The Church of the East 

Persian Heritage & The Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon (410 AD)

The Church of the East is a treasure. Declaring itself the official Church of Persia in 410, its territory was much greater in size than any Church in Western Christendom. It dealt with legendary leaders of Persia, including Shapur II.  The Church of the East (Also known as the Assyrian Church) was heavily persecuted at various times by the Jewish population of Persia. It is still persecuted to this day. 

The School of Nisibis & Theological Orthodoxy

The great theological school at Nisibis often switched hands from Church of the East control to Roman influence, depending on which side was winning the Roman-Sassanian Wars. Ephrem the Syrian was one noted teacher at the school. As noted on the previous page, the Church of the East is fully Nicean, as well in full accord with orthodox teachings on the Blessed Mother and Christology. 

Aramaic Liturgy, Syrian Monasticism & Missionaries to China

The Church of the East employs the liturgies of Saints Addai and Mari, using Aramaic. Saint Rabban Hormizd is widely venerated in this Church, and the travellers Rabban Bar Sawama and his pupil Rabban Markos traveled from Yuan China to the Assyrian homeland, with the former venturing as a legate to Western Europe; Rabban Markos eventually was elected Patriarch and took the name Yahballaha III. 

Header image: Daqin Jingjiao Liuxing Zhongguo Bei (Ink rubbing detail of the Xi'an Nestorian Stele header). 781 AD (engraved). Ink rubbing on paper. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nestorians-1-.jpg.