Nestorian Assyrian. Jul 30, 2025 · The Assyrian Church of the East, also known as the
Jul 30, 2025 · The Assyrian Church of the East, also known as the Nestorian Church, is one of the oldest Christian churches in the world. May 21, 2018 · NESTORIAN CHURCH NESTORIAN CHURCH . 2. The Muslim conquest beginning in the 7th century affected the church and brought new persecutions. It traces its origins to the See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, supposedly founded by Saint Thomas the Apostle as well as Saint Mari and Saint Addai as asserted in the Doctrine of Addai. Aramaic language, a Semitic language originally spoken by the ancient Middle Eastern people known as the Aramaeans. The Holy Synod of the Assyrian Church of the East was convened between 13 to 19 January 2010 at the Metropolitan's palace in Thrissur, marking the third patriarchal visit by Mar Dinkha IV to India and the consecration of two new bishops. [19] Before the Assyrian genocide, the Assyrian people were largely unmoved from their native lands which they had occupied for about 5,000 years. Learn about his life, controversial beliefs, and legacy. In 428 he began to preach against the use of the title “Mother of God” (Theotokos) for the Virgin Mary, suggesting that she should instead be called “Mother of Christ” (Christotokos). Missick wrote; “Al-lo-pan was a native of modern Syriac The Syriac alphabet developed from the Aramaic alphabet and was used mainly to write the Syriac language from about the 2nd century BC. Sep 30, 2016 · ASTANA – The ancient city of Ilyn Balik is well known from pilgrims’ travels. [1][2][3][4][5] The date of the Jubail Church is contentious. 2003. Sep 22, 2022 · The Assyrian Orthodox church is only one of many churches considered to be Nestorian. Understanding that St. AND IRENE KLISZUS 1999 Assyrian International News Agency aramean ప్రపంచంలోని ప్రతి మూల నుండి 70 కి పైగా భాషలలో అనువాదం - aramean THE ASSYRIAN DIASPORA A RESEARCH PROJECT BY EDWARD A. Basically, is the Assyrian Church of the East Nestorian? Why did Mar Mari get… Jubail Church (Classical Syriac: ܥܕܬܐ ܕܡܕܢܚܐ ܕܐܬܘܖ̈ܝܐ, romanized: ʿĒḏtā ḏ-Maḏnḥā ḏ-ʾĀṯūrāyē; Arabic: كنيسة الجبيل) is an ancient church building near Jubail, a city in the Eastern province on the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia. 1993. This campaign extends beyond neglect and reflects a sustained pattern of interference by the so called Assyrian homeland The Assyrian homeland or Assyria (Classical Syriac: ܐܬܘܪ, romanized: Āṯōr or Classical Syriac: ܒܝܬ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, romanized: Bêṯ Nahrin) is the homeland of the Assyrian people within which Assyrian civilisation developed, located in the Upper Mesopotamia of West Asia. They hold ( or, at least, are accused of holding) a different Christology and are not in communion with Eastern Orthodoxy. May 31, 2023 · Orthodoxy Much has been made in some circles that St. 6 Nestorian cross, found in Mantota, the port of the former capital of Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura (destroyed in the eleventh century) 58 2. Jun 14, 2023 · The Assyrian Church of the East, also known as the Nestorian Church, had developed in the 1st century of the Common Era and later expanded through Asia as far as India and China – a vast area, larger than any other Christian denomination before the European age of discovery and colonisation. It is from Edessa that the The so-called "Nestorian Tablet" found in Xi'an witnesses to this early Christian presence in China. However, the Assyrian Church does not subscribe to Theotokos, instead Mother Mary is titled as Christotokos. The proper name of the church that is called Nestorian or Assyrian is the Ancient Church of the East. Oct 12, 2024 · The concept of the hypostatic union, or the orthodox Christian belief that Jesus Christ had two natures – fully divine and fully human – has had various forms of opposition, including Nestorianism. During this time, some members of the Coptic delegation met representatives of the Assyrian Church, in the presence of Metropolitan George Khodr of Lebanon from the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch. By East is meant those ancient territories lying east of the former Byzantine empire comprising modern-day Iraq, Persia, and the southeastern part of Turkey. The Nestorian or Assyrian Church (jingjiao 景教) is a kind of oriental national church (as Church of the East) that was opposed against the Roman church after the concile of Ephesus in 431. [13][14] This was the first rebellion in the newly formed Republic of Turkey. May 14, 2016 · For centuries all the inhabitants of the islands of Socotra belonged the Ancient Assyrian Church of the East, which was known