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.
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. 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.
Definition 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".
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". This definition is reused in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
List
Early Christian schisms
Since the early days of Christianity, many disputes have arisen between members of the Church.
The following instances of denominations are considered as schisms of Early Christianity by the current mainstream Christian denominations. Many of the earliest schisms originated from the differing views of the Trinity. Name of schism Original location of schism Start date Schism resolved Original Church body Resulting Church bodies or schismatic bodies Notes Marcionian schism Roma, Italia, Roman Empire Great Church Marcionites According to Tertullian and other writers of early proto-orthodox Christianity, the movement known as Marcionism began with the teachings and excommunication of Marcion of Sinope around 144. Marcion arrived in Rome , soon after the Bar Kokhba revolt, and is said to have contributed 200,000 sestertius to the church, using his personal wealth to fund an ecclesiastical organization. He was influenced by Gnosticism and taught that the teachings of Christ is incompatible with the actions of the God of the Old Testament. By the reign of emperor Commodus (180–192), Marcionism was divided into various opinions with various leaders; among whom was Apelles, whom Rhodo describes as "priding himself on his manner of life and his age, acknowledges one principle, but says that the prophecies are from an opposing principle, being led to this view by the responses of a maiden by name Philumene, who was possessed by a demon". However, "others, among whom were Potitus and Basilicus, held to two principles, as did Marcion himself. Others consider that there are not only two, but three natures. Of these, Syneros was the leader and chief.”
In the early 3rd century, a splinter group of Marcionites was established by Prepon the Syrian, who claimed the existence of an intermediate spiritual entity between the good and evil gods. Montanian schism Ardabau, Mysia, Provincia Asia, Roman Empire Montanists The schism started after the excommunication of Montanus, along with Prisca and Maximilla, who taught that the Holy Spirit enables new prophecies after Jesus Christ. Sabellian schism Roma, Italia, Roman Empire – SabelliansPatripassians The schism started after Pope Callixtus I excommunicated Sabellius, who taught that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are different modes or aspects of one God, rather than three distinct persons in God Himself. Monarchian schism Antiochia, Provincia Syria, Roman Empire – MonarchiansAdoptionistsModalistic Monarchians Monarchianism first developed in the 2nd century, but only after Patriarch of Antioch Paul of Samosata was condemned by Synods of Antioch in 269 was it declared as heretical. Donatian schism Carthago, Provincia Africa Proconsularis, Roman Empire Donatists The schism started when a commission appointed by Pope Miltiades condemned the Donatists, who denied the validity of sacraments administered by priests and bishops who had been traditores under the Diocletianic persecution. Arian controversy Nicaea, Provincia Asia, Dioecesis Asiana, Praefectura praetorio Orientis, Eastern Roman Empire Arians It began in 318 as a dispute between Pope Alexander I of Alexandria and a priest in his diocese named Arius, both Christian theologians from Alexandria. Quartodeciman controversy Roma, Italia, Roman Empire – Quartodecimans Quartodecimanism (from the Vulgate Latin quarta decima in Leviticus 23:5,: "Mense primo, quarta decima die mensis, ad vesperum Pascha Domini est." meaning fourteenth) is the name given to the practice of commemorating the death of Christ on the day of Passover, the 14th of Nisan according to biblical dating, on whatever day of the week it occurs. The controversy arose from the question of whether to celebrate Easter on Sunday (the first day of the week), or at the time of sacrifice of the Passover lamb. The Quartodecimans claimed that their traditions were inherited from the apostles John and Philip, while the Western Church claimed that theirs have been inherited from the apostles Peter and Paul. Quartodecimanism was popular in Asia Minor, Judea and Syria, however it was rejected by churches in other regions. According to Eusebius, in the last decade of the 2nd century a number of synods were convened to deal with the controversy, ruling unanimously that the celebration of Easter should be observed and be exclusively on Sunday. These synods were held in Palestine, Pontus and Osroene in the east, and in Rome and Gaul in the west.
