"This clear and accessible introduction describes the history and the character of the Orthodox Churches of the Christian East from the accession of the Emperor Constantine in 312 to the present day. It includes the various national Orthodox Churches - both Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian - and also the Church of the East and the Greek Catholic Churches. There are both common traditions shared by these Churches but also different and sometimes divisive local characteristics. The distinctive Orthodox approaches to the themes of liturgy, theology, monastic life and spirituality, icons, popular religion, mission, politics and the issues which divide East and West are discussed in turn. A final chapter presents the response of the Churches to their new freedom following the collapse of Communist governments and the prospects for the future. An understanding of other Church traditions can open up fresh ways of looking at our own faith."--BOOK JACKET.