The Great Church of the East: Inside the Synod of 410

In 410 CE, a remarkable gathering took place in the Sassanid capital of Ctesiphon: a synod that would define the shape of Christianity in Persia for centuries. Under the patronage of Shah Yazdegerd I and led by Catholicos Mar Isaac, the Church of the East—often called the Nestorian church—formalized its hierarchy, canon law, and theological stance. This episode takes you inside the Synod of 410: the political maneuvering between bishop and emperor, the delicate balance with Zoroastrian state religion, and the decisions that set this church on a path to becoming the most geographically widespread Christian tradition before the modern era. Drawing on Syriac records like the Synodicon Orientale, Lucas and Luna explore how a minority faith navigated persecution, imperial favor, and schism. They also touch on the church's mission networks that would eventually reach India, Central Asia, and China. For listeners who enjoyed earlier episodes on the Sassanid Church and the Nestorian Stele, this one fills in a critical missing piece—the foundational moment when a persecuted sect became a structured, state-recognized institution. #SynodOf410 #ChurchOfTheEast #MarIsaac #YazdegerdI #SassanidEmpire #Ctesiphon #SyriacChristianity #Nestorian #Zoroastrianism #Catholicos #CouncilOfSeleuciaCtesiphon #PersianChristianity #SynodiconOrientale #LateAntiquity #ChurchHistory #ChristianityInIran #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo