The Eastern Orthodox Church

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The Eastern Orthodox Church shares ancestry with the Roman Catholic Church. However, they consist of many dissimilar beliefs. Icons and the use of their ritual beliefs and worship cause major controversy between both churches. Possession of power is a major dividing issue between the two churches. The Pope was customarily the top leader of the church and all matters of divinity were his concerns. Orthodox Churches structured from Byzantine Christianity, which was associated to Constantinople, and gradually became detached from Roman Catholicism by disputes over authority and differences over religion. This changed when Eastern Europe adopted Caesaropapism. Caesaropapism is the idea of combining the power of government with, or making…show more content…
One of the strongest influences that the Roman Catholic Church sustained was its major influence on schooling and education in the 1000s through the 1300s. In fact, by the twelfth century most curriculums were based on Latin writing, the official language of the Roman Catholic Church. Roman Catholic Church held its prayer in public gatherings, also called a liturgy, or other speech commonly known as Mass. Mass consists of readings from the Bible, preaching, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, in which bread and wine are understood to become the body and blood of Christ and are eaten in Communion. The Eucharist is one of the seven sacraments of the church. The others are baptism, confirmation (a ritual of baptism understood to bring about a special presence of the Holy Spirit in the person confirmed), penance or reconciliation (a ritual forgiveness of sins), marriage, order (holy orders or ordination), and anointing of the sick. Non- liturgical prayers and rituals include the rosary, a prayer commemorating events in the lives of Jesus and Mary and consisting of repetitions of the Lord's Prayer, the Hail…show more content…
The study of religious belief hasn’t changed my view of religion or my faith. It has however, enhanced my view that religion cannot be run counterpart to government control. The majority of all current issues in the world have some sort of religious connection. Now I don’t mean all issues between governments are due to religious belief, but it does have a significant impact. In my personal opinion all connections between the government and religion need to be abolished. Individuals should be able to practice whatever religion they decide to follow without persecution. Works Citied Doak, M. (1978) The Orthodox Church, Exeter: Religious Education Press. {1}The Orthodox Church. Ware, Timothy. Penguin Books, 1997. Encyclopedia Americana, vol. 2, p. 297. Danbury, CT:Grolier Incorporated, 1997. Carroll, p. 11. Levillain, Philippe, ed. The Papacy: An Encyclopedia. 3 vols. London and New York: Routledge, 2002. Marthaler, Berard L., ed. The New Catholic Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. 15 vols. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Vasiliev, Arianism and the Council of Nicaea, from History of the Byzantine Empire, Chapter One. Retrieved on

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