THE VENERABLE SOTAS OF ANCHIALA AND THE MONTANIST HERESY
Abstract
The Early Christian period of the Church (I-IV A.D) is one of the most interesting, but unfortunately among the poorly explored periods in the development of the Church. Scientific investigations on the life of the Early Church in the present day Bulgarian lands are few in number and unclassified. Current article is a modest contribution to illuminate this rich of events period of the Church, with the hope that will provoke further interest for the time when were laid the foundations of the universal church organization.
The author admitted about century earlier transformation of Anchialo (today Pomorie, Southeast Bulgaria) into an Episcopal center of the adopted so far chronology. The author also takes first experience in the scientific literature to shed more light on the first bishop of Anchialo who reached us by his name and likely saint of the Church – blessed Sotas of Anchialo. Present article is focusing on the domestic council of Anchialo (between 140-150 A.D.) convened against montanists. The council of Anchialo according to Libellus Synodicus appears to be the third council in the entire history of the Church. Before council of Anchialo were just two: the council of Jerusalem (The Apostolic council
– 49 or 51 A.D.) and the council summoned by Apolinarius in Hierapolis (today Turkey).
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