Western Christianity

The terms "Western" and "Eastern" in this regard originated with geographical divisions mirroring the cultural divide between the Hellenistic East and Latin West and the political divide between the Western and Eastern Roman empires.

The earliest concept of Europe as a cultural sphere (instead of simply a geographic term) appeared during the Carolingian Renaissance of the 9th century, which included territories that practiced Western Christianity at the time.

Cultural differences and political rivalry created tensions between the two churches, leading to disagreement over doctrine and ecclesiology and ultimately to schism.

[12] There is evidence of a Latin translation of the Bible as early as the 2nd century (see also Vetus Latina).

With the decline of the Roman Empire, distinctions appeared also in organization, since the bishops in the West were not dependent on the Emperor in Constantinople and did not come under the influence of the Caesaropapism in the Eastern Church.

Formulated in the legislation of the emperor Justinian I (527–565), especially in his Novella 131, the theory received formal ecclesiastical sanction at the Council in Trullo (692), which ranked the five sees as Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem.

Historian Paul Legutko of Stanford University said the Catholic Church is "at the center of the development of the values, ideas, science, laws, and institutions which constitute what we call Western civilization".

[14] The rise of Protestantism led to major divisions within Western Christianity, which still persist, and wars—for example, the Anglo-Spanish War of 1585–1604 had religious as well as economic causes.

Today, the geographical distinction between Western and Eastern Christianity is much less absolute, due to the great migrations of Europeans across the globe, as well as the work of missionaries worldwide over the past five centuries.

[20] Most Western Christians use a version of the Nicene Creed that states that the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Father and the Son", where the original text as adopted by the First Council of Constantinople had "proceeds from the Father" without the addition of either "and the Son" or "alone".

Jesus represented as the Lamb of God ( Agnus Dei ), a common practice in Western Christianity [ 1 ]
St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City , the largest church building in the world today [ 2 ]
Timeline of the evolution of the church, beginning with early Christianity
Title page of the Lutheran Swedish Gustav Vasa Bible , translated by the Petri brothers, along with Laurentius Andreae
Jesuit scholars in China . Top: Matteo Ricci , Adam Schaal and Ferdinand Verbiest (1623–88); Bottom: Paul Siu (Xu Guangqi) , Colao or Prime Minister of State, and his granddaughter Candide Hiu
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Cyril and Methodius Saint George The Creation of Adam (Michelangelo) Pietà (Michelangelo) Reformation Wall Mystery of Crowning John Paul II with Bill Clinton Martin Luther Thomas Aquinas Trinity (Andrei Rublev) Nativity scene at Cologne Cathedral Trevi Fountain Gutenberg Bible Christ the Redeemer Eastern Catholic priest from Romania with his family Boston College Rosary Saint Basil's Cathedral Georges Lemaître Notre-Dame de Paris Danish Christmas dinner Freiburg Cathedral Boys' Choir Armenian illuminated manuscript Entertainers at the Carnival of Venice
Map of Europe showing the largest religions by region. Eastern Christianity is represented in blue, Islam in green, and the other colors represent branches of Western Christianity.
Saint Thomas Aquinas was one of the great Western scholars of the Medieval period.
Major branches and movements within Protestantism