Western Christianity

Western Christianity is one of the two main parts of Christianity, with the other being Eastern Christianity. It includes the Latin Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, and the churches of Western Protestantism, along with groups like the Old Catholic Church, Independent Catholicism, and Restorationism.

Most of the world's 2.3 billion Christians are part of Western Christianity. The Latin Church grew under the leadership of the bishop of Rome. From this church came many different Protestant groups, such as Lutheranism and Anglicanism, beginning with the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. The term "Western Christianity" refers to all these groups together, not just one church.

Western Christianity has greatly shaped Western civilization. As European explorers and settlers went to new lands, they took their faith with them. This spread Western Christianity to places like the Americas, the Philippines, Southern Africa, parts of West Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

Today, Western and Eastern Christianity are more about history, beliefs, and church practices than about where people live. While the Latin Church uses the Latin liturgical rites, Protestant and Independent Catholic churches have their own ways of worship.

History

Main article: History of Western Christianity

For much of its history, Christianity was divided between the Latin-speaking West, centered in Rome, and the Greek-speaking East, centered in Constantinople. Different cultures and political rivalries caused tensions between these two groups, leading to disagreements about beliefs and church organization.

Western Christianity began with the early followers of Jesus and spread through the Latin-speaking areas. Over time, Latin became the main language for Christian writing in the West. As the Roman Empire weakened, the Western churches looked to Rome for leadership, while Eastern churches followed the leader in Constantinople.

Over the centuries, Western Christianity separated from Eastern Christianity due to various disagreements. These divisions happened at different times, such as after certain church councils. Later, new groups formed within Western Christianity, like Protestantism, which led to further divisions and even wars. During the time when Europeans explored new parts of the world, they also spread Western Christianity to many places, including the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Today, because people have moved around the world and missionaries have worked in many places, the geographical split between Western and Eastern Christianity is not as clear as it once was.

Features

Original sin

Original sin, also called ancestral sin, is a Christian belief. It talks about a state where all humans have been since the time of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. This started when they disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit from a special tree. Different Christian thinkers have different ideas about what this means for people today.

Filioque clause

See also: Filioque

Most Western Christians use a version of the Nicene Creed that says the Holy Spirit comes from both the Father and the Son. The original version from a very old meeting only said the Holy Spirit comes from the Father. The Western version also adds the phrase "God from God".

Date of Easter

Main article: Easter controversy

The date of Easter often differs between Eastern and Western Christianity. This is because they use different calendars for their calculations. The dates started to differ more after a new calendar was introduced in 1582. Even today, not all Western churches use the same calendar, so the date of Easter can vary.

Lack of essence–energies distinction

Further information: Essence–energies distinction

Eastern Christianity, especially the Eastern Orthodox Church, has a special way of thinking about God. They believe God's true nature is unknowable, but we can experience what God does. Western Christians usually think about God in a simpler way, believing we can know God's nature through God's qualities.

Western denominations

See also: Western Rite Orthodoxy

Today, Western Christianity is a large part of the world's Christians, making up almost 90% of all Christians. The Catholic Church is the biggest group, and many different Protestant groups make up another large part.

Long ago, in the 15th century in Bohemia, there were movements called Hussite that came before the main Protestant groups. These movements grew into smaller Protestant churches, like the Moravian Church. Another group, the Waldensians, also survived and joined the Reformed tradition.

Major figures

Bishop of Rome or the pope

Further information: Pope

Important people include:

• Clement of Rome (around 96), an early church leader.
• Pope Leo I
• Gregory the Great

The Reformers

Further information: Protestant Reformers

Important people include:

• Jan Hus (around 1369–1415), a key theologian from the 14th century.
• Martin Luther (1483–1546), a famous reformer from the 15th century.
• Jan Łaski (1499–1560), also known as John à Lasco, a leading Polish reformer and advisor to King Sigismund II
• Hans Tausen, Bishop of Ribe (1494–1561), a main theologian during the reformation in Denmark and Holstein.
• Laurentius Petri, Archbishop of Uppsala and all Sweden (1499–1573), along with his brother Olaus Petri were main Lutheran reformers of Sweden, together with the king Gustav I of Sweden.
• Primož Trubar (1508–1586), known for writing the first book in the Slovene language, founding the Protestant Church in the Duchy of Carniola, and helping the Slovenian language.
• John Calvin (1509–1564)
• John Knox (1514–1572)
• Ferenc Dávid (1520–1579) who started the Unitarian Church of Transylvania and helped begin the nontrinitarian movement.
• Mikael Agricola, bishop of Turku (1554–1557), known for creating written Finnish and supporting the Protestant Reformation in Sweden, including Finland at the time. He is often called the "father of written Finnish".

Archbishop of Canterbury and primate of all England

Further information: Primacy of Canterbury

Important people include:

• Augustine of Canterbury (597–604)
• Thomas Cranmer (1533–1555), a main reformer in England
• Matthew Parker (1504–1575), a key creator of the Thirty-nine Articles

Archbishop of Lyon and primate of the Gauls

Further information: Primate of the Gauls

Important people include:

• Irenaeus of Lyon (died around 202)

Patriarch of Aquileia

Further information: Patriarch of Aquileia

Important people include:

• Chromatius of Aquilea