The Eastern Orthodox Churches are unique among the Commonwealth of Christianity. Surrounded by governments inimical to their survival, subjected to continual persecution, at war constantly with other denominations and with each other, they have survived and even thrived under the most difficult of conditions. They key to their survivial has been their strongly centralized governments, their sense of purpose and self-identity, and in many cases a melding of religious interests with state nationalism. AT the heart of each church is an elected pope, patriarch, catholicos, archbishop, or...