Apostolic Church of Themiclesia

Church of Themiclesia
Classification	Oriental Rite
Governance	Episcopal
Bishop Metropolitan	TBD
Language	Shinasthana
Liturgy	Oriental
Origin	6th century
Separations	Reformed (1670)
Members	192,400 (2019)
Church buildings	584
Hospitals	40
Secondary schools	14
Tax status	Taxable as non-profit
Tertiary institutions	2

The Apostolic Church of Themiclesia (震旦祝術, der-tan-twa-luts; lit. "Path of Themiclesian Rite") is an autonomous Christian church founded in the mid-14th century. It follows a rite that is most closely associated with Beniran but relatively distant to Sylvan, Kyrian, and Letnian Orthodox Rites.  The church's theology is derived from that of several Benirani sects that did not find favour in Vinya or Casaterra, which may have motivated its spread abroad. In Themiclesia, the church sometimes enjoyed royal patronage but at other times was subject to restriction.

It faced stern competition from missionaries of the Sylvan Church starting in the 16th century and those of the Anglican Church in the 17th. However, it was recognized as the most senior Christian denomination in Themiclesia on account of antiquity in 1712 by Emperor Gwits-men. The Church has lost followers to both other strands of Christianity and its internal schism in 1670 with the Reformed Church, which believed that monotheism was required by the Bible. In 2019, the Church has 492,400 registered members who make an annual donation, but regular churchgoers are thought to be fewer.

The Church is led by the Perpetual Sin Synod (辛亙會) since 1501, which ordains its own members and decides doctrinal, ecclesiastical, and pastoral questions. The Archbishop of Kien-k'ang is the senior bishop and automatic president of the Council, but his vote on the Council is equal to all other members.

History

Early success

The theologians Androcles of Andhanapratha and Sukhanura of Gasthana shipwrecked on the Themiclesian coast around 530, having been bound for Maverica. There, they were invited to the court of King Ngjon of Rjang and preached to him. Ngjon reportedly asked, "Is your god the god of your clan (乃室示) or of your city-state (乃邦示)?" Sukhanura replied, "He is the god of as many man that walks in your royal realm and any other realm, of kings and of paupers, and of men and of women." Ngjon then asked, "What do his worshippers obtain from him?" Androcles answers, "Our god redresses pains and sufferings. He gives the ill health, the hungry satisfaction, and the dying life." Ngjon was astounded by broad promises about the new god and ordered the Chief Justice to allocate premises and building materials that the theologians may "construct their temple, house their god, and perform worship" (作宗家厥示用祀).

In the funeral of King Ngjon in 540, Androcles and Sukhanura were commanded to read their god's spells during the Final Night of the pjuk ceremony (part of the royal funerary rites), joining the renowned 1,800 Buddhist clerics and 1,800 cult priests performing the same, to ward off decay from the king's body. It is unclear how the courtiers reacted to their spells. The two theologians agreed with the Chief Cleric (a Buddhist official at court) that half of the king's 20,000 slaves, who had toiled for years to construct his mausoleum, should be freed in memory of the king. Some became early converts in Themiclesia; the theologians told them, "serve your god like you have served your king." ′Jogh, the slave who accepted Ancrocles' order to fetch converts, was canonized as saint after his death.

Threats and tolerance

Androcles' and Sukhanura's early success met a setback when conservative courtiers deposed Ngjon's successor in 542 and installed Emperor Wŏn of Chŏllo as the new sovereign in 543. Because the theologians supported the wrong faction at court, they were severed from the new monarch's patronage. Maverican hostility to the weakened Themiclesian state only further caused doubt as to both the theologians' and the Buddhist clerics' allegiances, as it was clear they came from Maverica. The exiled Menghean emperor, crowned as Emepror Ngjon in 543, patronized the State Cult to emphasize his supremacy at the expense of both the Buddhists and Christians. Ngjon ordered that the Buddhists and Christians must sacrifice and read prayers to their gods for his benefit or be banished as polluting cults. In response, the dying Androcles and Sukhanura authored the Book of Doctrines (諸教) in 545 that officially declared:

我一以皇帝室顯有茲震旦列邦，皇帝首厥室，徹祭于祀惟邦政群祀不以灋皇帝尊。

It is our dogma that the house of Emperor is the legitimate royal house of Themiclesia, and the Emperor is the legitimate head of the House, and no sacrifice or ceremony for our god will ever diniminish the supremacy of the throne in all its politics and worships in Themiclesia.

