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Definition of Orthodoxy and its claim to apostolic succession.

The Apostolic Age and the rise of the Pentarchy.

Istoria Bisericii Ortodoxe Române by Mircea Păcurariu — The definitive source if you are focusing specifically on the Romanian Orthodox Church context.

The breaking point of 1054 and the Fall of Constantinople (1453).

The "Rum Millet" system under Ottoman occupation.

The Ecumenical Patriarch was granted religious and administrative authority over all Orthodox Christians in the empire, preserving the faith under Islamic rule.

Moscow as the "Third Rome" and the expansion of the Russian Church.