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The truth is peculiar. By 400 AD Christianity became dominant in the Roman Empire. Before then Christianity had several centers, so Christians were comfortable with the idea, and soon thereafter a second center of Christianity was founded in Constantinople.

This was wise as well because barbarians were gradually overthrowing Rome, which they finally achieved a hundred years later, so the capital of Christianity became Constantinople.

But a hundred years after that Islam reared its ugly head, and though it took until the 15th Century to conquer Constantinople, in the East, Russians assumed that Moscow would become a new capital of Christianity.

In 1448, the Patriarchate of Moscow (the Russian Church) became independent from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Metropolitan Jonas, installed by the Council of Russian bishops in 1448, was given the title of Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia. This was just five years before the fall of Constantinople in 1453.

From this point onward the Russian Orthodox Church saw Moscow as the Third Rome, legitimate successor to Constantinople, and the Primate of Moscow as head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Well, it’s been 560 years since then, and though buried deeply, the Russians, or at least Putin, believe that Moscow is, or at least should be thought of as the new Rome, one of the centers of Christianity in the world.

While that might on the surface seem nostalgic, the underlying brilliance of this as a strategy, should rank as historical genius.

To start with, Putin can do this unopposed. To make Moscow into a capital of Christianity incites the anger of no one that matters. In effect, Putin has become a unifier of the Orthodox churches.

He already sponsored a conclave of Orthodox churches in Moscow, and it was a huge success, erasing divisions that have existed for hundreds of years. And after that great victory, he has even made overtures to Rome to join with them in unifying Christian orthodoxy.

Rome is both thrilled and terrified of the idea. I don’t blame them.

Putin’s gambit elevates him to the level of Constantine and Justinian I, both of whom are Orthodox saints.

At the same time, the secular and often pagan western nations don’t have a clue. Neither do the schismatic Protestant churches, caught up in their own struggles between secular socialism and Christianity.