Schism (religion) facts for kids
The word schism (pronounced SIZ-uhm) comes from a Greek word meaning "to tear" or "to split." It means a division or a split, usually within an organization or a movement.
A schismatic is a person who causes a split in an organization or who belongs to a group that has broken away. When we use "schismatic" as an adjective, it describes something that belongs to a split or to ideas that might lead to a split.
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What is a Schism?
A schism happens when a group of people who were once united decide to separate because of strong disagreements. This often happens in religious groups, but it can happen in any organization.
Schisms in Christianity
The words schism and schismatic are often used when talking about splits within a church.
In Christianity, "schism" can mean:
- The act of causing divisions among Christians.
- When two groups of Christians stop being in full communion with each other. This means they decide to worship separately because they have serious disagreements.
- Any Christian group or branch that has left what they believe to be the "One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church." Different churches have different ideas about which church holds this title. For example, the Catholic Church believes it is the true church and sees the Eastern Orthodox Church as being in schism. The Eastern Orthodox Church believes the same about itself and sees the Catholic Church as schismatic. Protestant groups and the Restorationist movement have their own views.
It's important to know the difference between schism and heresy. Heresy is when someone rejects or doubts the main beliefs of the Church after being baptized. Schism means that the groups disagree within the existing organization. Both groups usually agree that they are in a state of schism. In the rules of the Catholic Church, an act of schism, leaving the faith, or heresy can lead to excommunication, which means being removed from the church.
Schisms in Other Religions
Schisms in Islam
In Islam, there were divisions between Sunni, Shia, and Kharijite Muslims in the year 632 CE. These disagreements were about who should be the rightful leader after the prophet Muhammad. Later, in 661 and 680, there were more divisions about who should be the leader of the Islamic community, known as the Caliph.
Schisms in Buddhism
In Buddhism, the first major split was started by Devadatta while Buddha was still alive. After Buddha passed away, many early Buddhist schools developed their own splits. Old texts mention about 18 or 20 early schools. Later, the Mahayana and Vajrayana movements also began as splits from earlier traditions. Today, there are thousands of different Buddhist groups.
Schisms in Judaism
Throughout Jewish history, Judaism has survived many splits. Today, the main Jewish denominations include Orthodox Judaism and non-Orthodox groups like Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist Judaism.
Famous Examples of Schisms
- The split between Shia and Sunni Islam around 632 CE.
- The Great Schism of 1054, which divided the Christian church into the Western (Roman Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) branches.
- The Western Schism from 1378 to 1417, when there were three different Popes at the same time: Roman Pope Gregory XII, Avignon Pope Benedict XIII, and Pisan Pope John XXIII. This was resolved at the Council of Constance.
- The Protestant Reformation starting in 1517, which led to the creation of many Protestant churches separate from the Catholic Church.
- The English Reformation beginning in 1529, which led to the Church of England separating from the Pope.
- The split within the Russian Orthodox Church in 1666, involving the Old believers and the Raskol.
- The split of the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland in 1868, which rejected the First Vatican Council's teaching on Papal Infallibility. This led to the Old Catholic Church.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Picture showing a diagram of the splits in Jainism along with a timeline.
See also
In Spanish: Cisma para niños
