Page 312 - Orthodoxy Zizioulas

O r t h o d o x y
The Historical Origins
of the Modern World
Tthe Church lives “in the world” but is not “of the world.”
History is conventionally divided into periods marked
by events or developments that bring about a profound
change in the perception of life and the world—changes ac-
companied by ruptures in social, political, economic, reli-
gious, and cultural life across wide regions and long spans of
time. Such divisions are usually made only after sufficient
time has passed, since they presuppose an awareness of their
significance. They serve not only the systematization of his-
torical material but also offer the historically conscious per-
son the ability to position themselves critically toward their
own thoughts and actions, grasping not only the past but
also the present and the future. In this way, awareness of the
“world” in which one lives is linked not only with knowledge
but also with the exercise of freedom.
These observations apply equally to the life of the Church.
The Church has its own history, shaped by theanthropic fac-
tors that are not always visible through common historical
methods. Yet its life is also profoundly influenced by events of
secular history. The persecutions of the early centuries, as well
as their abolition by Constantine the Great, decisively shaped
the Church’s internal life. At the same time, the Church itself
has exercised a powerful influence on history. Church and
world interpenetrate one another, even though they do not
coincide in their nature or in their history.
For this reason, the Church cannot be indifferent to the
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