RE: [asa] some questions on doctrinal differences

Thanks George and others who have responded so far. I think I need
more than
just the "essentials" but more of a comprehensive list of schisms in the
church. Sorry if I was unclear. I'm looking for a list of all the MAIN
schisms in the church over the long haul, and including today - minor
or not
IF they divided a church denomination. Is there not any published
resource
that lists these (besides the one I linked to?)?

I agree with George that the site I listed is a poor resource. But
it's the
only one that actually lists everything out, that I could find. I
think that
the Trinity could arguably be on the "non-essential" list since it
was not
fully incorporated into the Christian faith until the time of the
Council of
Nicaea in 325 AD. That's over 300 years after the death of Christ and
there
was a big schism - as I understand it - at that time over it. As we
understand Christianity today, it's a key component but I would not
say that
if someone did not necessarily accept it that they would not be "a
Christian" (which I believe only God knows, anyway). I didn't think the
website says that women pastors are heretical does it? It says that
issue is
a non-essential. But these are besides my main point.

Do you know of any (online) ecumenical dialogues that I could look at? I
just want a reasonable reason for coming up with a given number of
schisms.
The ones you list are a start but clearly the predestination vs free
will,
and the pre/post millennial rapture are other key ones, and several
others.
The role of women and homosexuals in the ministry is I think an
important
dividing point today in the church also.

Thoughts? What else should I include - or best is there a book or
website
anyone might refer me to? (ie I'm not looking for a brief list - but a
somewhat comprehensive one)

Thanks!!!
Wendee
-------------------
I gather that what you're looking for is a brief list of issues that
have
been divisive in the history of the church rather than (like that
site) a
list of rights & wrongs. As you know, sometimes relatively trivial
issues
have been divisive so it's hard to know just how far to go in making
such a
list. But looking at the broad picture of church history, I would list:

The divinity of Christ and the Trinity (I Nicea)

The nature(s) & person of Christ (Chalcedon & other councils)

Papal authority (the East-West schism)

Justification (the Reformation)

Baptism (post-Reformation) (This may seem like an odd thing to list
but the
refusal of large groups of Christians today to recognize the validity
of the

baptisms of other Christians by its very nature makes genuine church
fellowship impossible.)

This is off the top of my head & certainly other important doctrinal
matters

could be listed. The question of what matters are necessarily "church
dividing" (kirchentrennende) has of course been discussed in ecumenical
dialogues.

Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wendee Holtcamp * Freelance Writer * Photographer * Bohemian
                 http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com
Bohemian Adventures Blog * http://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com
The Fish Wars: A Christian Evolutionist http://thefishwars.blogspot.com
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Received on Fri Jul 20 17:04:04 2007