It is not known how long the Nisan 14 practice lasted. The church historian Socrates of Constantinople knew of quartodecimans who were deprived of their churches by John Chrysostom, and harassed in unspecified ways by Nestorius, both bishops of Constantinople. This indicates that the Nisan 14 practice, or a practice that was called by the same name, lingered into the 4th century. Luciferian controversy Roman Empire – Luciferians Lucifer of Cagliari might have been excommunicated, as is hinted in the writings of Ambrose of Milan and Augustine of Hippo, as well as Jerome, who refers to his followers as Luciferians. Pneumatomachian controversy Constantinopolis, Provincia Europae, Dioecesis Thraciae, Praefectura praetorio Orientis, Eastern Roman Empire – PneumatomachiSemi-Arians In 381, the First Council of Constantinople was called in an attempt to deal with the binitarians, who were mainly Semi-Arians at that time. However, when the Trinity was officially defined, the offended binitarians (Pneumatomachi and Semi-Arians) walked out. Apollinarian schism late 4th century Apollinarians Apollinarism or Apollinarianism is a Christological position proposed by Apollinaris, bishop of Laodicea in Syria, that argues that Jesus had not a human body and sensitive soul, but a divine mind and body, the Divine Logos taking the place of the latter. It was deemed heretical by the First Council of Constantinople, and after Theodosius I ratified the conciliar canons, it virtually died out within the following decades. Nestorian schism of 431 Ephesus, Provincia Asia, Dioecesis Asiana, Praefectura praetorio Orientis, Eastern Roman Empire – Nestorians Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II convoked the Council of Ephesus, which became two rival councils, each led by patriarchs Cyril I of Alexandria and John I of Antioch, resulting in two sets of canons. The emperor finally ratified the canons of Cyril's party in September 431. Chalcedonian schism Chalcedon, Provincia Bithynia, Dioecesis Pontica, Praefectura praetorio Orientis, Eastern Roman Empire – Non-Chalcedonian Churches In the aftermath of the adoption of the Chalcedonian Definition, many hierarchs within the eastern patriarchates who embraced the various non-Chalcedonian understanding such as Monophysitism and Miaphysitism struggled against it. Acacian schism Eastern Roman Empire Acacians Between 498 and , there had been a Papal schism between Laurentius, who was elected by the Byzantine party, and Symmachus. Nestorian schism of 486 Vēh-Ardašīr, Māḥozā, Asōristān, Kušt-i Xwarārān, Sasanian Empire 1552(majority; with the Catholic Church) Church of the East After the Council of Ephesus, churches aligned with Nestorius, centred on the School of Edessa, were separated from the rest of the Christian Church. Anathemised in the Roman Empire, they relocated to the Sasanian Empire, where they were welcomed by the Persian Christians, who had already declared independence from Constantinople in 424 in an attempt to cast off accusations of foreign allegiance. The Church of the East herself accepted the teaching of the first two ecumenical councils but ignored the 431 Council and those that followed, seeing them as concerning only the patriarchates of the Roman Empire, all of which were for her "Western Christianity." Monothelite controversy Eastern Roman Empire MonothelitesMonoenergists The schism began with publication of the Ecthesis in 638, and was solidified by publication of Typos of Constans in 648. It was eventually resolved in the Sixth Ecumenical Council in Constantinople (681).
Medieval period Name of schism Original location of schism Start date Schism resolved Original Church body Resulting Church bodies or Schismatic bodies Notes First Byzantine Iconoclasm Kōnstăntīnoúpolĭs, Théma Thrāíkēs, Eastern Roman Empire Great Church IconodulesIconoclastsIconolatrians The schism was resolved by the Second Council of Nicaea. Second Byzantine Iconoclasm Kōnstăntīnoúpolĭs, Théma Thrāíkēs, Eastern Roman Empire The schism was triggered in 815 by Emperor Leo V's convocation of the Council of Constantinople. It was later overturned one final time by another Council of Constantinople, in 843.
Breaks of communion These are schisms involving most of the clergy to defect from a regional basis.
Classical period Name of schism Original location of schism Start date Schism resolved Original Church body Resulting Church bodies or schismatic bodies Notes Schism of the Three Chapters Aquileia, Italia, Eastern Roman Empire (Milan) (Grado) (Aquileia) Great Church Patriarchate of Aquileia, dioceses in Liguria, Aemilia, Milan, and the Istrian peninsula Part of the larger Three-Chapter Controversy. Armenian schism of 555 Dvin, Armin, Sasanian Empire – Armenian Apostolic Church Armenian Catholicosate of Dvin withdrew communion with the Chalcedonians but also adopted moderate form of the Aphthartodocetae (Julianism) or Phantasiasm by condemning "books on the corruption" (of the body of Christ), thus also standing outside of the Miaphysite Churches. In 726, during the Council of Manzikert John of Odzun established communion with the Syriac Orthodox Church, condemned Aphthartodocetae, and canonized Severus for the Armenians. Coptic-Syriac schism of 586 Alexandria, Aegyptus, Eastern Roman Empire 586 616 Miaphysites Coptic Orthodox ChurchSyriac Orthodox Church It started with Pope Damian of Alexandria's dialogue with Patriarch Peter of Antioch, in which Damian accused his colleague of tritheism and was in turn accused of Sabellianism. Although Damian pulled support for his understanding of the Trinity from the Bible and the teachings of early Church Fathers, he was never able to persuade Peter and, as a result, he ordered that Peter's name not be mentioned in the Divine Liturgy while Peter remained alive.