Perhaps in response to good behaviour, the new ruler in 570 decreed toleration for both Buddhists and Christians, who were prohibited from 543 to convert buildings as houses of worship. This was not a significant problem for Buddhists, since there were already dozens of monasteries and convents, but there was a single church in Themiclesia founded by the two theologians. The first Christian patriarch of Themiclesia, declared with royal patronage in 572, inserted a new prayer into the liturgy to give thanks for the patronage and tolerance of the Themiclesian ruler, ostensibly as part of a policy to avoid conflicts.

For most of the 6th and 7th centuries, the number of followers is largely unknown, as they very rarely appear on official histories. However, in 701, the Church was apparently popular enough to warrant political intervention in the selection of its leaders.

Doctrine

The doctrine of the Church is set forth by first high priest that landed in Themiclesia as follows:

Christology

Modern scholars think the Church of Themiclesia originated from one of the forms of Christianity that was considered heretical in the ecumenal councils summoned by the Sylvan emperors in the 4th and 5th centuries. The Church recognizes Jesus Christ as the prophesied messiah that God has promised for the delivery of only the holy nation, and the delivery of other nations from earthly pain and suffering will occur at different times and through different means. It came to be clarified in Themiclesia that the people of other nations can too be delivered by Christ, provided they too worship the god of the holy nation as he is revealed to them. This, they reasoned, is because some of the Apostles were not part of the holy nation but were accepted into his following with the adoption of its religion.

The Church accepts that Jesus Christ possesses two distinct natures, human and divine, that exist without intersection.

Non-trinitarian

The Church of Themiclesia professes a non-trinitarian view of God in the Book of Doctrines, attributed to its founding theologian in 545. The book states that the relationship between Jesus Christ and God, often called son and father respectively in the Scriptures, is to be taken as a metaphor for the relationship between the Biblical figures Abraham and Issac. The Church also teaches that the Holy Ghost is a manifestation of God on Earth but not a separate person, as in a being with a separate thought or faculty.

Female ordination

Since 1951, the Church has ordained female priests.

Secular authority

The Book of Doctrines state that God has appointed kings over the people that wields certain powers for good government, and it is a sin for the Church's followers to disobey Themiclesia's legitimate monarch, unless he has made it impossible continue the sacraments (禋).  The Old Testament, particularly Exodus 10:28, is emphasized for this reason, teaching that those who disobey their king will die, even if they professed faith in God and the king was a heathen. The Book of Doctrines provides that consequences for misrule can only come from God, and that any challenge by subjects towards their kings is treason.

Abortion

The Church is officially agnostic on the subject of abortions, except when a pregnant mother's life is threatened by the pregnancy, in which case it is "lawful and holy" to terminate the pregnancy.

Mosaic law

The Church professes that the laws of Moses were given by God to the holy people, and different laws have been given to Themiclesia and that Themiclesians become holy via the observance of the Ecumenal sacraments and thus eligible for salvation offered to the the holy people through the messiah Jesus Christ. Homosexuality, a common controversy amongst Themiclesian Christians, is thus not considered an sinful under CoT doctrine. However, the Church does maintain that Mosaic law continues to be applicable to the holy people, as this is their covenant with the demiurge god.

Views of other religion

The Church of Themiclesia views its doctrine as a derivative of that of the holy nation, made available to Themiclesians via the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, it is agnostic about the existence of other gods. In the Dogma of 1670, the Bishop of Kien-k'ang stated that, "our god the creator revealed himself to us through his son Christ, but we know he has revealed himself to the other nations in other names and persons; nor do we know how or if other gods have revealed themselves to their followers. It is the holy tradition that our god is the one who have made the world, have made mankind, and have given Jesus Christ for the salvation of the holy people and all that is holy according to the Gospel; it is not the holy tradition that no other god exists."

Over the issue of monotheism, the Reformed Church broke off in 1670, believing that the Old Testament denied the existence of different deities. The Old Church, on the other hand, provided that the Old Testament explicitly confirmed the existence of other gods and did not dispute their worship by the other nations. Furthermore, the bishops of the period believed that the so-called "idols" may also be manifestations of God to other nations, and it would be a sin instead to disrupt their worship.

Scripture

The Church of Themiclesia accepts the Old Testament and New Testament in their original languages to be valid theological documents that describe the origin of their religion. Translations are considered to be of secondary authority.

The current Church does not hold the Old Testament, particularly the Book of Genesis, to be a literal record of events. The point was made in 909 that the first verses of Genesis describes events prior to the creation of natural timepieces (i.e. the Sun and Moon) and thus the ability to describe events in terms of days, so the nature of Genesis is a record of the myths of the holy people, at the time these documents were written, and not of a description of events they or any human witnessed or experienced. Most of the events described in the Old Testament are thought to be allegorical or mythical by successive Themiclesian theologians.  

