St. Photios the Great: How the Eighth Council Challenged Rome

About this sermon

St. Photios the Great played a decisive role in the Eighth Ecumenical Council (879–880), a gathering that reshaped relations between Constantinople and Rome. In this lecture, Dr. David Ford of St. Tikhon’s Seminary explores St. Photios’ life, the council’s rejection of the Filioque and papal supremacy, and its lasting impact on East–West unity. Discover why this council was once accepted by Rome and how its legacy continues to challenge claims of universal authority today. This is the full lecture by Dr. David Ford from the conference: "On the Eighth Œcumenical Council: The Catholic Condemnation of the Filioque" that took place on March 14 - 16th, 2024 in Lake Guntersville, AL. The original title of his talk was: "St. Photius the Great, the Eighth Oecumenical Council and Relations with the Church of Rome." DAVID C. FORD, Ph.D., Professor of Church History, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y.; his Master of Divinity degree from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Ok.; and his Ph.D. from Drew University in Madison, N.J. He has published six books: Marriage as a Path to Holiness: Lives of Married Saints (co-authored with his wife Dr. Mary Ford; first edition 1994, second expanded and revised edition, 2013); Women and Men in the Early Church: The Vision of Saint John Chrysostom (first edition, 1996; second revised and expanded edition, 2017); Wisdom for Today from the Early Church (2014); Saint Tikhon of Moscow: Instructions and Teachings for the American Orthodox Faithful (1898 - 1907) (co-edited and translated with Alex Maximov; 2016); Church History, in the revised catechetical series entitled The Orthodox Faith (vol. 3 in this series, in which he revised and more than doubled the original text by Fr. Thomas Hopko; 2016); Saint John Chrysostom’s Letters to Saint Olympia (introduction and original translation; number 56 in the SVS Popular Patristics Series; 2016); and the booklet, Prayer and the Departed Saints (Conciliar Press, 1991). He is currently at work on a major anthology called “Sing to Your Soul” - A Festival of Wisdom from the Writings of St. John Chrysostom. He is also helping to edit a book on Metropolitan Leonty (1876-1965). Note: Dr. Ford's participation at this Conference does not represent an endorsement by him, or by St. Tikhon's Seminary, of the publications and broadcasts of Uncut Mountain Press and the Orthodox Ethos website. Our mission is to present and support the Orthodox Christian Way, Truth, and Life, which is Christ Himself — guiding souls to communion in His Body, faithful to the teachings of the Holy Fathers. 👉 Become a YouTube Member for exclusive livestreams and videos, Q&A’s, book discounts, and more: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChozbOPP6uOJ2UkiTZy-sgQ/join 🎥 New to Orthodoxy? Start here with our "Orthodoxy 101" playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCFiE3qfVkDisaFlaa38cO_iTvnpsUnhc 📚 Explore our full collection of Orthodox Christian books: https://www.uncutmountainpress.com 📝 Read our blog for weekly insights on Orthodox faith and tradition: https://www.orthodoxethos.com/blog ✉️ Questions? Contact us at: team@orthodoxethos.com #StPhotiosTheGreat #EighthEcumenicalCouncil #OrthodoxChristianity #ChurchHistory #Rome