout Western Europe.
Saint Paul established the first European, Christian community in Philippi, Macedonia, around 49 or 50 AD.
It lead to the conversion of Lydia (Greek: Λυδία) of Thyatira, Asia Minor, a purple merchant, who is regarded as the first documented convert to Christianity in Europe.
She was Saint Paul's first baptized convert at Philippi.
Saint Paul established the second Christian community and church in Thessaloniki, Greece in 49 or 50 AD.
He established a Christian community in Corinth in 50 AD.
Athens was converted to Christianity in 51 AD where Saint Paul delivered his famous Areopagus sermon.
Saint Paul Christianized Rhodes Island in 51 AD when he arrived in Lindos.
A chapel dedicated to St. Paul overlooks the Bay of St. Paul where he first landed.
Samos was evangelized in 58 AD.
Crete was evangelized in 61 AD.
Saint Luke the Evangelist
The Early Christian Church ascribes to Saint Luke the Evangelist {Greek: Λουκάς - Loukas}, the Greek physician and Christian Historian, authorship of both the Gospel according to Luke and the Book of Acts of the Apostles of the New Testament.
Saint Luke was the first iconographer to paint the image of our Blessed Virgin Mary, holding the Infant Jesus in her arms - in particular, the icon of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) which became known as the Hodegetria image in Constantinople.
Saint Timothy
Saint Timothy who was born in Asia Minor to a Jewish mother and Greek father is a co-author on 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in the Holy Bible.

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