Schism in Christianity

For other uses, see Schism (disambiguation).

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. This article covers schisms in Christianity.

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.^[1] 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 of schism in Christianity

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".^[2][3]

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".^[4] This definition is reused in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.^[5]

List of Christian schisms

pre-12th century Christian schisms

See also: Proto-orthodox Christianity, Great Church, and Diversity in early Christian theology

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:

Name of schism	Original location of schism	Start date	End date	Original Church body	Resulting Church bodies or Schismatic bodies	Notes
Monarchian schism	–	early 2nd century	–	Great Church	Monarchians	[6]
Marcionian schism	Roma, Italia, Roman Empire	144	c.10th century	Great Church	Marcionites	The schism started after the excommunication of Marcion of Sinope, who was influenced by Gnosticism and taught that the teachings of Christ is incompatible with the actions of the God of the Old Testament.[7]
Montanian schism	Ardabau, Mysia, Asia, Roman Empire	c.157	c.9th century	Great Church	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.[8]
Sabellian schism	Roma, Italia, Roman Empire	220	–	Great Church	Sabellians, Patripassians	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.[9]
Novatian schism	Roma, Italia, Roman Empire	251 AD	8th century	Great Church	Novatianists	The schism started after Novatian was consecrated bishop by three bishops of Italy and declared himself to be the true Pope in opposition to Pope Cornelius. He held that lapsed Christians, who had not maintained their confession of faith under persecution, may not be received again into communion with the church.[10]
Donatian schism	Carthago, Africa Proconsularis, Roman Empire	313	c.7th century	Great Church	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.[11]
Arian schism	Nicaea, Asia, Roman Empire	325 AD	7th century	Great Church	Arians	[12]
Quartodeciman schism	–	325	–	Great Church	Quartodecimans	[13]
Pneumatomachian schism	–	342	–	Great Church	Pneumatomachians	[14]
Luciferian schism	–	362	–	Great Church	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.[15]
Meletian schism	Antiochia, Syria, Roman Empire	361	415	Great Church	Meletians, Eustathians	The schism originated when Patriarch Meletius of Antioch was opposed by those faithful to the memory of Eustathius of Antioch, due to the unclarity of his theological position.
Collyridian schism	-	c.376 AD	-	Great Church	Collyridians	The existence of this sect is seen as doubtful by many scholars.[16]
Appolinarian schism	Laodicea, Syria, Roman Empire	381	late 4th century	Great Church	Appolinarians	[17]
Nestorian schism	Ephesus, Asia, Roman Empire	431	-	Great Church	Nestorians	The Church of the East, independent since 410, refused to condemn Nestorius, leading to broken communion with the Great Church.[18]
Monophysite schism	Chalcedon, Bithynia, Roman Empire	451	–	Great Church	Monophysites	[19]
Acacian schism	–	484	519	Great Church	Acacians	[20]
Schism of the Three Chapters	Aquileia, Italia, Eastern Roman Empire	553	581 (Milan), 606 (Grado), 698 (Aquileia)	Great Church	Patriarchate of Aquileia, dioceses of Liguria, Aemilia, Milan, and the Istrian peninsula	Part of the larger Three-Chapter Controversy[14]
Armenian schism	Dvin, Armenia, Sasanian Empire	607	-	Great Church	Armenian Apostolic Church	The Armenian Church adopted Miaphysitism, and broke communion with the Georgian Church.[21]
Monothelite schism	–	629	–	Great Church	Monothelites	[22]
First Iconoclasm	–	c.726	13 October 787	Great Church	Iconoclasts	[23]
Second Iconoclasm	–	815	843	Great Church	Iconoclasts	[23]
East–West Schism	Kōnstăntīnoúpolĭs, Eastern Roman Empire	16 July 1054	–	Great Church	Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church	The validity of the Western legates' act is doubtful because Pope Leo IX had died and Ecumenical Patriarch Michael I Cerularius' excommunication only applied to the legates personally. In 1965, Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I nullified the anathemas of 1054. The efforts of the ecumenical patriarchs towards reconciliation with the Catholic Church have often been the target of sharp internal criticism.[23]

12th–15th century Christian schisms

Name of schism	Original location of schism	Start date	End date	Original Church body	Resulting Church bodies or Schismatic bodies	Notes
Double papal election of 1130	Rome, Papal States	14 February 1130	29 May 1138	Catholic Church	Innocent II, Anacletus II	Anacletus II died in 25 January 1138 and was succeeded by Victor IV until his submission to Innocent II on 29 May 1138
Cathar schism	–	1147	–	Catholic Church	Cathars	–
Bosnian schism	–	1252	–	Catholic Church	Bosnian Church	–
Waldensian schism	–	1215	–	Catholic Church	Waldensians	–
Arsenite schism	–	May 1265	1315	Eastern Orthodox Church	Arsenites, Josephists	–
Western schism	Avignon, Papal States	20 September 1378	11 November 1417	Catholic Church	Urban VI, Clement VII	[24]
Bohemian Reformation	–	6 July 1415	–	Catholic Church	Hussites	[25]
Baselian schism	Basel, Prince-Bishopric of Basel, Holy Roman Empire	5 November 1439	7 April 1449	Catholic Church	Eugene IV, Felix V	–
First Moscow–Constantinople schism	–	1457	1560	Eastern Orthodox Church	Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Russian Orthodox Church	–

16th–19th century Christian schisms

• The Swiss Reformation (1516–)^[26]
• The Anabaptist Reformation (1525–)^[27]
• The English Reformation (3 November 1534–)^[28]
• The Schism of 1552
• The Scottish Reformation 1560^[29]
• Melkite–Orthodox Schism 1724
• Anglican-Methodist schism (1784–)
• Orthodox Reformation 19th century
• Restorationist movement (c.1850–)
• Bulgarian schism (23 May 1872–1945)
• Old Catholic Church schism (1879–)
• Holiness movement schisms (c.1890–)

Christian schisms since the 20th century

• Philippine Independent schism (1902–)
• Liberal Catholic schism (1913–)
  • Liberal Catholic internal schism (1916–)
• Watch Tower Society schism (June 1917–)
• True Orthodox movement (c.1920–)
  • Old Calendarism schisms (1923–)
• Fundamentalist–modernist controversy (c.1920–)
• Church of the East schism (1964–)
• Montaner Schism (1967–1969)
• Continuing Anglican schisms (1977–)
• Society of Saint Pius X schism (1988–)
• Apostolic Catholic Church schism (1992–)
• Second Moscow–Constantinople schism (23 February 1996–16 May 1996)
• Anglican realignment schisms (2002–)
  • The separation of the Anglican Church in North America from the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada 2009^[30]
• Community of the Lady of All Peoples Quebec (April 2007–)^[31]
• North American Lutheran Church, founded in 2010 by congregations that left the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
• Third Moscow–Constantinople schism 2018
• United Methodist-Global Methodist schism 2022
• Diocese of the Southern Cross formed by Conservative Anglicans who left the Anglican Church of Australia 2022

See also

• Ecclesiastical separatism
• Old and New Lights