Turatism

The Saura Emuna Cathedral also called the Saura Church, or Turatism, is the largest organized religion in Agape, its membership consisting exclusively of Saura. Despite the name, the Saura Emuna Cathedral is not properly an Emuna denomination, adhering to the doctrine of Turatism, a series of beliefs considered heresy by the rest of Emuna.

Divine Origins

The Saura Emuna Cathedral originates with the spread of Emuna to Agape in the mid First Century IB. Since the defeat of King Vanesh II by Iban Acacias in 53 IB, Agape has at least superficially been converted to Emuna. In reality, most of the Saura aristocracy continued to practice their traditional worship of Lothracha and Sobekal, albeit in a covert and syncretic form. The human population of Agape readily accepted orthodox Emuna, and have continued to this day. The Human Agapean Presbyter and Heresiologist Validos of Andropolis catalogued the heresy of Turatism in his work Contra Perdifium, published in 678. He traced the heresy (or at least its formalization) to a mid Second Century Saura Hierophant named Sonal Turati. Most of Emuna had been unaware of the heretical beliefs of Agape until the publication of Contra Perdifium, and its wide circulation caused an uproar specifically in the Imperion. Some time later in 707 the Saura Patriarch of Crocodiliopolis Alija Klemens was elected Metropolitan Boutros II of Berytus, triggering the Enetoi Schism. Boutros II was by all accounts a completely orthodox Emunite, and had frequently suppressed Turatism during his tenure as Patriarch. Still, he did not crack down on Agape during his metropolitanate, and the wider Schism was a more pressing issue during not only his reign, but that of his successors. In 799 Metropolitan Petris I sent an ultimatum to the Agapean church, demanding a formal condemnation of Turatism and threatening excommunication.
Elder Utarr of Crocodiliopolis (who had been denied the style Patriarch by Petris I) assembled a national theological council of Agape (the First Council of Crocodiliopolis), attended by both the Saura and human Elders. The Saura Elders formally broke communion with the Metropolitan (both claimants) and dogmatized Turatism. The human Elders left the council in disgust, though St Maximinimus was martyred for disrupting the heretical proceedings. Utarr was elected Patriarch by the council, and race riots broke out across Agape. Some 15,000 humans were killed in 799 and early 800, before King Vanesh X successfully restored order. Metron Petris I was unable to respond owing to the outbreak of the Apanninian Civil War.
Vanesh X led Agape to war with Yothia, beginning the Yothian Jihad. In 819, the Yothian Church formed a union with the Haugrkirk (the Union of Abbas), and Metron Petris I declared the Sixth Great Holy War against Agape. In 829 Vanesh X surrendered, handing over Ultarr (who was executed), and consenting to the Union of Andropolis, which forced the Saura Emuna Cathedral to denounce the First Council of Crocodiliopolis and accept orthodox Emuna. The Haugrkirk still did not trust the Saura, and so created Vicariates Apostolic for the human population, served by human priests. In 856 Elder Guranir I of Crocodiliopolis assembled the Second Council of Crocodiliopolis, which severed the union with the Haugrkirk and reasserted Turatism, but permitted orthodox Emuna to be practiced among the humans. Since then the Saura Emuna Cathedral has functioned under the Patriarch, elected by the Saura Elders. Of the pre-schism church, only the Eldership of Andropolis remains orthodox, under the Haugrkirk Emuna.

Cosmological Views

Turatism teaches approximately the same cosmology as Emuna, but conflates the Ancient of Days with Lothracha, and the Heliand with Sobekal. This results in the conclusion that the Saura themselves are the chosen race of God, and that salvation is not available to any other race. Accordingly, Turatism does not engage in evangelism, which is believed to be the reason for its historical obscurity. Beorn is reviled as the enemy of Lothracha, and accordingly the Beornic races are distrusted as "diabolical-spawn". As a consequence of their conflation of Sobekal and the Heliand, Turatists necessarily deny the co-essentiality of the Ancient of Days and Heliand as asserted by the Council of Salon in 170. Since all subsequent councils re-affirmed the Creed of Salon, Turatism rejects the authority of the orthodox councils, instead recognizing only the First Council of Berytus (which condemned Semelism), and the two Councils of Crocodiliopolis.
Turatism also venerates Iliazo the Sun-Lord and Demithracha the Moon-Lord as the natural Children of God, while the Heliand is conceived of as the "sole-begotten" Son of God. Oraiotita is also venerated as the daughter of the "Heliand".

Tenets of Faith

The most basic tenants of the Turatist faith are derived from the Book of Sonal (an edited edition of the Book of Simon c. 300 IB), which lists ten basic commandments (in contravention to the twelve in Emuna).

Saura Emuna Cathedral

Founding Date

799 (First Council of Crocodiliopolis)

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Alternative Names

Turatist Church, Saura Church, Sobekalist Church, Lothrachan Church

Predecessor Organization

• Unbroken Church

Demonym

Turatist

Deities

• Adon Hy'lah
• Demithracha
• Heliand
• Iliazo
• Lothracha
• Oraiotita
• Sobekal

Classification	Exclusionary
Scripture	Saura Canon
Theology	Turatism
Polity	Episcopal
Patriarch	Ultarr IV
Sedes	13
Parishes	947
Region	Agape
Language	Sauran
Liturgy	Liturgy of Sobekal
Headquarters	Cathedral of St Sonal, Crocodiliopolis
Founder	Acacius (according to tradition), First Council of Crocodiliopolis
Origin	2nd Century, Agape
Members	34 Million