Alban Nazarism
 Alban Emendatic Church | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Classification | Non-Nicaean |
| Orientation | Modalistic Monarchianism |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Leaders | John XVIII, Emendatic Patriarch NAME, Metropolitan of Meud |
| Founder | St Paul (according to tradition) Saint Alban of Vigueria |
| Origin | 1st century Sydalon |
| Members | [number] |
The Alban Emendatic Church, also referred to as Alban Christianity, is a group of Christian churches adhering to the teachings of Saint Alban. Adherents are commonly referred to as Albanists or Emendatics, and consider themselves to practice what they understand to be the true Christian faith, founded by Jesus, with a common apostolic succession from St Paul.
The Emendatic Church shared communion with the Imperial Catholic Church until the First Council of place. The faith originally flourished in early Christian communities in Western Belisaria, primarily Gelonia and later found a following in the Drevstranese Alban Pentapolis. The faith was pushed underground in Western Belisaria until the Reformation, where it saw a resurgence in Gelonia, Ostrozava, and Drevstran.
Albanist teachings are considered gnostic by theological scholars.
Theology
Albanists do not accept the trintarian views espoused following the First Council of PLACE, and follow the nontrintarian view of modalistic monarchianism. These teachings consider God to be one while working through the different "modes" or "manifestations" of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Albanist theology also follows the view of two opposed deities: all-forgiving God, as portrayed in the New Testament, who dwelt in Jesus Christ and is the creator of the spirit and Old Testament's wrathful God, though since the Reformation is often conflated with Satan, or his creator or seducer. Some communities believe in a more moderate form of this dualism, and that Satan was previously the all-forgiving God's servant before rebelling against him. Communities also believe in a spirit realm created by the all-forgiving God, known as the "Land of Light" or "Land of the Living".
Biblical canon
Alban biblical canon largely mirrors that of other mainstream christian faiths. The major differences, however, are the exclusion much of the Old Testament except for a severely edited version of Genesis, and the inclusion of the Revelation of Paul. The order in which the Gospels appear are different as well, with the Gospel of John appearing first. The bible includes 29 books:
- Historical book : Genesis
- Poetry : Psalms, Proverbs
- Gospels : John, Matthew, Mark, Luke
- Acts of the Apostles
- 13 Letters of Paul
- General Epistles : James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude
- Revelation of Paul
Organization
The Alban Church does not have a single religious authority such as the Pope in Catholicism, as Jesus Christ is considered to be the head of the Church. Instead it is guided by the group of autocephalous patriarchs with the Emendatic Patriarch holding distinction as first among equals, due to claimed Apostolic succession from Saint Paul, whom is regarded as the first Emendatic Patriarch. The Emendatic Patriarch has little authority among other autocephalous churches. Albanists originally accepted the are five patriarchates established by Latin Emperor Iovinus: Alba (seated in Castellum), Sydalon, Konstantinopolis, Patriarch of the North (seated in Jugny, and Yerushalayim.
Following the First Council of PLACE and the Albanist Schism, the Emendatic Patriarch was seen as the prius inter pars among Albanists, centered in [CITY]. With the church's decline and later resurgence the Emendatic Patriarchate has shifted over the centuries, and is now located in [CITY].
The Alban Emendatic Church operates as an episcopal polity, with numerous bishops and archbishops that receive holy orders within each regional church. The highest level beneath a regional church's patriarch is that of bishops who hold jurisdiction over a diocese, followed by local priests that are ordained by bishops, and finally deacons who work in various ministerial roles within the regional church or local diocese.
Alban Christianity in various countries
| Country | Patriarchate | Followers | Percentage of population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patriarchate of Barbellon | 6,750,000 | 15.0% | |
 Gelonia
|
Patriarchate of Meud | 3,677,112 | 35.2 % |
 Ostrozava
|
Patriarchate of Karsko | 3,422,854 | 9.2 % |