as the Nestorian Church. Isaac wrote, and lived, under the inspiration of the Spirit, St. It holds the view that Christ has two essences (qnome), which are united in one person (parsopa). Unless otherwise stated, all information is from the list provided in The Church of the East: An Illustrated History of Assyrian Christianity, as noted in the bibliography below. Although a handful of Assyrians had migrated to the United Kingdom during the Victorian era, the Assyrian diaspora began in earnest during World War I (1914–1918) as the Ottoman Empire conducted both large scale genocide and ethnic cleansing against 5 days ago · (AINA) -- The Assyrian people, as one of the indigenous nations of Mesopotamia, face an increasingly coordinated campaign of political, social, and economic marginalization in northern Iraq. The rebels claimed that the Nestorian patriarch Shem ʿ on VII Isho ʿ yahb had died in 1551 and had been succeeded illegitimately by 'Shem ʿ on VIII Denha' (1551–8), a non-existent patriarch invented purely for the purpose of bolstering the legitimacy of Sulaqa's election. Assyrian Church of The East is its own Schism. May 21, 2004 · This famous Assyrian black marble monument was discovered in the city of Hsi-an-fu or Hsingan-fu, in the province of Shensi, north China — Lat. History of the “Nestorian Church”, also known as “Church of the East”, “Persian Church”, “East Syrian Church”, “Chaldean Syrian Church” in India only, “Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East”, “Assyrian Church of the East” The Assyrian Church of the East was established in Edessa in the first century of the Christian era. Early Christians established prominent churches throughout the Middle East and North Africa, most notably Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Constantinople. Then I noticed how small the Assyrian culture was on the map. The Assyrian Church of The East is a Nestorian Church, they arent in communion with even Coptic Oriental Orthodox. Oct 26, 2021 · In mid-1997 it was announced that the Assyrian Church of the East and the Syrian Orthodox Church had agreed to establish a bilateral theological dialogue. Elements of the Nestorian doctrine were explicitly repudiated by Patriarch Dinkha IV on the occasion of his accession in 1976. Marco Polo wrote that there were “Nestorian” churches in China and other parts of Asia, which western Christians found rather astounding. The first edition (1984) of the Orthodox English translation of St. The Assyrian Church of the East is one of the most dynamic missionary churches in all of Christian history. But it is fair to say that honoring Icons in the Church of the East was never in a considerate level in compare to the Byzantine Church. The empire, and Assyria as a state, came to an end in the late 7th century BC as a result of the Medo-Babylonian conquest of the Assyrian Empire after a draining civil war among rival claimants to the Assyrian throne had gravely weakened it. Nonetheless, a part of the Assyrian Church was reunited with Rome in 1830, becoming the Chaldean Catholic rite. The Nestorians believed in the full humanity and divinity of Jesus, but disagreed with the specific formulation adopted by the Council of Chalcedon in 451. The Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, however, to this day is commonly known to our Western Christian Brethren as the “Nestorian” Church. As a result, some people still refer to the Assyrian Church as a “Nestorian Church” although the Church itself asks not to be called this. This recognition was awarded by THE ASSYRIAN DIASPORA A RESEARCH PROJECT BY EDWARD A. There are a number of different forms of the Syriac alphabet: Esṭrangelā (ܐܣܛܪܢܓܠܐ), Serṭā (ܣܪܛܐ) and Madnḥāyā (ܡܕܢܚܝܐ). Indeed, the modern Assyrian Church of the East, which reveres Nestorius, does not fully subscribe to Nestorian doctrine, though it does not employ the title Theotokos. In 1881, archeologist and author Hormuzd Rassam stated: “The inhabitants of Assyria consist now of mixed races, Arabs, Turkomans, Koords, Yezeedees, Jews, and Christians called Chaldeans and Syrians. , and Long. Following the Nestorian schism, many Nestorian Christians were forced to relocate to the communities within the Persian Empire; thus, the church took on names such as "Nestorian Church" and "Church of Persia". It is one of the earliest churches to separate from the larger church. 