Church history is a story that has been unfolding for 2,000 years. Many of the theologians and church leaders that have played an important role in this story lived within the borders of modern-day Turkey. Also, there have been many important churches on this soil over the years.
For example, in the middle of the 6th century during the reign of Justinian I, a church administration system known as the “pentarchy” became official. In this system the Christian world was divided into 5 sections and every section had a central seat of power in a major city. These cities were Rome, Constantinople (or Istanbul, as it is known today), Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. So 2 of early Christianity’s seats of authority were located in modern Turkey.
In addition to being the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) became a sort of central hub for Christianity. The Hagia Sophia, constructed there, was the largest domed church in the world for a very long time. The Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Eastern Orthodox church (it’s highest level of authority) is still active in Istanbul today.
Also, there is a group of people known as the “church fathers” in the history of Christianity. Their writings were important for Christian theology. Below is a list some of the church fathers who were active in modern-day Turkey during the early years of Christianity, along with the place in which they served and the estimated years of their birth/death.
- Ignatius of Antioch.(Antioch, AD 35-110)
- Polycarp (Smyrna, modern-day Izmir, AD 69-155)
- Melito of Sardis (Sardis, modern-day Manisa, AD 180)
- Gregory of Nazianzus (Cappadocia and Istanbul, AD 330-390)
- Gregory of Nyssa (Cappadocia, AD 332-394)
- Basil of Caesarea (Cappadocia, AD 329-379)
- Epiphianus (Cyprus, AD 302-403)
- John Chrysostom (Istanbul, 349-407)
Of course this list could be greatly extended. With a quick internet search anyone can find more information about each one of these church fathers.
The Hagia Sophia, very important in the history of Christianity, has been converted into a mosque.
The 5 cities of the pentarchy and their jurisdiction.
Ignatius of Antioch was martyred in Rome for his faith in Christ.
Conclusion
Though Christianity is commonly understood to be a western idea that has come to us from the outside through force, we can see that the truth of the matter is completely different. If we consider the fact that the very term “Christian” was first used in Antioch, we can say that the exact opposite is true: The Christian faith went from Turkey to the rest of the world! We can see from both the bible and historical studies that the area now known as Turkey played a very important role in church history. And it seems that no other country in the world has so rich a history of influence and importance in the Christian story. For this reason Christianity is a part of our inheritance and should be protected and supported. If you want to learn more about the things discussed in these articles you can read the sources noted in the footnotes, visit a protestant church near you or request a free New Testament online.