When Nestorius began rejecting the popular designation of Mary as the "God-bearer, Mother of God", and was subsequently condemned and later exiled, his followers fled to Persia and founded there the Nestorian Church, which soon enjoyed an active life. A vital monasticism, an eminent theology, and an imposing missionary activity testify to its strength. Its missionaries penetrated to Malabar, India and Turkestan (southern USSR today). Between 780 and 823 Nestorian believers even made their way to Tibet and central China. At the beginning of the fourteenth century the Nestorian Church in central Asia could count ten major churches and numerous native clergymen. Unfortunately, during the bloody persecution of the Muslim conqueror Tamerlane (1380) this mission was destroyed. Today the Nestorian Church in Iraq, Iran, and Syria still counts about 80,000 members, in India 5,000, and in America 25,000.

[tags]BlogRodent, church-history, ChurchRodent, history, Nestorian-Church, Nestorius[/tags]

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Rich Tatum