Justinian I and the Corpus Juris Civilis

¶ … Justinian

The formal name for Justinian I is Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus Augustus. Iustinianus is the name from which Justinian is derived and after Julius Caesar added Augustus to his surname as a mark of his emperorship, all subsequent Roman leaders had Augustus at the end of their names. He was an empire of the Byzantine Emperor from 527 -- 565 AD. He was the last Roman Emperor to speak Latin as his first language and he is most known for the Justinian code of law, known in Latin as Corpus Juris Civilis, translated as the body of civil law. The Corpus Juris Civilis is known as the ultimate codification of Roman law. This body of law has been passed down through numerous generations including into areas of Western Europe and is the basis of law today.

Iconoclastic Controversy

This controversy occurred in the 8th & 9th centuries. The topic of the controversy was whether Christians should continue to revere icons of their religion. This controversy occurred within the Byzantine Christian Church. Politicians and religious leaders advocated for the destruction of religious icons. Many average citizens of the time believed in the continuation of praising icons. In the mid-8th century, Emperor Leo III commanded that images of Jesus Christ of Nazareth taken down from a gate of the imperial palace. The controversy and debate over icons raged for several decades, until finally their presence was definitely allowed, with certain physical and graphic restrictions. In the 21st century, particularly in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the use and presence of religious imagery is a significant aspect of their faith. Today, in Eastern Orthodox Church regards religious images as windows into heaven or the ethereal.

3. The Rule of St. Benedict.

The Rule of St. Benedict refers to a few things. It first refers to a book called the Rule of Saint Benedict. It also refers to the lifestyle choice or practice of the teachings in that book.

5. Sufism

Sufism is a mystical form of Islam and those who practice it are called Sufis. Sufism is almost as old as Islam, beginning a few decades after traditional Islam established. It is known as a more esoteric and scientific form of Islam that advocates purification of self and asceticism. The presence of Sufism in modern times in practiced in many countries including those where the primary language is Arabic, Turkish, and Persian. The Arabic words from which the word Sufi is derived mean wool and purity.