Romanian Orthodox Mythology

In my research proposal, I suggested that I would like to facilitate exchange of knowledge between the Eastern method of religious inquiry and that of the West. Western academics are known for their secular approach to the study of religion, separating the dogma and the theology from the facts, a concern with the sociological or anthropological nature of religion. 

Eastern theologians are religious leaders. They study their own religion, learn about it, read and write about it, and always keep dogma as the main premise of their studies.  

I have tried speaking to the theology department and to members of the church about the church's history. What I have found is a fiery dedication to the 'official' story and a lack of understanding about what I'm trying to ask... For example, in meeting an Orthodox priest, I learned that the Moldavian churches are built to look like an ark that is sailing eastward. This imagery and metaphor expressed in architecture is fascinating to me. However, I want to investigate it. I ask, who said that? Is this written somewhere? Is it based off the speeches or writings of a notable theologian? These questions are dismissed- they explain in more detail the imagery instead. 

I talk about the interesting early history of the church, the survival of Christianity despite centuries without an affiliation with either East or West or any formal hierarchy whatsoever. They tell me, instead that the apostle Andrew brought Christianity to Romania and converted the Romanians before the Romans came. 

What?

The apostle Andrew did apparently travel to Scythia and Thrace, the historical Bulgaria and Romania in an effort to spread the gospel. However, there is very limited documentation about this, vague archaeological evidence suggesting this, and it is also contrary to the other Romanian 'mythology' of their being descended from the Romans.  Church words in the Romanian language are largely Latin based, more supporting the claim that Christianity was brought to Romania by the Roman soldiers. No violent conversion efforts ever took place here, which the Romanians pride themselves on, but there is a tendency to take this 'we were Christians before you' haughtiness to an extreme level. 

The apostle Andrew 'story' is an attempt to create an unbreakable tie from the origins of Christianity, through the Byzantine church, directly to Romania. Questions about the centuries of Slavonic, Bulgarian influenced Christianity is vehemently dismissed as being unimportant.  Apparently, according to the Romanian church, the Roman influence is insignificant, as one of the apostles himself brought the Word to Romania and the Romanians embraced it and accepted it and converted to the Truth, needing no coercing. 

Maybe I'll just try the history department.