08.08.2015 Views

Christian Unity (the book) - The Maranatha Community

Christian Unity (the book) - The Maranatha Community

Christian Unity (the book) - The Maranatha Community

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

<strong>The</strong> distinction between laity and clergy was not as acute as in <strong>the</strong> West,where <strong>the</strong>ology was firmly in <strong>the</strong> hands of <strong>the</strong> clergy. Salvation was seen in <strong>the</strong>East as <strong>the</strong>osis, <strong>the</strong> indwelling of God in <strong>the</strong> believer and <strong>the</strong> indwelling of <strong>the</strong>believer in God.Salvation in <strong>the</strong> West has had more to do with a forensic view of sin’s guiltbeing cleared by <strong>the</strong> death of Christ on <strong>the</strong> Cross. For <strong>the</strong> East <strong>the</strong> Cross was<strong>the</strong> means of man’s redemption, but salvation is more than just forgiveness, itis also <strong>the</strong> union of <strong>the</strong> believer with God. So in <strong>the</strong> Orthodox <strong>the</strong>ology, <strong>the</strong>resurrection, by which <strong>the</strong> risen Christ is given to all who receive him, iscentral.O<strong>the</strong>r differences also developed between East and West, with <strong>the</strong> Eastpermitting clergy to marry (though not bishops, who came from <strong>the</strong>monasteries) while <strong>the</strong> Catholic Church insisted from <strong>the</strong> second LateranCouncil of 1139 that all priests must be celibate. (<strong>The</strong> call to celibacy for clergyhad been made in <strong>the</strong> West from very early days.) <strong>The</strong>re was even a disputeabout <strong>the</strong> use of unleavened bread (azymes) in <strong>the</strong> Eucharist, which <strong>the</strong> Eastrejected.<strong>The</strong> actual split came over a question of authority: had <strong>the</strong> Pope in Romejurisdiction over Constantinople, <strong>the</strong> leading Patriarchate of Orthodoxy? By1054 Italy had tried to impose its Latin rite <strong>the</strong>re. In retaliation <strong>the</strong> Patriarch ofConstantinople (Michael Cerularius) demanded that Latin churches inConstantinople should use <strong>the</strong> Greek rite, and closed <strong>the</strong>m down for not doingso.Matters came to a head when Pope Leo IX sent a legate to Constantinople tobring <strong>the</strong> city into line. <strong>The</strong> Pope’s representative, Humbert, gaveConstantinople a bull of excommunication and accused <strong>the</strong> Greeks of omitting<strong>the</strong> filioque. Constantinople replied in kind and <strong>the</strong> damage was done.Reconciliation in part is only now being made, in <strong>the</strong> 20 th and 21 st Centuries.<strong>The</strong> Crusades fur<strong>the</strong>r embittered relations between East and West when Latinpatriarchates were set up in Jerusalem and Antioch: <strong>the</strong>y <strong>the</strong>n had twoPatriarchs, Greek and Latin!Page 44

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!