The church makes the distinction between the Gospel (嘉) and Scripture (經書), believing the Bible is able to convey the Gospel but is not the Gospel itself. They state in the Book of Doctrines that the Gospel is the belief of the Messiah and his mission to deliver the holy people from earthly pain and suffering and is ineffable in nature. Scholars have argued that this strict separation of Gospel and Scripture was necessitated by the difficulty to narrate the Scripture to a people that are culturally unknown to the setting in which it was written.

Liturgy

In common with other primitive Christian traditions, the Themiclesian Rite divides the service into two parts, the preaching (宣, shor) and the sacrifice or offering (彝, lji). The preaching, at which all are welcome, focuses on teaching religious doctrine. The offering, restricted to recognized members of the congregation, communicates the substantial parts of the religion through mystic, physical ceremonies. For this reason, Themiclesian commentators call the first part "the promise", and the second, "the delivery".

Anglian name	Shinasthana	Sylvanization	Contents
Introit	御祀來格	mg'rah-mlje'-regh-k.rak	Procession of priests
Declaration of gratitude	奏表	tsugh-prjaw'	"We are grateful for the Edict of Tolerance (570) and Edict of Restitution (782)."
Invocation	傳	drjon	Names of the Saints of Themiclesia, the Apostles, and select saints of other nations
Kyrie eleison	唱	tljangh
Hymns	歌	kar
Prayer	祝	tjoh
Histories reading	史經之宣	s.rje'-k.lêng-tje-shor	Varies, but focuses on interactions with God by the nation of the Old Testament
Deuteronomy reading	法經之宣	pjap-klêng-tje-shor	Varies, but focuses on the laws of the Old Testament
Psalms	諷	pjem	Varies
Epistle reading	信書之宣	snjingh-st'ja-tje-shor	Varies
Gospel reading	嘉書之宣	krar-st'ja-tje-shor	Varies
Raising of the Gospel	拜嘉書	prodh-krar-st'ja	The Gospel (in the shape of the Scripture) is raised before the congregation, which proceeds to bow to it
Sermon	教	krawh	An oration by a priest on the readings of the Scripture
Prayer	祝	tjoh
Clearing of the aisles	除外人	lrjo-ngwadh-njing	The catechumens are dismissed, and the doors are closed
Consecration of the church	禋室	m'rer-stjit	The gates are censed as sacred music plays; the prayer of protection against the forces of other religions is read
Confession	伏	bjok	The celebrant leads the congregation in a general confession of not having loved God or each other perfectly
Absolution	行赦	grang-l'jagh	The celebrant proclaims absolution for the repentant and contrite
Consecration of the congregation	禋眾	m'rer-drjungh	The congregation is censed
Offerings	出共典	tljut-kjung-den'	Alms are collected
Prayer	共典之祝	kjung-den'-tje-tjoh	Prayer that the alms given may be made greater by the purity of giving hearts, etc.
Consecration of the offerings	禋典	m'rer-den'	Alms are placed on the altar and censed
Hymns	歌	kar	Hymns sung as alms are carried off into the vestry
Consecration of the altar and priest	禋禁禋御事	mrer-k.rjimh-m'rer-mg'rah-dzrje'	Altar is censed; priests present kneel before the altar and are censed
Preface	初令	ts'rjo-ringh	"God be with you!"
Holy, holy, holy	四方稱靈之令	spljih-pjang-tjeng-rêng-tje-ringh
Oblation	再令	dzegh-ringh	An open prayer expressing desire and gratitude for the coming of God
Epiclesis	降示在廷之令	grji-krungh-dze'-lêng-tje-ringh	Invocation of the god of the holy land to descend upon the congregation in Themiclesia; congregation kneels in divine presence
Intercession I	彌留之祝	mnji-rju-tje-tjoh	Prayer for the ill, dying, and dead, hymn
Intercession II	苦乏之祝	ka'-pjap-tje-tjoh	Prayer for poor and oppressed, hymn
Intercession III	王之祝	gwjang-tje-tjoh	Prayer for the sovereign
Pater noster	我祖考之祝	ngar-tsa'-k.ru-tje-ringh
Peace	吻之彝	sn'jin-mjet-tje-lji	Priests kiss the forehead of the congregation individually
Ablution	湎彝	mngjên'-lji	Congregation symbolically removes shoes and dabs feet, hand, and face in holy water
Communion	氣彝	k′jebh-lji	Wafer and wine are consecrated and distributed to congregation
Prospect	來日之祝	regh-njik-tje-tjoh	Prayer that the messiah of Themiclesia may soon come
Hymns	歌	kar
Retrocession	御祀將出	mg'rah-mlje'-tsjangh-tljut	Priests exit the building
Dismissal	眾人去	drjongh-njing-kjah

Customs

The standard position for the congregation during service is standing, but it is not considered an offence to sit down occasionally. Prayers are generally said while kneeling. The congregation, as a rule, kneels after Epiclesis occurs, whereby the deity is believed to be physically present in the house of worship; kneeling continues until communion, which is distributed by the priest to the congregation at their places, rather than at the altar.

