Audonian Christianity

Ancient Audonian cross in modern Yanuban.

Audonian Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in northwestern and western Audonia. The term does not describe a single communion or religious denomination, but does describe a shared current of beliefs and traditions among historic Christians originating in the region. For much of its history, the largest body of Audonian Christianity was the Audonian Church of the East, a Church which had official dhimmi status within the Oduniyyad Caliphate and was lead by the Patriarch of Marand. Prior to the Crusades, this form of Christianity also underwent growth in eastern Sarpedon as it was viewed by Caliphal authorities to be politically preferable to Catholicism due to its ties to Caphiria and the Holy Levantine Empire.

Name

The term "Audonian Christianity" began to be used in the Occident in the 9th century, and the term was not originally used by its adherents. The term "Audonian" as a geographical signifier originates around the same time and derives from the Oduniyyad Caliphate. Believers would have simply referred to themselves as Christians or Eastern Christians prior to the widespread popularization of the term even among its adherents.

Adherents of this form of Christianity were occasionally referred to as Marandite in the Occident, reflecting the historic Patriarch of the Audonian Christian form of faith. Accordingly, many modern Audonian Christian believers have taken to using the term to refer to their branch of Christianity.

History

Origins

Christian communities in Audonia are some of the oldest historically attested groups, with Christianity existing there prior to its adoption and spread by the Ancient Istroyan civilization. Despite this, the major Twelve Apostles are not buried in Audonia and few sees of Apostolic origin exist besides that of the Bishop of Marand. The Marand See was said to have been established by Saint Simon the Zealot who according to legend was its first Bishop.

Establishment of a distinct church

Council of Marand

In 343 AD, the Bishops of the Church in Audonia convened a Council in Marand. Besides having affirmed the determinations of the first Ecumenical Council on the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Council also proclaimed a Patriarchate in Marand, recognizing that See's longstanding leadership of Audonian Christians and alleged Apostolic origin. The Patriarchate was subsequently recognized by leaders of the Occidental Church in the years to come and affirmed at the next Ecumenical Council in 381.

Rise of the Caliphate

Establishment in Levantia

Main article: Hištanšahr

With the growing power of the Oduniyyad Caliphate, many prominent Audonian Christian nobles and thinkers began to flee the continent beginning in 660. One such individual was Prince Artaxerxes of the Ashrafinid Empire, who took his small army of retainers to Levantia and conquered small native polities in ca 680, establishing the Principality of Hištanšahr. The Principality would persist until the 11th century with an Audonian Christian ruling class and nobility. Though the religion made limited inroads with the indigenous peoples of the Principality who largely retained their Catholic faith, the Principality nonetheless became a place of refuge of many Audonian Christians and noteworthy theologians of the 7th and 8th centuries. Audonian Christianity had several lasting impacts on the liturgy and church design of the Gassavelian people that would emerge from the Levanto-Audonian cultural exchange in Hištanšahr.

Decline of the Church

Alshari development

While membership and diocese of the Audonian Church declined in Audonia itself, the lasting cultural influence of the Caliphate in Alshar allowed for the introduction of Christianity there during the medieval period. The Church of the Far East, as modern scholars refer to it, was established between 1075 and 1150.

Overview of beliefs

Christology

The historic Audonian Christian tradition embraced the position of Dyophysitism and Monothelitism, with most adherents stating that Jesus Christ has a fully human and fully divine nature, but only one will. While dyophysitism is the orthodox position most Occidental churches, monothelitism is contrary to the Occidental orthodox position of dyothelitism, which teaches the existence of two wills. This position developed gradually in the early 600s as a compromise position between Occidental orthodox positions of the rest of the Christian Church and the growing monophysite majority of Audonian believers, but the compromise position was condemned by a Church synod held in Caphiria in 624. Attempts to reconcile the positions were cut short by the rise of the Oduniyyad Caliphate, and with time monothelitism became entrenched in both Church teaching and the beliefs of the general public.

Liturgy

Many of the churches and segments of Audonian Christianity practice using ancient Audonian languages, and the Syriac liturgy is most commonly employed. The prevalence of the Arabic language by the late 8th century also lead to its adoption in some Audonian liturgical traditions.

Churches

Patriarchate of Marand

The role of the Patriarch of Marand, the head of the Audonian Church, was said to have to have originated with Saint Thomas, and is historically attested to beginning in the early 2nd century AD.

Patriarchate of Elateia

Under the direction of the Oduniyyad Caliph and with the sanction of the Patriarch of Marand, a new patriarchal Church was erected in eastern Sarpedon under the Patriarch of Elateia. The Patriarchate was intended to be the official Christian dhimmi in Sarpedon in opposition to the authority of the Catholic Church.

Marandite Catholic Church

The Marandite Catholic Church is a particular church (sui iuris) in full communion with the Holy See. The Church's origin lay in the increased influence of traders from South Dericania during the early 16th century and the establishment of Latin Catholic Churches in Audonia for the first time around 1550. This period coincided with the final decline and fall of the Oduniyyad Caliphate. The arrival of the Latins and contact with Urceopolis created a significant controversy within the existing Marandite communities.