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Year 7 - History

The Eastern Orthodox Church

The Christian Church: how completely did the Great Schism transform Christendom?

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn about the Great Schism. They study the similarities and differences between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches and consider the degree to which the Great Schism fundamentally changed the relationship between these two centres of Christendom.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain the features of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the extent to which Christianity was transformed by the Great Schism.

Key Notes

  • The Eastern Orthodox Church was led by a patriarch.
  • The patriarch was based in the city of Constantinople.
  • Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism share many similarities and several differences.
  • There were elements of both change and continuity within Christianity after the Great Schism in 1054.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • schism: a schism is a split between strongly opposed parties
  • patriarch: patriarch is the title used by the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Different religious denominations believe very different things from each other.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.

The Eastern Orthodox Church was led by a patriarch. The patriarch was based in the city of Constantinople.

2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'schism'

a schism is a split between strongly opposed parties.

3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.

Mistake: Different religious denominations believe very different things from each other. Correction: Different denominations within a religion will almost certainly believe the same fundamental things about their religion, but will differ over the details of belief or liturgy.

More Lessons In This Unit

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