Church, Papacy and Schism: A Theological Enquiry

by Philip Sherrard

The union of the churches is one of the crucial issues of our time. Yet it is often forgotten that any discussion about it must begin with an understanding of what the Church itself is. The Church - The Episcopate - The Conciliar Structure - Two Rival Ecclesiologies - The Papacy - Perspectives and Formulas of Schism - The Christology of Schism - Trinitarian Doctrine and the Schism.

Genres: Theology, Religion, Christianity, History, Nonfiction

116 pages, Paperback

First published September 28, 1978

About the author

Philip Sherrard was educated at Cambridge and London and taught at the universities of both Oxford and London, but he made Greece his permanent home. A pioneer of modern Greek studies and translator, with Edmund Keeley, of Greece's major modern poets, he wrote many books on Greek, philosophical and literary themes. He was also the translator and editor (with G.E.H. Palmer and Bishop Kallistos Ware) of the Philokalia, a collection of texts in five volumes by the spiritual masters of the Orthodox Christian tradition.

A profound, commited and imaginative thinker, his theological and metaphysical writings embrace a wide range of subjects, from the study of the spiritualizing potential of sexual love to the restoration of a sacred cosmology which he saw as the only way to escape from the spiritual and ecological dereliction of the modern world.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent primer on the differences between the patristic (Orthodox) and Roman Catholic views on the nature of their faith, from a theological perspective. It clearly demonstrates how the Filioque in and of itself created the theological room for such a thing as papal infallibility, and why this does not exist within Orthodoxy. It is the best overview of the differences in Trinitarian conception that I have read thus far, which can seem subtle and irrelevant to those looking in from the outside. I would recommend it to anyone who desires an introduction to a deeper understanding of the Christian faith, as well as anyone interested in learning more about Orthodoxy, which, more and more, seems to me like the West's (unfortunately) hidden gem.

[Joss Southgate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an essential read for anybody interested in the differences between Orthodoxy and Rome. The two rival ecclesiologies are the products of differing theology and they are not easily reconcilable with a few concessions here and there. As the author puts it "for an orthodox Christian to accept the papacy is to ask him to shift his entire doctrinal position, and for a Roman Catholic to adhere to, and base his spiritual understanding on, the doctrinal presuppositions of patristic tradition while maintaining his allegiance to the papal office is to place himself in a position which is untenable and to expose him to the charge that he is a victim of ignorance, double-think or hypocrisy."

[Bueller… Bueller…]

A bookmark with this quote printed on it was included in my copy of Sherrard's book: "You know, in my opinion it's sometimes even good to be ridiculous, if not better: We can the sooner forgive each other, the sooner humble ourselves: we can't understand everything at once...One must first begin by not understanding many things! And if we understand too quickly, we may not understand well."

-Prince Myshkin, in Dostoevsky's The Idiot.

The book, written from the Orthodox perspective, highlights that the roots of the Great Schism are not superficial but instead deeply rooted in foundational theological differences, tracing back to ecclesiology, anthropology, Christology, and Trinitarian views.

The author contends that there is not a clearly documented succession of Roman authority passed down directly from Peter. Instead, the Orthodox view each individual bishop's chair as the seat of Peter. The authority of the bishop is directly and exclusively tied to his role performing the Eucharist. Since Christ is the head of the body, there need be no additional position of papal headship. According to Sherrard, Rome took its concept of rule and authority from its historical context, bringing its presuppositions and later reading them into the Biblical texts about Peter.

It appears that the Orthodox conception of the church is that each church is a whole and complete unity in and of itself, as well as participating in the larger body of Christ. The body of Christ is the Eucharist, the historical body of Jesus, and the Church.

In regards to anthropology, Orthodox seem to have an emphasis on Theosis and merger with the Divine. In addition, man is not the complete antithesis of God (totally depraved) but is made in God's image, therefore having a certain participation in the Divine as his birthright. The seed is realized in participation in the Eucharist, not membership with a social organization or institution. This, again, is at odds with the concept of the Pope as a bridge to the Divine, if I'm not misunderstanding the concept.

The view of the Trinity highlights the differences of the Persons of the Trinity as well as the unity. According to the author, this translates to the Orthodox view of the church as being united yet distinct and differentiated, no individual part of the Church being any more important than any other.

For me, this read helped clarify not only the root theological causes of the schism, but also the overall differing mindsets between Roman Catholics and Orthodox.

Perhaps if the West and Eastern Churches reunited, the world would have hope of healing its divisions. But as the author points out, mending these differences must be based on a healed Christian theological unity, which will not be easy to come by.

One of the most compelling ideas to me was identifying the problem that the Pope, to be consistent, becomes the sole authority over what books belong in the Biblical canon and how to interpret them. This does seem problematic because it appears to be a self-authorizing system. However, I am new to the topic of the papacy and schism, and intend to read a book from the Catholic perspective next.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A master of metaphysics.

Sherrard explains in this dense book the two different conceptions and their consequences. The source is ultimately trinitarian and then christological (which is the ordo theologia of the Orthodox).

I want to read more works like this, from people who live what they say, instead of those who just quote.

[Stephen Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, excellent work.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roman Catholics should consider the ramifications of his thesis