5 days ago · North Iraq -- Reflecting the scientific and professional excellence of the Assyrian community, particularly in medicine, dentist Mariam Qardagh from Armota, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), has earned a place among the world's top 100 impactful doctors, Class of 2026. Modern Nestorianism The Assyrian Church of the East and the "Nestorian" Church of the East & Abroad represent a historical continuity with the Nestorian Christianity, though it is debated whether their doctrine is actually Nestorian. The Nestorian Canon Law. In Eastern Christian art in China, these crosses are sometimes simplified and depicted as resting on a lotus flower or on a stylized cloud. Assyrian Church missionaries traveled through Persia, penetrated central Asia, and eventually reached China and even Korea by the 8th century. As a gesture to foster better relations with the Oriental Orthodox churches, the Assyrian Holy Synod decided in 1997 to remove from the liturgy all anathemata directed against others. 108° 5´ E. Mar Mari Emmanuel is an Assyrian Christian bishop at Christ the Good Shepherd Church ^ a b c d e f "What we know about Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, who was stabbed in the Sydney church attack". ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST Historically known by the derogatory term "Nestorian Church. Dec 9, 2023 · Assyrians are members of the Assyrian Church of the East, often referred to as the Nestorian Church, which is completely separate and independent of any other church. Isaac was in fact not a member of the one, true Orthodox Church, but rather of the Nestorian Assyrian Church of the East. Assyrian merchants and missionaries planted churches in Central Asia, China and India. The reason underlying the objection was the refusal of the inclusion of a Nestorian Church in the membership of the Council. Jan 8, 2026 · (or Assyrian Church of the East),often misleadingly called the Nestorian Church. The post reconciliation stage marked substantial growth for the church, with multiple new parishes being built. Voices of the East. Nestorius was a pupil of Theodore of Mopsuestia in Antioch, Syria, and became Patriarch of Constantinople in 428. For that reason, the Assyrian Church of the East is sometimes called "Nestorian". Apr 30, 2014 · The Nestorian Church or Persian Church eventually developed into the “Assyrian Church of the East”, which later underwent pro-Catholic (Chaldean) and pro-Jacobite (Syriac) schisms. The term ‘Nestorian’ refers to their Christological doctrine that stresses the reality of the human nature of Jesus and that distinguishes it from his divinity. The three main elements that the Anuradhapura cross has in common with Nestorian crosses are: the "leaves" (with their upward facing fronds) at the base of the cross, which symbolize the "tree of life" (the vitality of the tree is accentuated by its fruit-like protrusions); the second element is that each of the arms of the cross terminate in a Sep 21, 2006 · The 'Church of the East' Sheds Light on the Roman Primacy In this article James Likoudis, a convert from the Greek Orthodox Church, examines the relationship between the Assyrian Church of the It seeks to retrace the occurrences of the appellations "Chaldean," "Assyrian," and "Nestorian" to particular periods or events. 1988. " The Holy Synod of the Assyrian Church of the East has requested that the term "Nestorian Church" not be used, because of its historically negative connotations. Other prominent sees were established in present-day Sudan and Ethiopia, according to John Chrysostom. The distinction is based primarily on religious differences with the Nestorians generally associated with the eastern part of their homeland and the Jacobites the western part. 2002. Assyrian Manuscripts in India. Esṭrangelā, meaning 'rounded', is the oldest form and is considered the classical version of the Babylonia was recaptured and Assyrian campaigns were conducted into both Anatolia and modern-day Armenia. The Churches of the Aug 24, 2021 · The Church of the East, often associated with Nestorianism, completely contradicts the notion that Christianity was brought to Asia by force and colonialism. It is composed of a cross similar to the Maltese cross, with four arms of roughly equal length which narrow in width towards the center of the cross. Mother of the Motherless. He was a missionary from the Church of the East (also known as the "Nestorian Church"), [1] and probably a Syriac speaker from the Sasanian Empire or from Byzantine Syria. As an adolescent, Shamoun's faith often came under fire. Isaac's Ascetical Homilies contained an extensive Epilogue entitled "A Brief Historical and Theological Introduction to the Nestorian Christians like the Bactrian Priest Yisi of Balkh helped the Tang dynasty general Guo Ziyi militarily crush the An Lushan rebellion, with Yisi personally acting as a military commander. