Authority In The Eastern And Western Forms Of Christianity

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The Eastern and Western forms of Christianity diverged over who has authority in the church and what doctrine to institute. The Eastern Church believed that the emperor could have authority over the church, otherwise known as the practice “Caesaropapism.” They recognized that the emperor was God’s representative on Earth, as well as the defender of doctrine and unity and overseer of church affairs. They began national churches under the emperor while also churching out major theologians and centers of learning. However, with the rise of Islam, there was a loss of portions of their territory and a loss of patriarchs and leading theologians. On the other hand, the Western Church stated that the Pope is the only patriarch and the only one who