The Great Schism of 1054: How the Church Became Divided | Church History
TLDRThe video script explores the complex history of the East-West Schism in Christianity, which culminated in 1054 with the excommunication of Patriarch Michael Cerullarius by representatives of Pope Leo IX. However, the schism had been developing for centuries due to cultural, linguistic, and political differences. The division was exacerbated by the language barrier between Greek and Latin, the decentralization of the Western Church, and the close relationship between the Byzantine Emperor and the Eastern Church. Theological disputes, such as the addition of the Filioque clause to the Nicene Creed, further deepened the rift. The script also highlights the role of political alliances, particularly with the Frankish kings, and the Pope's claims to authority over the entire Church. The Crusades and the behavior of Western armies in the East further solidified the schism. Despite shared beliefs in one Lord, faith, and baptism, unity has been a challenge for Christians, influenced by language, distance, politics, and theology.
Takeaways
- 🏛️ The East-West Schism in Christianity is often marked by the event in 1054 when Pope Leo IX's representatives excommunicated Patriarch Michael Cerullarius, but the division had been growing for centuries.
- 🌐 The spread of Christianity and the predominance of Greek in the early church eventually gave way to Latin in the West, creating a language barrier that hindered communication and unity.
- 📚 Theological differences, such as the addition of 'filioque' to the Nicene Creed by Western churches, became a significant point of contention between the East and West.
- 👑 Political decentralization in the West post-fall of the Western Roman Empire contrasted with the centralized power of the Byzantine Emperor in the East, affecting church governance and unity.
- 🛑 The Eastern Orthodox Church recognized a college of patriarchs with equal authority, whereas the Western Church adopted a more monarchical structure with the Pope at the helm.
- 🤝 Pope Stephen II's outreach to the Frankish kings marked a shift in focus towards France for support, further deepening the divide between Eastern and Western Christianity.
- 📜 Theological and political disagreements were intertwined, with the filioque controversy and disputes over the patriarchate of Constantinople exacerbating the schism.
- 🛡️ The Crusades played a role in solidifying the schism due to the behavior of Western crusaders in Constantinople and conflicts over church control in Antioch.
- 🏰 The Western Church's attempts to assert authority over the entire Christian world were met with resistance from Eastern Christians, who only acknowledged the Pope as a fellow patriarch.
- 🕊️ Despite the theological and political challenges, the script emphasizes the ongoing struggle for unity in the Christian church, as stated in Ephesians 4:5.
- 📽️ The video concludes with a call to support Theology Academy to keep their educational content free and accessible.
Q & A
What event is commonly referred to as the East-West Schism in Christianity?
-The East-West Schism, also known as the Great Schism, is often marked by the event in 1054 when Cardinal Humbert and representatives of Pope Leo IX excommunicated Patriarch Michael Cerullarius from fellowship with Rome by placing a bowl of excommunication on the altar of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.
Why is the schism event of 1054 considered significant but not the sole cause of the division?
-The schism event of 1054 was significant as it was a dramatic and public act of excommunication, but it was not the sole cause of the division. The division had been growing for centuries due to various factors including language barriers, political differences, and theological disagreements.
What were the primary languages of the Eastern and Western Churches after the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire?
-After the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire, the primary language of the Eastern Church remained Greek, while scholars in Rome and the Western Church shifted to Latin as their primary language.
How did the language barrier affect communication between Eastern and Western Christians?
-The language barrier broke down communication between Eastern and Western Christians as Western Christians became less interested in reading theology in Greek, and Eastern Christians never really took to reading theology in Latin.
What was the political situation like in the West after the fall of the Western Roman Empire?
-After the fall of the Western Roman Empire to barbarian invaders in the 5th century, the empire fractured into several kingdoms, and the churches struggled to maintain unity. The political and church situations in the West remained largely decentralized.
How did the Eastern Byzantine Empire differ from the Western political situation after the fall of the Western Roman Empire?
-Unlike the West, the Eastern or Byzantine Emperor retained a firm grip on the Byzantine Empire for another thousand years after the Western Empire fell. The Emperor had a close and vital relationship with the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Patriarchs of the Byzantine Church.
What was the significance of Pope Stephen's relationship with the Frankish kings in the development of the schism?
-Pope Stephen's relationship with the Frankish kings, including Charles Martel, Pepin the Short, and Charlemagne, marked a turning point as the Popes began to focus on France for political, economic, and military support, which increased the schism between the Eastern and Western parts of the Church.
What is the Philoque controversy and how did it contribute to the schism?
