Great Schism or East-West Schism part 1 | World History | Khan Academy

TL;DR

The video explores the evolution of Christianity in the Roman Empire, including the division between the church in the west and east and the emergence of new actors like the Franks. It also discusses the power struggle between the Byzantine Emperor and the Bishop of Rome.

Transcript

• [Instructor] In previous videos, we talked about the dramatic turnaround in the fourth century in terms of how Christianity was treated in the Roman Empire. As you enter into the fourth century, it's persecuted by Diocletian, but then Constantine takes power. He's sympathetic to the Christians. He even convenes them in order to unify the Christia... Read More

Key Insights

• 💋 The fourth century marked a significant turnaround for Christianity in the Roman Empire, transitioning from persecution to support under Constantine.
• 🤱 The church in the west and east started to evolve separately, driven by cultural, linguistic, and religious differences.
• 🥺 The power struggle between the Byzantine Emperor and the Bishop of Rome led to a division over leadership and jurisdiction, which was intensified by the crowning of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Constantine contribute to the unification of Christians in the Roman Empire?

Constantine convened the Christians to establish a more unified sense of Christianity and settle controversies like the Arian Controversy. He also converted himself to Christianity, showing sympathy towards Christians.

Q: What led to the division between the church in the west and east?

The division was influenced by cultural and religious differences, such as the use of Latin in the west and Greek in the east. There was also a power struggle between the Byzantine Emperor and the Bishop of Rome regarding leadership and jurisdiction.

Q: Who were the Franks and how did they factor into the division between east and west?

The Franks were a Germanic tribe who became more relevant in the division between east and west. They conquered significant territories, and their influence contributed to further divisions culturally and religiously.

Q: How did the Byzantine Empire become weakened by Islamic conquests?

Islamic conquests expanded to cover territories bordering the Byzantine Empire, which weakened its power and left the pope in Rome seeking protection. Charlemagne, the leader of the Franks, offered protection to the pope and was crowned as Holy Roman Emperor in return.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• In the fourth century, Christianity faced persecution until Constantine took power and convened the Christians to establish a unified sense of Christianity in the Roman Empire.

• The church in the west and east started to evolve separately, with the western empire falling to Germanic conquerors and the Byzantine Empire reclaiming lost territories.

• The power struggle between the Byzantine Emperor in Constantinople and the Bishop of Rome, who claimed to be the leader of all Christianity, led to cultural, religious, and linguistic divisions.