Audonian Christianity
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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
Establishment of a distinct church
Council of Marand
Rise of the Caliphate
Partial reunion with Urceopolis
Overview of beliefs
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.