L5. Missions to the Ends of the Earth - The Silk Road
Event Information
Description
In 431, the 3rd Council of the Church led to great disagreement so that by the end of the 5th century, there were essentially 3 traditions of Christianity:
- European Christianity based on Latin.
- African Christianity based on Coptic.
- Asian Christianity based on Syriac.
This lecture will outline how Christians from Persia led missions that reached China in 635 AD. In 1625, physical evidence of this was first discovered in Xian, China. Subsequently, more documents were found in Dunhuang, Gansu province and in the mighty Taklamakan desert of Xinjiang province.
How does this very early strand of Eastern Christianity that had little to do with Rome help us think about the early history of the faith.