1. The Christian Church: East and West
The great Western and Eastern schism

2. Schism
A schism is a breaking of a relationship between two groups who still hold essential beliefs in common

3. Celebration of the Mass Church structure
As the Eastern and Western sections of the Empire grew apart, so did the Eastern and Western Churches
Political directions
Language barrier
Religious Leadership
Theological disputes
Filioque
Iconoclast
Celebration of the Mass
Church structure

4. Political Directions:
East
West
Political issues: line of Emperors back to Constantine
Rejected the emperor from the West
Emperor – in charge of politics
Pope- in charge of religion
Centralized state
The empire in the East considered itself the “Roman Empire” with a new name: Byzantine Empire
Political issues: pope became the “emperor”
Appointed new emperors
Waves of Barbarian invasions,
small Barbarian kingdoms emerge
No centralized state
Pope and the Church begin to maintain peace and order

5. Eastern church Western church
Causes of East-West Schism: Politics The Pope steps in: Leo, Gregory, etc.
Eastern church
Western church
The Pope gains authority so that by the 8th C., he crowns a new Emperor of Rome (e.g. Charlemagne) even though there was an Emperor at Constantinople
The emperor is strong and there is no need for a pope.
In fact, the Eastern Emperor functions as “Super Bishop”

6. Thus, in the West, Empire Falls – Papacy Rises

7. Causes of East-West Schism: Language Barriers
With the fall of Rome and because of various barbarian territories, Church doctrines and theology began to develop separately in the east and the west.
Because people did not travel as much, there was less interaction between scholars of Greek and Scholars of Latin.
Because neither knew what the other was writing (because they did not speak the same language), they came to different conclusions
West church= speaks Latin
Eastern Church = speaks Greek

8. Causes of East-West Schism: Theological Disputes: Filioque
No need
Father sends both the Son and the Spirit into the world
Creed belongs to whole church;
West should not change it
Council stated that creed was not to be changed
West violated this
Bishop of Rome was going too far
Eastern Church still today recites the original Creed
Without the word and the Son
Added the Filioque
Filioque means and the Son
Filioque was added to the creed as protection against Arianism
Son is divine
Filioque puts the Son on same level as Father
Charlemagne accused the Eastern churches of heresy for not adding it

9. Filioque controversy Western church Eastern church
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Creator of life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke through the prophets.
. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son (=filioque). With the Father and the Son, He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets.

10. Theological disputes :Iconoclast Controversy
Iconodules – “image devotees”
favored icons as a medium for communication with God
Iconoclasts “image breakers”– discouraged and destroyed icons
Emperor Leo III in 726 (Eastern)
“Get rid of icons!”
They violate the 2nd Commandment:
“You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.”
Leo thought that the use of icons and images in worship hurt efforts to convert Jews and Muslims to Christianity because Jews and Muslims more strictly observe the 2nd Commandment
Pope Gregory II (Western)
Icons and images actually help people understand the Incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ
Christ made God visible so it’s OK to make images of the visible God
Visual learners
Good for those who cannot read

11. And to this day, Icons in the East, and in the west are good

12. Unless you are Protestant…

13. Causes of East-West Schism: Religious leadership
Priests can marry
The Church’s highest authority is the ecumenical council
Pope is first among equals
Leadership
Priests can no longer marry
The Church’s highest authority is the Bishop of Rome
Pope is also first among equals

14. The Mass and church structure
West
East
In Greek but also in vernacular
Altar separated from congregation by curtains and wall panels.
Eucharist consecrated by priests behind panels.
Scripture reading occurred in front of panels, to congregation
Men and women seat separately
Women cover their hair with a veil
In Latin
Church architecture –altar not hidden
Similar structure to today: liturgy of the Word, then Liturgy of the Eucharist

15. Church Structure
Western church
Eastern church

16. The East-West Schism
Refers to the separation of the churches from the west and east
Officially happened in
Some Eastern Churches decided to stay in union with Rome by accepting the supremacy of the pope over the entire church
Therefore, today there are Eastern Orthodox Churches and Eastern Rite Catholic Churches
The vast majority of Eastern Christians are Orthodox and are not officially in union with the Church centered in Rome