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute. [7][8][9][10][11][12] Oct 26, 2021 · The Assyrian Church of the East is the modern continuation of the ancient church of the Persian empire which fell out of communion with the rest of the Christian world in the 5th century when, for political as well as theological reasons, it officially adopted Nestorian Christology. The Chaldean Syrian Church in Trichur, also known as Church of the East or the Nestorian Church is the faithful remnant of the pre-Portuguese Syrian Christianity in India. [23] These churches, altogether, formed the state church of the Roman Empire by 381. Source for information on Assyrian Church of the East: New Catholic Encyclopedia dictionary. Jan 12, 2024 · Under the Ottomans (c. The History of the Assyrian Church of the East in the Twentieth Century. The two groups, although rather quite similar, seem to be divided based off of their church infiliations – Nestorian (Assyrian) and Catholic (Chaldean). These allegations, of course, have their origin in the Council of Ephesus. He distinguished between the human aspect and the di Apr 9, 2016 · The question whether the Theology of the Church of the East (known as the Assyrian Church, East Syrian Church or the Nestorian Church) is Nestorian has been debated in the present century by some individual scholars. 789101112 aramean cyfieithu mewn mwy na 70 o ieithoedd o bob cornel o'r byd - aramean translation in more than 70 languages from every corner of the world aramean Translation in English The Assyrian Church was one of the earliest to separate itself from communion with the Catholic Church. The Church of the East was concentrated in the Middle East, especially in the region of modern Iraq and Iran. AD 635; also "Aleben", "Aluoben", "Olopen," "Olopan," or "Olopuen") is the first recorded Assyrian Christian missionary to have reached China, during the Tang dynasty. One of those Christians was Alopen, a Nestorian [Assyrian] Christian living in central Asia. Theologically, the Assyrian Church of the East still adheres to the Church of the East's traditional christology, that is often labeled as nestorian. Isaac was a member of the Church of Persia (known today at the Assyrian Church of the East), which has been associated with the Nestorian heresy. Their theology of the sacraments is that of the early church. AND IRENE KLISZUS 1999 Assyrian International News Agency aramean ప్రపంచంలోని ప్రతి మూల నుండి 70 కి పైగా భాషలలో అనువాదం - aramean Nestorian Christians like the Bactrian Priest Yisi of Balkh helped the Tang dynasty general Guo Ziyi militarily crush the An Lushan rebellion, with Yisi personally acting as a military commander. This small community based in Trichur uses the same faith which was practiced when the Portuguese arrived in India in 1498 AD. In any case, the church has remained separated from Rome ever since. Mesopotamia Light. The Ancient Catholic and Apostolic Church of the East was a missionary church that founded Christian communities in Mongolia, China, and India while Western Europe was sleeping through its Stephen Andrew Missick wrote in the Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies: “In practice, the Assyrian Church has much in common with the Eastern Rite and Eastern Orthodox Churches. These Chaldeans (also known as Syrian Christians, Eastern Uniates and Assyrian Catholics) are essentially Nestorians that converted to Catholicism while keeping alive Nestorian ecclesiastical customs and the Syriac liturgical language. Ian Gilman and Hans-Joachim give the founding of the church in Socotra as an example of the global expansiveness of the Church of the East. Assyrian Christians can be further divided into Assyrian Nestorians and Assyrian Jacobites. 7 Front of a page from an East Syriac lectionary (Luke 16) from the Sogdian Turfan Psalter found in Bulayiq, north of the Turfan oasis (ninth/tenth century) 75 Mar 9, 2020 · The Assyrian Church of the East (Nestorian Church) is sometimes considered an Oriental Orthodox Church, although it is not in communion with Oriental Orthodox churches and it has a Nestorian or Nestorian-like Christology that differs from the declaration of the Council of Chalcedon in an opposite way from the Monophysites. However, the two groups seem to face a crisis when clashed with western ideologies The Assyrian rebellion (Turkish: Nasturi Ayaklanması, "Nestorian Uprising") [10] was an uprising by the Assyrians of Hakkari which was administered by tribal Assyrians at the time. The controversies over col- lective identities that this study disentangles for the first time are central to Arab studies. 1998. 