Language

The language of the early church was Kyrian, such as the practice of Maverican churches, but many terms have subsequently been translated into Maverican and Shinasthana. Today, services are offered in both Kyrian and Shinasthana, with Maverican service falling out of use in the 16th century.

Status

State recognition

The Church of Themiclesia has in multiple occasions been recognized as the "official" Christian church in Themiclesia. This was not an issue in its early history, as the sole church in Themiclesia, but became contentious in the 14th century with the arrival of Sylvan priests. In 1671, when the Reformed Church split, the more powerful Old Church asked the royal court to declare it the legitimate authority over all "spiritual questions of the holy and mystical faith", while the more ambitious Reformed Church asked for establishment as state religion. Unsurprisingly, the government authorized the Old Church's request, in view of its implied ability to control the Reformed Church, which had just proved its intractability. This continued until 1773, when it became policy to be neutral in religious matters.

High church

The CoT is acknowldged for the wealth of its rituals and considered a "high church" domestically. This is not only due to its former status as recognized church in Themiclesia but also to occasion patronage from prominent aristocrats, a handful of whom have been its members for generations. This is also reflected in the degree in which it recognizes the secular authority, requiring mandatory prayers for the benefit of the sovereign and government and providing special balconies for distinguished personages in attendance of its services. The White Cathedral of Kien-k'ang (建康白大廷) even has a silver bell used in service, a replica of the bell used by the Emperor to announce his arrival. Many of its rituals further incorporate traditional Themiclesian gestures, such as the prodh-kji-l′ju bow (prostrating of the head to the ground) required at the start of the Eucharist.  

For this reason, the CoT has frequently come under attack by factions influenced by the Reformation in Casaterra, which had spread via Ostlandic colonists to Maverica in the 1600s. A prominent critic writing in 1710 called the CoT "idolatrous, heretical, and barbarous" but was unable to provoke a response by the CoT. In the 19th century, the CoT reached the pinnacle of popularity amongst the gentry and aristocracy, boasting 19 peers and 53 MPs in its membership; it was also in this period its coffers swelled to its maximum and enabled a church-building frenzy across Themiclesia.

Military

For many centuries, the militaries of the empire did not permit open devotions to "religions" like Buddhism or Christianity, the state believing that religious duties conflicted with military objects on both a strategic and personal level. However, at least in the context of funerals for those who died on campaign, the government has exhorted civil servants to "deal with proper rites" their remains, in which the State Cult is implied. In obedience to their rites, Themiclesian Christians prayed seven times a day, and weekly services required elaborate fixtures, ceremonies, and a priesthood. These were considered repugnant to military life, and it is provided in an edict of 1405 that any man with devotions to Christianity may not use his religion as an excuse from military duties. The Colonial Army even provided that Christians may not enlist, though this may have arisen more out of a concern for subversion from other brands of Christianity.

In the 19th century, these regulations began to relax due to the liberalizing policy of the reformed government, which showed some influence from the theory that religion accompanied productive lifestyles. In the Navy, First Admiral Hup in 1852 agreed to allow Christian sailors to pray together in the cabin at the traditional times provided their officers do not require then them, under the supervision of an accredited priest who visits the ship at his own expense and does not attempt to convert other sailors. The right to private worship extended to other regiments, sometimes intermittently, during the next half-century. The early Air Force prohibits worship during the working day, which is defined normally as dawn to dusk. Many units reported that public worship would create unnecessary curiosity in religion. Some historians believe that "while there is no uniform policy across the forces, religion in general is tolerated but confined in the 19th century."

In 1909, Parliament prohibited all forms of worship that intrude upon the "necessary activities" of any military unit and provided that necessary activities are those that must be carried out by the irreligious when the religious are at their devotions. This rule was enacted on the grounds of fairness towards the irreligious, who should not thus be saddled with the duties that the religious cannot discharge by reason of their faiths. However, at the same time, the War Secretary and Navy Secretaries were permitted to retain religious officials for the purpose of "giving reassurance and spiritual assistance" to officers and men who require it from their religious leaders. The Christian serviceperson was thus allowed to consult the priest of his service if he felt some part of his military duties conflicted with his beliefs. Until 1960, all priests-resident with the armed forces were part of the Church of Themiclesia.

See also

• Themiclesia
• Religion in Themiclesia