Christian History Home > Issue 54 > A Taste of Glory
A Taste of Glory
For the Orthodox, worship is heaven on earth.
Paul Meyendorff | posted 4/01/1997 12:00AM
In 987, Prince Vladimir of Kiev is said to have sent emissaries to different countries to learn about the religion and worship of each. He was searching for an appropriate faith for his people.
The emissaries went first to the Volga Bulgars. These Muslims they reportedly found disgraceful, sorrowful, and having a "dreadful stench." And among the Germans (Western Christians), the ambassadors reported they saw "no glory." In Constantinople, they were taken to Hagia Sophia, the cathedral church of the capital. Their report:
"We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth. For on earth there is no such splendor or such beauty, and we are at a loss how to describe it. We know only that God dwells there among men, and their service is fairer than the ceremonies of other nations. For we cannot forget that beauty."
Prince Vladimir was convinced, and his subjects accepted Greek Christianity and were baptized.
This account from the Russian Primary Chronicle, though legendary, nonetheless conveys ...
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