2011. — which was the capital of northern China. Nestorius was an early bishop of Constantinople whose views on the nature and person of Christ led to the calling of the Second Council of Ephesus in 431 and to Nestorianism, one of the major Christian heresies. The Nestorian Church The Nestorian Church Apr 8, 2016 · Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East (1920 – 1975) The history of the Church of the East, which over many centuries comprised the major portion of Christianity, remained until recently almost unknown to the West, except for occasional accounts, such as that of Marco Polo, who traversed Asia in search of adventure and wealth. This means that doctrine views and ritual worships regarding Icons differ ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST Historically known by the derogatory term "Nestorian Church. Contemporary Nestorians are represented by the Church of the East, or Persian Church, usually referred to in the West as the Assyrian, or Nestorian, Church. Legacy Though Nestorius had been condemned by the Imperial church, there was a faction loyal to him and his teachings. Alopen (Chinese: 阿羅本, fl. This church is sometimes referred to as the "Nestorian Church", the "Syrian Church" or the "Persian Church. Sep 5, 2016 · The so-called 'Nestorian' Church (officially known as the Apostolic Assyrian Church of the East, with its See in Baghdad) was one of the most significant Christian communities to develop east of the Roman Empire. It became known as Hsi-an-fu during the Ming dynasty in the second half of the 14th century. Between the 7th and the 11th centuries Nestorianism was the most widespread Christian confession, reaching from Syria to China. David Wilmshurst noted that for centuries "the word 'Nestorian' was used both as a term of abuse by those who disapproved of the traditional East Syrian theology, as a term of pride by many of its defenders [] and as a neutral and convenient descriptive term by others. The Assyrian Church of the East is the intellectual inheritor of Nestorianism, which represents a historical continuity with Nestorian Christianity, though it is debated whether their christological doctrine is actually Nestorian. Sermons From the Gospels [Vol. Prior to that it was known as Ch’ang-an, a name which is now applied The Nestorian nature of Assyrian Christianity remains a matter of contention. 34° 12´ N. After the Council many followers of Nestorius were expelled from the Byzantine Empire and were sent into Persia. Most of its members live in Iraq, Syria, and Iran. The Assyrian Church had been in existence four-hundred years before Nestorius was born,1 and the Church of the East would, by definition, embrace Christians in the East be they of any sect. 1515–1922), most Assyrians lived as subjects and their millennia-old cultural identity was heavily fragmented as a result of the empire’s millet system— from Arabic meaning “nation”. We need to have a serious conversation guys, and I need some help here. Nestorian is an appellation dating from the fifth century and Assyrian from the nineteenth. It is sometimes referred to as the Assyrian Orthodox Church, not to be confused with the Syriac Orthodox Church, a Non-Chalcedonian body, the Chaldean Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic body, or the Orthodox Church of Antioch, an Orthodox local church. . The Assyrian Church of the East, officially known as the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, [1] is an Eastern Syriac Christian church. After Christological controversies denouncing Nestorian cross in Mary Museum, Turkmenistan The Nestorian cross is associated with the Church of the East. Ever since the colonial era, many Assyrian Christians fled the Middle East to escape brutal persecutions. Mar 11, 2025 · Context The Assyrian Church of the East is the last remaining branch of the Churches of the East (historically known as Nestorians, though they themselves reject that epithet). It was founded in the 1st century AD by the Apostle Thomas, who is said to have preached in the region. [42][43 Apr 8, 2016 · It is known by nickname Nestorian Church. In recent works, Assyrian-American historian Sargon Donabed has pointed out that parishes in the US were originally using Assyrian designations in their official English names, also noting that in some cases those designations were later changed to Syrian and then to Syriac, while three parishes continued to use Assyrian designations. The so-called Nestorian doctrine has been erroneously or deliberately interpreted by its opponents to mean the belief of two persons in Christ. The Church in Mesopotamia (roughly modern Iraq) was outside the Roman Empire and took no part in the great Councils, though the Creed and Canons of Nicaea (325), affirming the Divinity of Christ, were formally accepted in 410. After the schism of 1552, a section of the Church of the East became part of the Chaldean Catholic Church, both the Assyrian and Chaldean patriarchates intermittently attempted to regain their following in the Indian subcontinent, by sending their prelates to the Malabarese Christians. They also sent missionaries to Ethiopia and India. These The Assyrian Church of the East is a Nestorian body with jurisdiction in Iraq and Eastern Iran. This misnomer has led them generally to think that this Church has established by Saint Nestorius, and that it received its teaching from his followers. 