Holy Synod

(noun)

A congregation of Orthodox church leaders in Russia. It was established by Peter the Great, Stefan Yavorsky and Feofan Prokopovich in January 1721 to replace the Patriarchate of Moscow. It was abolished following the February Revolution of 1917 and replaced with a restored patriarchate under Tikhon of Moscow.

Related Terms

Examples of Holy Synod in the following topics:

  • Peter's Domestic Reforms

    • In 1721, he established the Holy Synod (originally the Ecclesiastical College) that replaced patriarchy altogether.
    • The Synod changed in composition over time, but basically it remained a committee of churchmen headed by a lay appointee of the Emperor.

  • The Holy Alliance

  • The Holy Roman Empire and the Church

  • The Structure of the Holy Roman Empire

    • The term Holy Roman Empire was not used until the 13th century and the office of Holy Roman Emperor was traditionally elective, although frequently controlled by dynasties.
    • The Habsburgs held the title of Holy Roman Emperor between 1438 and 1740, and again from 1745 to 1806.
    • The End of the Holy Roman Empire and the Austrian Empire
    • At the turn of the nineteenth century, the Holy Roman Empire underwent significant changes.
    • This confederation, under French influence, put an end to the Holy Roman Empire.

  • Avoid Holy Wars

    • Holy wars are not quite the same as bikeshed paintings.
    • In a holy war, on the other hand, understanding the other sides is a sign of weakness.
    • It does no good to point out, in the midst of a holy war, that a holy war is going on.
    • Now, I am not saying there's never a right side in a holy war.
    • For more historical background on holy wars, see catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/H/holy-wars.html, and the paper by Danny Cohen that popularized the term, ietf.org/rfc/ien/ien137.txt.

  • Religious Divide in the Holy Roman Empire

    • The Thirty Years' War was a series of wars between various Protestant and Catholic states in the fragmented Holy Roman Empire between 1618 and 1648.
    • The war began when the newly elected Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand II, tried to impose religious uniformity on his domains, forcing Roman Catholicism on its peoples.
    • The Holy Roman Empire was a fragmented collection of largely independent states.
    • The Peace of Augsburg (1555), signed by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, ended the war between German Lutherans and Catholics.
    • Religion in the Holy Roman Empire on the eve of the Thirty Years' War.

  • Panel Painting in the Northern Renaissance

    • The court of the Holy Roman Emperor played an important role in panel paintings during the Northern Renaissance.
    • The court of the Holy Roman Emperor, originally based in Prague, played an important role in supporting artists as patrons during the Northern Renaissance.

  • Faith in the Face of Suffering

    • The Holy Roman Empire existed for almost 850 years, starting with the reign of Charlemagne in 962.
    • Throughout the Middle Ages several political, religious, and social crises ripped through the Holy Roman Empire.
    • These conflicts included ongoing internal struggles with various local monarchs vying for the role of Emperor, and struggles against rulers in areas attempting to resist the rule of the Holy Roman Empire.
    • The church remained one of the strongest institutions in Europe, and in the Holy Roman Empire.
    • Discuss the Great Famine, the Black Death, and the political and social unrest of the Holy Roman Empire in the 13th and 14th centuries.

  • Fragmentation of the Holy Roman Empire

    • The office of Holy Roman Emperor was traditionally elective, although frequently controlled by dynasties.
    • The Holy Roman Empire was not a highly centralized state like most countries today.
    • In 1516, Ferdinand II of Aragon, grandfather of the future Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, died.
    • The Holy Roman Empire after the Peace of Westphalia, 1648.
    • Describe what happened to the Holy Roman Empire in the aftermath of the Protestant Reformation

  • The Peace of Westphalia

    • Over a four-year period, the warring parties of the Thirty Years' War (the Holy Roman Empire, France, and Sweden) were actively negotiating at Osnabrück and Münster in Westphalia.
    • The three treaties involved were the Peace of Münster (between the Dutch Republic and the Kingdom of Spain), the Treaty of Münster (between the Holy Roman Emperor and France and their respective allies), and the Treaty of Osnabrück (between the Holy Roman Empire, Sweden and their respective allies).
    • The peace negotiations involved a total of 109 delegations representing European powers, including Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III, Philip IV of Spain, the Kingdom of France, the Swedish Empire, the Dutch Republic, the Princes of the Holy Roman Empire and sovereigns of the free imperial cities.
    • The power taken by Ferdinand III in contravention of the Holy Roman Empire's constitution was stripped and returned to the rulers of the Imperial States.
    • the Treaty of Münster between the Holy Roman Emperor and France was one of three treaties that made up the Peace of Westphalia