What do you think?
Rate this book
The Church and Social Reform: The Policies of the Patriarch Athanasios of Constantinople
The Church and Social Reform studies the nature and extent of Athanasios’ social reforms and political involvement during his two tenures on the patriarchal throne of Constantiople. The traditional influence, power, and authority that resided in the patriarchate of Constantinople made the involvement of an aggressive patriarch in the social affairs of the empire virtually inevitable.
181 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
Read
May 12, 2021Boojamra. Publisher: Fordham University Press, 1993. Hardback, 181 pages.
The Church and Social Reform is a book aimed at the student of history, not the reforming activist. It is a highly-structured book, exhaustively researched and documented, yet the writing hits a readable balance between the causal and the academic.
The period Boojamra examines is the turn of the 13th century. The Romans (their self-reference, not today’s term “Byzantines”) had regained Constantinople in 1271 from the Latins of Western Europe. The leadership stumbled badly in its attempt at full Church reunification with the 1274 Union of Lyon. Muslim conquests to the south and east had stripped the reconstituted Empire of much-needed farmland and tax base. Constantinople was flooded with refugees and unable to defend its interests any distance from the city.
Athanasios served two stints as Patriarch under the Emperor Andronikos. Despite generally having the Emperor’s favor and being a strong booster of the Emperor’s central role in establishing and executing comprehensive reforms across society, Athanasios was stymied in almost all his grander intentions. While insistent to a fault in calling the Emperor to be God’s regent on earth, as well as haranguing those within the Church whom he believed to be self-indulgent to make great sacrifices on behalf of the suffering people, he failed to make any sweeping progress in righting society. The empire’s resources were too few, the Emperor’s leadership weaknesses were too great, and the need among the people was too dire. Nevertheless, Athanasios never tired in his attempts to root out corruption and profiteering and see that their society’s scarce resources were shared with equity.
Athanasius was no frustrated sentimentalist or do-gooder. His policies were a call to social justice and action based on evangelical purity, mutuality, and prophetic righteousness. … Above all, his reforms were a call to action and a continual reminder that “word and work” were inseparable aspects of Christian life and true repentance; the salvation of the empire lay in works, not in belief. (4)
The Patriarch and his earnest rigor were opposed by many among both the secular and sacred elite but made him loved by many of Constantinople’s citizens. His “bottom up” canonization seemed to begin even during his lifetime. His feast day is 28 October.
[Athanasios writes:] “For the sake of [the Kingdom of God] the Lord thought it just to have rich and poor in the world, so that He might make the former heirs of his Kingdom on account of their mercy and compassion, and the latter through a patient and thankful spirit. It is in our power, therefore, … to gain heaven or hell through our works.” (115)
The Church and Social Reform is a book aimed at the student of history, not the reforming activist. It is a highly-structured book, exhaustively researched and documented, yet the writing hits a readable balance between the causal and the academic.
The period Boojamra examines is the turn of the 13th century. The Romans (their self-reference, not today’s term “Byzantines”) had regained Constantinople in 1271 from the Latins of Western Europe. The leadership stumbled badly in its attempt at full Church reunification with the 1274 Union of Lyon. Muslim conquests to the south and east had stripped the reconstituted Empire of much-needed farmland and tax base. Constantinople was flooded with refugees and unable to defend its interests any distance from the city.
Athanasios served two stints as Patriarch under the Emperor Andronikos. Despite generally having the Emperor’s favor and being a strong booster of the Emperor’s central role in establishing and executing comprehensive reforms across society, Athanasios was stymied in almost all his grander intentions. While insistent to a fault in calling the Emperor to be God’s regent on earth, as well as haranguing those within the Church whom he believed to be self-indulgent to make great sacrifices on behalf of the suffering people, he failed to make any sweeping progress in righting society. The empire’s resources were too few, the Emperor’s leadership weaknesses were too great, and the need among the people was too dire. Nevertheless, Athanasios never tired in his attempts to root out corruption and profiteering and see that their society’s scarce resources were shared with equity.
Athanasius was no frustrated sentimentalist or do-gooder. His policies were a call to social justice and action based on evangelical purity, mutuality, and prophetic righteousness. … Above all, his reforms were a call to action and a continual reminder that “word and work” were inseparable aspects of Christian life and true repentance; the salvation of the empire lay in works, not in belief. (4)
The Patriarch and his earnest rigor were opposed by many among both the secular and sacred elite but made him loved by many of Constantinople’s citizens. His “bottom up” canonization seemed to begin even during his lifetime. His feast day is 28 October.
[Athanasios writes:] “For the sake of [the Kingdom of God] the Lord thought it just to have rich and poor in the world, so that He might make the former heirs of his Kingdom on account of their mercy and compassion, and the latter through a patient and thankful spirit. It is in our power, therefore, … to gain heaven or hell through our works.” (115)
Displaying 1 of 1 review