Schism in Christianity

In Christianity, a schism occurs when a single religious body divides and becomes two separate religious bodies. The split can be violent or nonviolent but results in at least one of the two newly created bodies considering itself distinct from the other. This article covers schisms in Christianity.

In the early Christian church, the formation of a distinction between the concepts of "heresy" and "schism" began. In ecclesiastical usage, the term "heresy" refers to a serious confrontation based on disagreements over fundamental issues of faith or morality, while the term "schism" usually means a lesser form of disunity caused by organizational or less important ideological differences.^[1] Heresy is rejection of a doctrine that a Church considered to be essential. Schism is a rejection of communion with the authorities of a Church.

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In Christian theology, the concept of the unity of the Church was developed by the Apostles, Holy Fathers and apologists. The greatest contribution to the doctrine of church unity was made by the apostles Peter and Paul, Ignatius of Antioch, Irenaeus of Lyons, Cyprian of Carthage, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, and John of Damascus. Christian ecclesiology insists on the statement that unity and the Church are synonymous, as John Chrysostom wrote: "the name of the Church is not one of separation but of unity and harmony".^[2]^[3]

Canon 751 of the Latin Church's 1983 Code of Canon Law, promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1983, defines schism as the following: "schism is the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him".^[4] This definition is reused in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.^[5]

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Schisms in the early Church

Since the early days of Christianity, many disputes have arisen between members of the Church.

The following are instances of denominations are considered as schisms of Early Christianity by the current mainstream Christian denominations:

Marcionist schism (c. 150)^[6]
Montanist Schism (c. 156)^[7]
Monarchianist schism (c. 100-200)^[8]
Sabellianist/Patripassianist schism (c. 200)^[9]
Novatianist schism 250 onwards. Novatianism survived until the 8th century.^[10]
Donatist schism (c. 300-500)^[11]
Arian schism (325)^[12]
Quartodecimanist schism (325)^[13]
Macedonian schism (342)^[14]
Luciferian schism (355)^[15]
Appolinarist schism (381)^[16]
Collyridianist schism (c. 376)^[17]
Nestorian schism (431)^[18]
Eutychian schism (451)^[19]
Monophysite schism (451)^[19]
Acacian schism (484)^[20]
Schism of the Three Chapters (553)^[21]
Armenian Apostolic schism (610)^[22]
Monothelitist schism (629)^[23]
First Iconoclast schism (787)^[24]
Second Iconoclast schism (814)^[24]
The Great Schism of 1054^[24]

Schisms in Catholicism before the Reformation

Reformation

Post Reformation schisms before the Second World War

Melkite-Orthodox Schism 1724
Orthodox Reformation 19th century
Restorationist movement begins 1850s
Bulgarian schism 1872
Old Catholic Church schism 1879
Philippine Independent Church 1902
Liberal Catholic movement 1913
- Liberal Catholic Church schism 1916
Watch Tower Society presidency dispute 1917
True Orthodox movement 1920s
- Old Calendarism schisms 1923

Post Reformation schisms since the Second World War

Church of the East Schism 1964
Montaner Schism 1967–69
Continuing Anglican movement schisms begin since 1977
Society of Saint Pius X became schismatic in 1988
Apostolic Catholic Church 1992
Second Moscow–Constantinople schism 1996
Anglican realignment schisms begin since 2002
- The separation of the Anglican Church in North America from the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada 2009^[31]
Community of the Lady of All Peoples Quebec, Excluded from the Catholic Church in April 2007^[32]
North American Lutheran Church, founded in 2010 by congregations that left the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Third Moscow–Constantinople schism 2018
Global Methodist Church formed by Conservative Methodist who left the United Methodist Church 2022
Diocese of the Southern Cross formed by Conservative Anglicans who left the Anglican Church of Australia 2022

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[1]
McGuckin 2014, p. 7.
[2]
In 1 Cor 1.1 as quoted in Thomas P Halton, The Church, (Wilmington, Del.: M. Glazier, 1985), 56
[3]
Hovorun 2014, p. 77.
[4]
"Code of Canon Law – Book III – The teaching function of the Church (Cann. 747-755)". www.vatican.va. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
[5]
"CCC, 2089". Vatican.va.
[6]
Sider, Robert D.; Tertullian; Evans, Ernest (1973). "Tertullian. Adversus Marcionem". The Classical World. 66 (8): 493. doi:10.2307/4347925. ISSN 0009-8418. JSTOR 4347925.
[7]
"La Théophilanthropie et le Culte Décadaire, 1796–1801: Essai sur l'Histoire Religieuse de la Révolution. Par Albert Mathiez. [Bibliothèque de la Fondation Thiers, IV.] (Paris: Félix Alcan. 1904. Pp. 753.)". The American Historical Review. October 1904. doi:10.1086/ahr/10.1.189. ISSN 1937-5239.
[8]
"Monarchianism | Christianity". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
[9]
Latourette, Kenneth Scott (1975). A history of Christianity. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 0060649526. OCLC 1824537.
[10]
"Novatian". earlychristianwritings.com. Retrieved 2021-08-16.
[11]
"Meanness Exemplified". Scientific American. 3 (7): 51. 1847-11-06. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican11061847-51f. ISSN 0036-8733.
[12]
Ferguson, Everett (2013-11-26). Church history the rise and growth of the church in its cultural, intellectual, and political context (Second ed.). Grand Rapids. ISBN 9780310516576. OCLC 1085698140.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
[13]
"Fallow". Encyclopedia of entomology: P-Z. Encyclopedia of Entomology. Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2004. p. 828. doi:10.1007/0-306-48380-7_1566. ISBN 0792386701.
[14]
Howland, A.C. (March 1913). "The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vols. XIII (pp. xv, 800) and XIV (pp. xv, 800). Price, $6.00 each. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912". The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 46 (1): 206–208. doi:10.1177/000271621304600140. ISSN 0002-7162. S2CID 144983838.
[15]
Cross, F. L.; Livingstone, E. A., eds. (2005-01-01). The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. doi:10.1093/acref/9780192802903.001.0001. ISBN 9780192802903.
[16]
Kubiński, Tadeusz (December 1975). "Mcinerny R. M.. Language. New Catholic encyclopedia, prepared by an editorial staff at the Catholic University of America, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York etc. 1967, vol. 8, pp. 365–376. Hirschberger J.. Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm von. New Catholic encyclopedia, prepared by an editorial staff at the Catholic University of America, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York etc. 1967, vol. 8, pp. 620–621. Carlo W. E.. Methodology (physical sciences). New Catholic encyclopedia, prepared by an editorial staff at the Catholic University of America, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York etc. 1967, vol. 9, pp. 747–750. Maziarz E. A.. Number. New Catholic encyclopedia, prepared by an editorial staff at the Catholic University of America, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York etc. 1967, vol. 10, pp. 561–566. Ladrière J. A.. Verification. New Catholic encyclopedia, prepared by an editorial staff at the Catholic University of America, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York etc. 1967, vol. 14, pp. 615–616. Stokes W. E.. Whitehead, Alfred North. New Catholic encyclopedia, prepared by an editorial staff at the Catholic University of America, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York etc. 1967, vol. 14, pp. 896–897. McGuinness B. F.. Wittgenstein, Ludwig. New Catholic encyclopedia, prepared by an editorial staff at the Catholic University of America, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York etc. 1967, vol. 14, pp. 983–984. Stahl G.. Un développement de la logique des questions. Revue philosophique de la France et de l'Etranger, vol. 153 (1963), pp. 293–301". The Journal of Symbolic Logic. 40 (4): 599–600. doi:10.2307/2271807. ISSN 0022-4812. JSTOR 2271807.
[17]
Block, Corrie (2013). The Qur'an in Christian-Muslim Dialogue : Historical and Modern Interpretations. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. ISBN 9781135014056. OCLC 860626008.
[18]
Strayer, Joseph R., ed. (1982). Dictionary of the Middle Ages. New York: Scribner. ISBN 0684190737. OCLC 8474388.
[19]
"Chalcedon, Council of". doi:10.1163/2211-2685_eco_c358. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
[20]
Meyendorff, A. (June 1925). "Notes on Marx's Predecessors". Economica (14): 202–203. doi:10.2307/2548079. ISSN 0013-0427. JSTOR 2548079.
[21]
Howland, A.C. (March 1913). "The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vols. XIII (pp. xv, 800) and XIV (pp. xv, 800). Price, $6.00 each. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912". The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 46 (1): 206–208. doi:10.1177/000271621304600140. ISSN 0002-7162. S2CID 144983838.
[22]
"Armenian Apostolic Church". doi:10.1163/2211-2685_eco_a599. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
[23]
Bury, Tracy (May 1995). "The Development of the CSP Research Strategy". Physiotherapy. 81 (5): 251–252. doi:10.1016/s0031-9406(05)66817-4. ISSN 0031-9406.
[24]
Reese, Alan W. (August 2000). "A History of the Byzantine State and Society, by Warren Treadgold. A History of the Byzantine State and Society, by Warren Treadgold. Stanford California, Stanford University Press, 1997. xxiii, 1019 pp. $79.50 U.S. (cloth), $34.95 U.S. (paper)". Canadian Journal of History. 35 (2): 300–301. doi:10.3138/cjh.35.2.300. ISSN 0008-4107.
[25]
"Schism - Western Schism". doi:10.1163/2468-483x_smuo_com_003974. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
[26]
Antwood, Crag D. "Czech Reformation and Hussite Revolution". Oxford bibliographies.
[27]
Janz, Denis, ed. (2008). A Reformation reader : primary texts with introductions (2nd ed.). Minneapolis: Fortress Press. ISBN 9780800663100. OCLC 226291754.
[28]
Dyck, J. W.; Fanger, Donald (1967). "Dostoevsky and Romantic Realism". Books Abroad. 41 (1): 86. doi:10.2307/40121427. ISSN 0006-7431. JSTOR 40121427.
[29]
Brian Chalkley; Martin J Haigh; David Higgitt, eds. (2009). Education for sustainable development : papers in honour of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014). Routledge. ISBN 9780415460057. OCLC 475732590.
[30]
Gray, Thomas (1935), Toynbee, Paget; Whibley, Leonard (eds.), "140. Gray to Walpole", Correspondence of Thomas Gray, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/oseo/instance.00218602, ISBN 9780198794493
[31]
Padley, Kenneth (February 2009). "Early Anglican Ecclesiology and Contemporary Ecumenism". International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church. 9 (1): 3–16. doi:10.1080/14742250802562780. ISSN 1474-225X. S2CID 143958364.
[32]
"Home". communaute-dame.qc.ca (in French).

Sources

Hovorun, Cyril (2014). "Ecclesiological foundations for Ecumenism". Orthodox Handbook on Ecumenism. Pantelis Kalaitzidis, Thomas Fitzgerald, Cyril Hovorun, Aikaterini Pekridou, Nikolaos Asproulis, Guy Liagre, Dietrich Werner (1st ed.). Oxford: Regnum book international. pp. 77–85. ISBN 978-1-908355-44-7.
McGuckin, Fr. John (2014). "The Role of Orthodoxy in World Christianity Today – Historical, Demographic and Theological Perspectives – An Introduction". Orthodox Handbook on Ecumenism. Pantelis Kalaitzidis, Thomas Fitzgerald, Cyril Hovorun, Aikaterini Pekridou, Nikolaos Asproulis, Guy Liagre, Dietrich Werner (1st ed.). Oxford: Regnum book international. pp. 3–9. ISBN 978-1-908355-44-7.

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Ionita, Fr. Viorel (2014). "Bilateral Theological Dialogues of Orthodox Churches – a General Introduction". Orthodox Handbook on Ecumenism. Pantelis Kalaitzidis, Thomas Fitzgerald, Cyril Hovorun, Aikaterini Pekridou, Nikolaos Asproulis, Guy Liagre, Dietrich Werner (1st ed.). Oxford: Regnum book international. pp. 457–472. ISBN 978-1-908355-44-7.
Kalaitzidis, Pantelis (2014). "Theological, historical, and cultural reasons for anti-ecumenical movements in Eastern Orthodoxy". Orthodox Handbook on Ecumenism. Pantelis Kalaitzidis, Thomas Fitzgerald, Cyril Hovorun, Aikaterini Pekridou, Nikolaos Asproulis, Guy Liagre, Dietrich Werner (1st ed.). Oxford: Regnum book international. pp. 134–152. ISBN 978-1-908355-44-7.
Christine Chaillot, Alexander Belopopsky (1998). Towards Unity. The Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches. Geneva: Inter-Orthodox Dialogue. ISBN 9788390695846.
Dvornik F. (2008). The Photian Schism: History and Legend. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521101769.
W. H. C. Frend (2000). The Donatist Church: A Movement of Protest in Roman North Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198264088.
Gary L. Ward (1990). Independent Bishops: An International Directory. Omnigraphics Inc. ISBN 978-1558883079.

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[FOOTNOTEMcGuckin20147-1] [1]
McGuckin 2014, p. 7.

[2] [2]
In 1 Cor 1.1 as quoted in Thomas P Halton, The Church, (Wilmington, Del.: M. Glazier, 1985), 56

[FOOTNOTEHovorun201477-3] [3]
Hovorun 2014, p. 77.

[4] [4]
"Code of Canon Law – Book III – The teaching function of the Church (Cann. 747-755)". www.vatican.va. Retrieved 2023-01-22.

[5] [5]
"CCC, 2089". Vatican.va.

[6] [6]
Sider, Robert D.; Tertullian; Evans, Ernest (1973). "Tertullian. Adversus Marcionem". The Classical World. 66 (8): 493. doi:10.2307/4347925. ISSN 0009-8418. JSTOR 4347925.

[7] [7]
"La Théophilanthropie et le Culte Décadaire, 1796–1801: Essai sur l'Histoire Religieuse de la Révolution. Par Albert Mathiez. [Bibliothèque de la Fondation Thiers, IV.] (Paris: Félix Alcan. 1904. Pp. 753.)". The American Historical Review. October 1904. doi:10.1086/ahr/10.1.189. ISSN 1937-5239.

[8] [8]
"Monarchianism | Christianity". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-03-19.

[9] [9]
Latourette, Kenneth Scott (1975). A history of Christianity. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 0060649526. OCLC 1824537.

[10] [10]
"Novatian". earlychristianwritings.com. Retrieved 2021-08-16.

[11] [11]
"Meanness Exemplified". Scientific American. 3 (7): 51. 1847-11-06. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican11061847-51f. ISSN 0036-8733.

[12] [12]
Ferguson, Everett (2013-11-26). Church history the rise and growth of the church in its cultural, intellectual, and political context (Second ed.). Grand Rapids. ISBN 9780310516576. OCLC 1085698140.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[13] [13]
"Fallow". Encyclopedia of entomology: P-Z. Encyclopedia of Entomology. Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2004. p. 828. doi:10.1007/0-306-48380-7_1566. ISBN 0792386701.

[14] [14]
Howland, A.C. (March 1913). "The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vols. XIII (pp. xv, 800) and XIV (pp. xv, 800). Price, $6.00 each. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912". The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 46 (1): 206–208. doi:10.1177/000271621304600140. ISSN 0002-7162. S2CID 144983838.

[15] [15]
Cross, F. L.; Livingstone, E. A., eds. (2005-01-01). The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. doi:10.1093/acref/9780192802903.001.0001. ISBN 9780192802903.

[16] [16]
Kubiński, Tadeusz (December 1975). "Mcinerny R. M.. Language. New Catholic encyclopedia, prepared by an editorial staff at the Catholic University of America, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York etc. 1967, vol. 8, pp. 365–376. Hirschberger J.. Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm von. New Catholic encyclopedia, prepared by an editorial staff at the Catholic University of America, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York etc. 1967, vol. 8, pp. 620–621. Carlo W. E.. Methodology (physical sciences). New Catholic encyclopedia, prepared by an editorial staff at the Catholic University of America, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York etc. 1967, vol. 9, pp. 747–750. Maziarz E. A.. Number. New Catholic encyclopedia, prepared by an editorial staff at the Catholic University of America, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York etc. 1967, vol. 10, pp. 561–566. Ladrière J. A.. Verification. New Catholic encyclopedia, prepared by an editorial staff at the Catholic University of America, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York etc. 1967, vol. 14, pp. 615–616. Stokes W. E.. Whitehead, Alfred North. New Catholic encyclopedia, prepared by an editorial staff at the Catholic University of America, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York etc. 1967, vol. 14, pp. 896–897. McGuinness B. F.. Wittgenstein, Ludwig. New Catholic encyclopedia, prepared by an editorial staff at the Catholic University of America, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York etc. 1967, vol. 14, pp. 983–984. Stahl G.. Un développement de la logique des questions. Revue philosophique de la France et de l'Etranger, vol. 153 (1963), pp. 293–301". The Journal of Symbolic Logic. 40 (4): 599–600. doi:10.2307/2271807. ISSN 0022-4812. JSTOR 2271807.

[17] [17]
Block, Corrie (2013). The Qur'an in Christian-Muslim Dialogue : Historical and Modern Interpretations. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. ISBN 9781135014056. OCLC 860626008.

[18] [18]
Strayer, Joseph R., ed. (1982). Dictionary of the Middle Ages. New York: Scribner. ISBN 0684190737. OCLC 8474388.

[:0-19] [19]
"Chalcedon, Council of". doi:10.1163/2211-2685_eco_c358. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

[20] [20]
Meyendorff, A. (June 1925). "Notes on Marx's Predecessors". Economica (14): 202–203. doi:10.2307/2548079. ISSN 0013-0427. JSTOR 2548079.

[21] [21]
Howland, A.C. (March 1913). "The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vols. XIII (pp. xv, 800) and XIV (pp. xv, 800). Price, $6.00 each. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912". The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 46 (1): 206–208. doi:10.1177/000271621304600140. ISSN 0002-7162. S2CID 144983838.

[22] [22]
"Armenian Apostolic Church". doi:10.1163/2211-2685_eco_a599. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

[23] [23]
Bury, Tracy (May 1995). "The Development of the CSP Research Strategy". Physiotherapy. 81 (5): 251–252. doi:10.1016/s0031-9406(05)66817-4. ISSN 0031-9406.

[:1-24] [24]
Reese, Alan W. (August 2000). "A History of the Byzantine State and Society, by Warren Treadgold. A History of the Byzantine State and Society, by Warren Treadgold. Stanford California, Stanford University Press, 1997. xxiii, 1019 pp. $79.50 U.S. (cloth), $34.95 U.S. (paper)". Canadian Journal of History. 35 (2): 300–301. doi:10.3138/cjh.35.2.300. ISSN 0008-4107.

[25] [25]
"Schism - Western Schism". doi:10.1163/2468-483x_smuo_com_003974. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

[26] [26]
Antwood, Crag D. "Czech Reformation and Hussite Revolution". Oxford bibliographies.

[27] [27]
Janz, Denis, ed. (2008). A Reformation reader : primary texts with introductions (2nd ed.). Minneapolis: Fortress Press. ISBN 9780800663100. OCLC 226291754.

[28] [28]
Dyck, J. W.; Fanger, Donald (1967). "Dostoevsky and Romantic Realism". Books Abroad. 41 (1): 86. doi:10.2307/40121427. ISSN 0006-7431. JSTOR 40121427.

[29] [29]
Brian Chalkley; Martin J Haigh; David Higgitt, eds. (2009). Education for sustainable development : papers in honour of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014). Routledge. ISBN 9780415460057. OCLC 475732590.

[30] [30]
Gray, Thomas (1935), Toynbee, Paget; Whibley, Leonard (eds.), "140. Gray to Walpole", Correspondence of Thomas Gray, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/oseo/instance.00218602, ISBN 9780198794493

[31] [31]
Padley, Kenneth (February 2009). "Early Anglican Ecclesiology and Contemporary Ecumenism". International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church. 9 (1): 3–16. doi:10.1080/14742250802562780. ISSN 1474-225X. S2CID 143958364.

[32] [32]
"Home". communaute-dame.qc.ca (in French).

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Schism in Christianity

Schisms in the early Church

Schisms in Catholicism before the Reformation

Reformation

Post Reformation schisms before the Second World War

Post Reformation schisms since the Second World War

Sources

Wikiwand in your browser!

Definition of schism in Christianity

Lists of Schisms

See also

References

Further reading