Introduction
The Church Divides

a map depicting the spread of Christianity between 100 to 1300 A.D. (C.E.)
A map showing the spread of Christianity between 100 A.D. (C.E.)
and 1300 A.D. (C.E.). The red line indicates the geographic division
between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

After the reign of Emperor Constantine, two distinct Christian churches developed in the Roman Empire - one in the eastern part of the empire and one in the west. As time went by, these two churches became more culturally and religiously different, and they eventually became permanently divided. In this topic, you will examine the background to the major conflicts that caused a schism within Christianity, and the creation of two churches: The Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church.

Essential Questions

 

Warm-Up

discussion iconHave you ever been part of a conflict that started out as a small disagreement between two people and expanded to become a large disagreement between groups of people? Were there small events along the way that helped escalate the situation? Was there a point at which the situation could have been completely resolved?

Post your responses to these questions in the discussion area. Then, return to the topic discussion several times over the next few days to read your coursemates' posts. Reply to at least two of them, making sure to ask questions and encourage further conversation.