-The Philoque controversy arose from the addition of the Latin word 'filioque' to the Nicene Creed by Western bishops, stating that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son. This was seen as an overreach by the Eastern Church, which had ratified the creed without this phrase, and became a major sticking point in the schism.
How did the missionary efforts in Bulgaria contribute to the disputes between the Eastern and Western Churches?
-Dispute arose when both Eastern and Western Churches sent missionaries to the Slavs in Bulgaria. Conflicts emerged over whether to include the word 'filioque' in the missionary literature, leading to a series of councils in Constantinople and Rome about the matter and the recognition of the true Patriarch of Constantinople.
What role did the Crusades play in solidifying the schism?
-The Crusades solidified the schism due to the poor behavior of the crusaders in Constantinople and disagreements about church leadership in Antioch. The Western crusaders, sent by Western church leaders, plundered cities and attempted to set up Latin churches in the East, which further deepened the division.
What were some of the factors that made the schism endure for centuries?
-The schism endured for centuries not only due to theological differences but also because of the behavior of Western armies, political power assertions by the papacy, and the persistent language, distance, and political barriers that separated the Eastern and Western Churches.
Outlines
🔗 The East-West Schism: Origins and Cultural Differences
This paragraph delves into the historical context of the East-West Schism within Christianity. It highlights the event in 1054 when Cardinal Humbert excommunicated Patriarch Michael Cerullarius, marking a significant rift between Eastern and Western Churches. However, the schism had been developing for centuries due to various factors such as language barriers, with Greek and Latin becoming the primary languages of the East and West respectively, and political differences following the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The Eastern Church recognized a college of patriarchs, while the Western Church saw the Pope as a monarch. The paragraph also touches on the unique relationship between the Byzantine Emperor and the Church in the East, and the Pope's efforts to establish alliances with Frankish kings for support, which further deepened the divide.
🏰 The Papacy's Authority and the Filioque Controversy
The second paragraph focuses on the Pope's attempts to assert authority over the Western Church and the claims of supremacy over the Eastern Church, which were rejected by Eastern Christians. It discusses the Filioque controversy, where the Western Church added the phrase 'and the Son' to the Nicene Creed, asserting that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son, a move that was not accepted by the Eastern Church. The paragraph also covers the missionaries sent to the Slavs and the ensuing disputes over the Filioque, leading to councils in Constantinople and Rome. Additionally, it describes the political power of the Papacy in the 11th century and the actions of Cardinal Humbert, which formalized the schism. The Crusades are mentioned as a factor that solidified the schism due to the behavior of Western crusaders in Constantinople and disagreements over church leadership in Antioch.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡East-West Schism
💡Patriarch Michael Cerullarius
💡Nicene Creed
💡Filioque
💡Pope Leo IX
💡Hagia Sophia
💡Byzantine Empire
💡Frankish Kings
💡Crusades
💡College of Patriarchs
💡Theological Disagreements
Highlights
The Eastern and Western parts of the church have had a long history of unity and disunity.
Historians refer to an East-West Schism as a singular event in 1054, marking a significant insult and a blow to relations.
The Schism had been growing for centuries, with the excommunication event of 1054 being one of many factors.
Christianity's spread through the Roman Empire was initially in Greek, but Latin became the primary language in the West.
A language barrier developed, breaking down communication between Eastern and Western Christians.
Political differences emerged after the Western Roman Empire fell, leading to a decentralized church situation in the West.
The Eastern Byzantine Emperor maintained a close relationship with the Patriarch of Constantinople.
Christians in the East recognized a college of patriarchs with much equality, unlike the Western view of the Pope as the sole king.
Pope Stephen in 754 began developing relationships with Frankish kings for support, increasing the schism.
Theological disagreements, such as the Filioque controversy, contributed to the schism.
The addition of 'filioque' to the Nicene Creed by Western bishops was seen as overreaching by the East.
Missionary work among the Slavs in Bulgaria led to disputes over the filioque inclusion and patriarch recognition.
Popes in Rome attempted to solidify their authority, making claims over the entire church, which were rejected by the East.
By the 11th century, the Papacy's political power led to strong assertions of Rome's authority over the entire church.
Cardinal Humbert's hasty excommunication of Patriarch Michael Cerullarius formalized the East-West Schism.
The Crusades solidified the Schism due to the poor behavior of Crusaders and disagreements over church leadership.
Western Crusaders are often remembered for misbehavior rather than protecting Eastern Orthodox counterparts.
Despite shared beliefs, Christians have struggled with unity due to language, distance, politics, and theology.
The Eastern and Western churches have persistently attempted to maintain unity despite their differences.
Transcripts
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