How the Church of the East Outlasted the Sassanids

When the Arab conquest swept away the Sassanid Empire in the 7th century, one institution not only survived but thrived: the Church of the East. This episode follows the church from the fall of Ctesiphon to its golden age under the Abbasid Caliphate, where Patriarch Timothy I became a trusted advisor to Caliph al-Mahdi. We explore how the church's missionary networks, from India to China, its schools in Nisibis and Jundishapur, and its willingness to engage with Islamic theology allowed it to navigate the new order. The Nestorian patriarchs moved their seat to Baghdad, translating Greek philosophy into Arabic while preserving Syriac liturgy. We also touch on the limits of toleration: the occasional persecutions, the jizya tax, and the theological debates that could turn deadly. The Church of the East's story is one of adaptation—how a minority faith became a bridge between civilizations, and how its legacy echoes in the Christian communities still scattered across Iraq and Iran today. #ChurchOfTheEast #Nestorian #AbbasidCaliphate #SassanidEmpire #TimothyI #Jundishapur #Nisibis #Ctesiphon #Baghdad #ArabConquest #ChristianityInIslam #Syriac #MissionaryHistory #Dhimmi #History #FexingoHistory #ReligionAndEmpire #IslamicGoldenAge Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo