Nine centuries later. Notes on the Eastern Schism

The prominent theologian and historian of the Church Yves Kongar (1904-1995) explores the roots of the division, or "schism", of the one Church of Christ into Western and Eastern. Although the date of the beginning of the division is considered to be 1054, the author shows that the family of the formal rupture that occurred was sown long before that date. He sees the root cause and essence of "schism" in the "alienation" that has developed over the centuries between the West and the East of the former Roman Empire. Among the factors that influenced the final design of the "schism", the author cites the reign of Emperor Charlemagne, the emergence of Islam, which became the catalyst for the political division of East and West, and the Crusades. According to Kongar, the healing of this deep wound in the body of the Church will require the West's acceptance of the uniqueness and historical reality of the Christian East. In turn, the East must come to understand the peculiarities of the Roman tradition in an atmosphere of love and forgiveness.

The book is addressed to all who are interested in Christianity and its history, especially theologians, clergy, scientists, students. The outstanding theologian and historian of the Church Yves Congar (1904-1995) explores the roots of the division, or "schism", of the one Church of Christ into Western and Eastern. Although the date of the beginning of the division is considered to be 1054, the author shows that the seeds of the formal rupture occurred were sown long before this date. He sees the root cause and essence of the "schism" in the centuries-old "alienation" between the West and East of the former Roman Empire. Among the factors that influenced the final design of the "schism", the author cites the reign of Emperor Charlemagne, the emergence of Islam, which became the catalyst for the political division of East and West, and the Crusades. According to Kongar, the healing of this deep wound on the body of the Church will require the West's acceptance of the originality and historical reality of the Christian East. In turn, the East must come to understand the peculiarities of the Roman tradition in an atmosphere of love and forgiveness. The book is addressed to all who are interested in Christianity and its history, especially theologians, clergy, scientists and students.