Schism (religion) Totally Explained

Everything about Schism Religion totally explained

The word schism (or /ˈskɪzəm/), from the Greek σχίσμα, skhísma (from σχίζω, skhízō, "to tear, to split"), means a division or a split, usually in an organization or a movement. A schismatic is a person who creates or incites schism in an organization or who is a member of a splinter group. The word is most frequently and usefully used about a religious division that occur with a religious body with a defined organisation and hierarchy. Thus it's difficult to talk about Hindu schisms, or Jewish ones since Antiquity. Schismatic as an adjective means pertaining to a schism or schisms, or to those ideas, policies, etc. that are thought to lead towards or promote schism. More generally, especially outside of religion the word schism may refer to the separation/split between two or more people, be it brothers, friends, lovers, etc. or any division of a formerly united from the state movement in politics or any other field into two or more disagreeing groups.

Use within Christianity

The words schism and schismatic have found their heaviest usage in the history of Christianity, to denote splits within a church or religious body. In this context, "schismatic", as a noun, denotes a person who creates or incites schism in a church or is a member of a splinter Church and, as an adjective, refers to ideas and activities that are thought to lead to or to constitute schism, and so departure from what the user of the word considers to be the true Christian Church. These words have been used to denote both the phenomenon of Christian group splintering in general, and certain significant historical splits in particular.
   Some religious groups make a distinction between and . 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, and this term has historically been applied to such a break when there was no dispute about doctrine.
   The First Council of Nicaea distinguished between the two. It declared Arian and non-Trinitarian teachings to be heretical and excluded their adherents from the Church. It also addressed the schism between Peter of Alexandria and Meletius of Lycopolis, considering their quarrel to be about a matter of discipline, not of faith.
   The divisions that came to a head at the Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon were seen as matters of heresy, not merely of schism. Thus, the Eastern Orthodox Church and Oriental Orthodoxy consider each other to be heretical, not orthodox, because of the Oriental Orthodox Church's rejection and the Eastern Orthodox Church's acceptance of the Confession of Chalcedon about the two natures, human and divine, of Christ.
   An individual who withdraws from communion with the authorities of a Church, but who is neither expelled from it nor formally breaks with it, remains a member, though a disobedient one. On the other hand, when it's a group and not just individuals who withdraw from communion, two distinct ecclesiastical entities result. Often, each of the two then accuses the other of heresy.
   In Roman Catholic Church canon law, an act of schism, like an act of apostasy or heresy, automatically brings on the individual concerned the penalty of excommunication. As stated in canon 1312 §1 1°

of the Code of Canon Law, this penalty is intended to be medicinal, so as to lead to restoration of unity.
   The Nicene Creed declares belief in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Those who accept this creed therefore generally believe they should be united in a single Church or group of Churches in communion with each other. The ancient Churches consider that they represent the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church: for instance, the Roman Catholic Church claims that title and considers the Eastern Orthodox Church to be in schism, while the Eastern Orthodox Church also claims that title and holds that the Catholic Church is schismatic and probably heretical; some Protestant Churches believe that they also represent the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and consider the Orthodox and Catholic Churches to be in error, whilst others have in effect abandoned any expectation of a wholly united Church. See also Great Apostasy.
   A current dispute with an acknowledged risk of schism for the Anglican Communion is that over homosexuality.
   It has been recently suggested that the Roman Catholic Church in Poland might be heading for a schism. The potential breakaway church led by Father Rydzyk was named "The Rydzyk Church of Poland"(External Link

), an ironic expression, or the "Toruń-Catholic Church" (in Polish: kościół toruńsko-katolicki). In Poland the latter term is sometimes used to refer to the ideology of Father Rydzyk and his followers who are known as the Radio Maryja Family.

Use within Buddhism

In Buddhism, the first schism was set up by Devadatta, during Buddha's life. This schism didn't last long, and Devadatta later repented his misdeeds. Later (after Buddha's death), the early Buddhist schools came into being due to various schisms, but there's still some unclarity concerning the specific schisms that occurred, and the order in which they occurred. In the old texts, 18 or 20 early schools are mentioned. Later, there were the Mahayana and Vajrayana movements, which can be regarded as being schismatic in origin. Each school has various subgroups, which often are schismatic in origin. For example, in Thai Theravadin Buddhism there are two groups (Mahanikaya and Dhammayut), of which the Dhammayut has its origin partly in the Mahanikaya, and is the new and schismatic group. Both Mahanikaya and Dhammayut have many subgroups, which usually don't have schismatic origins, but came into being in a natural way, through the popularity of a (leader) monk. Tibetan Buddhism has seen schisms in the past, of which most were healed, although the Drukpa school centred in Bhutan perhaps remains in a state of schism (since 1616) from the other Tibetan schools. In recent years political manipulation from China has attempted to create further schisms among Tibetan Buddhists. But since the religious authority of the Dalai Lama is uncertainly defined, schism in Tibetan Buddhism is hard to detect.

Use within Judaism

Jewish history, Judaism survived many schisms. Today, major Jewish denominations are Orthodox Judaism and non-Orthodox: Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist.

Examples

Samaritanism, c. 586BCE
The "Incident at Antioch", schism between Pauline Christianity and Jewish Christianity, c.50
The Council of Jamnia, c.90, decreed Nazarenes schismatic.
The schism of Marcionism, c.150
The schism of Gnosticism, which some attribute to Valentinius, c. 150, others much earlier
The schism of Montanism
The schism of Monarchianism, c. 200
The many Antipopes, beginning with Hippolytus (writer) in 217 though Hippolytus later reconciled.
The Donatist schism, beginning in 311
The schism with Arianism and Quartodecimanism at the First Council of Nicaea, 325
The Nestorian Schism, an early schism between Nicene Christianity and Assyrian Christianity, c. 431
The Oriental Orthodox schism and rejection of the Council of Chalcedon, c. 451
The Acacian schism, 484-519
The schism of the Armenian Orthodox, 491
The schism of the Shia and Sunni, c. 632
Two Fourth Councils of Constantinople, one Catholic (869-870) and one Orthodox (879-880)
The Cadaver Synod of 897
The Great Schism of 1054
Lollardy in the 1350s
Three Popes at the same time: Roman Pope Gregory XII, Avignon Pope Benedict XIII, Pisan Pope John XXIII, resolved at Council of Constance, see also Western Schism, 1378-1417
The Swiss Reformation beginning in 1516
The Protestant Reformation beginning in 1517
Anabaptist, c. 1525
The English Reformation beginning in 1529
Michael Servetus burned at the stake in 1553, considered founder of Unitarianism
The Scottish Reformation in 1560
The Dutch Reformation in 1571
Socinianism in 1605
The Jansenism schism of 1643
See Old Believers and Raskol for schism within the Russian Orthodox Church in 1666
The Old School-New School Controversy in the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America in 1837
Disruption of 1843
American Restorationism beginning in the 1850s
Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland rejects First Vatican Council doctrine of Papal Infallibility, see also Old Catholic Church, 1868
The Sedevacantism schism of 1958
The Crotty Schism in Birr, Co Offaly, Ireland
The schism between the Anglican Communion and the Continuing Anglican movement in 1977

Further Information

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