The Great Schism: Catholic vs. Orthodox
In this episode, we trace how one global faith became divided between East and West — from the councils of Nicaea, Chalcedon, and Constantinople to the final break in 1054 — and discover what it means to return to the unified, Spirit-led Church Jesus originally envisioned.--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at
[email protected] Now --Last week, we ended with a coronation that changed history.In 800 A.D., Pope Leo III placed a crown on the head of Charlemagne, declaring him “Emperor of the Romans.” It was the rebirth of a Christian Rome — what we now call the Holy Roman Empire.It seemed like a moment of triumph for the Church, but it came with a cost.That act blurred the line between heaven and earth — between spiritual authority and political control. The pope gained protection. Charlemagne gained divine legitimacy. But the partnership that promised unity in the West sent shockwaves through the East.In Constantinople, Christian leaders looked on in disbelief. The Eastern emperor was already the rightful heir of Rome — so who gave a Western pope the right to crown another? It was more than a political power play; it was the outworking of deeper cracks that had been forming for centuries.So before we move forward to the Great Schism of 1054, we’re going to back up — to the early councils of the Church, when East and West still sat at the same table.We’ll see how questions about who Jesus is, who leads the Church, and how truth is defined began to pull believers in different directions long before anyone realized the family was breaking apart.From One Empire to Two WorldsWhen Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople in 330 A.D., the center of gravity in the Christian world began to shift. Rome was still revered as the old seat of power, but Constantinople — “New Rome” — quickly became the heart of a thriving, educated, and deeply spiritual East.In the West, life revolved around survival. As the empire crumbled under invasions and chaos, the Church became the glue that held society together. Latin was the common language, law and order were prized, and the bishop of Rome — later known as the pope — grew in influence as emperors disappeared. By the time Rome finally fell in 476 A.D., it was the Church, not the state, that provided leadership and stability.In the East, the story looked very different. The Byzantine Empire remained strong and sophisticated, speaking Greek, preserving classical learning, and weaving theology into every part of public life. The emperor saw himself not just as a ruler, but as a protector of the...
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