1990. Feb 11, 2024 · The Assyrian Church of the East claims continuity with the historical Church of the East, and it is not in communion with either the Oriental Orthodox Churches or the Eastern Orthodox Church. Some Protestant and Reformed church organizations have been accused at times of Nestorianism. [2] He is known His religious background is based on teachings of the "Church of the East" or the "Nestorian Church," commonly practiced in most Assyrian homes. In its heyday the Church had 8 million adherents and stretched from the Mediterranean to China. The Assyrian ethnicity of Chaldean Catholics is also attested by Assyriology. Aug 3, 2019 · One of the world’s oldest Christian denominations, the Assyrian Church can be traced back to the apostles in the first century, and to the patriarch Nestorius in the fifth century (for whom Nestorian Christianity was named). Dec 8, 2021 · I began making this mod because I just didn't like the Nestorian faith not owning the one holy site they can use but no one else can (Deccan Empire, southwest coastline). Stephen Andrew Missick wrote in the Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies: “ The Mongol Christians belonged to the Assyrian Church of the East, which is also known as the Nestorian Church and the East Syrian Church. " It May 21, 2018 · NESTORIAN CHURCH NESTORIAN CHURCH . The Council of Ephesus (431), and especially the title ‘Theotokos’ for the BVM, is Dec 21, 2000 · Nestorian Christianity dates back to Nestorius, a bishop of Constantinople, whose view on Jesus' having dual human and divine natures was rejected by the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in 431, leading to the creation of separate Nestorian Churches. The Assyrian Church of the East has a traditional episcopal structure, similar to the Orthodox Church, headed by the Catholicos-Patriarch. Kottayam: St. II]. Some sources place it in the fourth century, [6 Stephen Andrew Missick wrote in the Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies: “In practice, the Assyrian Church has much in common with the Eastern Rite and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Thus it accepts only the first two ecumenical councils. The Assyrian Church of the East (also known as the Church of the East or Nestorian Church) is an Eastern Christian church that originated in the first century AD, according to tradition, founded Jan 2, 2017 · For decades now there have been ongoing debates about the legitimacy over the two seemingly native groups of Mesopotamia – Chaldeans and Assyrians. This site presents information on Catholic relations with varies Eastern churches. Paisios could not abide the fashionable scholastic idea that St. This is because the history of the other apostolic churches witnessed different developments in the ritual aspect, especially the churches that were under the rule of the Roman Empire. The Assyrian Church of the East believes in the Nicene Creed, and preaches two qnome (natures) united in one personpa (person). [11][12] It began in July 1924 and ended on 28 September that same year. To this day, the Assyrian Churches still only formally recognize the first two Ecumenical Councils but through dialogue with other Christians they have concluded that they do recognize the Christology of We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. The only two churches that teach Nestorianism today are the Assyrian Church of the East and the Church of the East & Abroad. Poems and Prayers. “ [Source: Stephen Andrew Missick, Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies, July 2012] Al-lo-pan was a influential Nestorian cleric credited with spreading Nestorian Christianity to China and Central Asia as he traveled the Silk Road to China. Recent excavations in Usharal village have uncovered an ancient city and cemetery with eight Nestorian gravestones and the markers prove Christianity was present in Kazakhstan long before Western imperialism. I only noticed because the Nestorian blob in the middle east is the only place the Assyrians even are. Sep 15, 2023 · It is sometimes alleged that the Assyrian Church of the East is therefore Nestorian, but it denies this. Yisi and the Church of the East were rewarded by the Tang dynasty with titles and positions as described in the Xi'an Stele.