Catholicism & Orthodox Christianity

145 Pages·2009·4.55 MB·English

by  Khaled Anatolios

WORLD  RELIGIONS
CATHOLICISM
& ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY
THIRD EDITION
WORLD RELIGIONS
African Traditional Religion
Baha’i Faith
Buddhism
Catholicism & Orthodox Christianity
Confucianism
Daoism
Hinduism
Islam
Judaism
Native American Religions
Protestantism
Shinto
Sikhism
Zoroastrianism
WORLD  RELIGIONS
CATHOLICISM
& ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY
THIRD EDITION
by
Stephen F. Brown and Khaled Anatolios
Series Editors: Joanne O’Brien and Martin Palmer
Catholicism & Orthodox Christianity, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009, 2006, 2002 by Infobase Publishing

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Brown, Stephen F.
Catholicism & Orthodox Christianity / by Stephen F. Brown and Khaled
Anatolios. — 3rd ed.
p. cm. — (World religions)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-60413-106-2 (alk. paper)
1. Orthodox Eastern Church—Relations—Catholic Church—History. 2.
Catholic Church—Relations—Orthodox Eastern Church—History. I.
Anatolios, Khaled, 1962- II. Title. III. Title: Catholicism and Orthodox
Christianity. IV. Series.
BX324.3.B76 2009
280’.209—dc22
2008043046
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Text Editor: Ronne Randall
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CONTENTS
Preface 6
CHAPTER 1 Introduction: The Modern Catholic and
Orthodox Worlds 8
CHAPTER 2 The Origins of the Catholic and
Orthodox Churches 26
CHAPTER 3 The History of the Catholic and
Orthodox Churches 40
CHAPTER 4 Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity:
Basic Beliefs and Practices 74
CHAPTER 5 The Influence of the Catholic and
Orthodox Churches 96
CHAPTER 6 Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity
Facing New Challenges 120
Fact File and Bibliography 138
Further Reading and Web Sites 139
Glossary 140
Index 142
About the Authors and Series Editors 144
Picture Credits 144
Preface
Almost from the start of civilization, more
than 10,000 years ago, religion has shaped
human history. Today more than half the
world’s population practice a major reli-
gion or indigenous spiritual tradition. In
many 21st-century societies, including
the United States, religion still shapes peo-
ple’s lives and plays a key role in politics
and culture. And in societies throughout
the world increasing ethnic and cultural
diversity has led to a variety of religions
being practiced side by side. This makes
it vital that we understand as much as we
can about the world’s religions.
The World Religions series, of which
this book is a part, sets out to achieve this
aim. It is written and designed to appeal
to both students and general readers. The
books offer clear, accessible overviews of
the major religious traditions and insti- Catholic as % of Total Population
tutions of our time. Each volume in the Latin America 88%
Europe 40%
series describes where a particular religion
Oceania 27.5%
is practiced, its origins and history, its cen-
North America 23%
tral beliefs and important rituals, and its Africa 16%
contributions to world civilization. Care- Asia 3%
fully chosen photographs complement
the text, and sidebars, a map, fact file, glos-
sary, bibliography, and index are included Orthodox as % of Total Population
to help readers gain a more complete Europe 22%
Africa 4.5%
understanding of the subject at hand.
Oceania 2.4%
These books will help clarify what
North America 2%
religion is all about and reveal both the Asia 0.4%
similarities and differences in the great Latin America 0.1%
spiritual traditions practiced around the
world today.
6 CATHOLICISM & ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY
Current Catholic and Orthodox
Population According to Continent
Over 40%
20%–39%
0–19%
© Infobase Publishing
Preface 7
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION:
THE MODERN 
CATHOLIC AND 
ORTHODOX 
WORLDS
When Americans think of Christianity, they generally think
of Protestantism or Roman Catholicism. Unless they have
grown up in an Orthodox community, they will probably not be
so aware of the Orthodox Church.
In the media we often see the pope at a grand ceremony greet-
ing young people, or blessing the sick. We are used to seeing
Protestant pastors on television, and often they are active in local
community affairs as well. The same is true for the Orthodox
churches. They too have world leaders who draw huge crowds,
care for the sick, preach, appear on television, and are active
locally.
CAThOLiC ChurChEs in AmEriCA
Catholicism has influenced the lives of Americans in many ways.
Catholic schools in America have educated millions of citizens,
Saint Peter’s Basilica in Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City. The
Catholic Church is centered on the Vatican, a self-governing city-
state in Rome. There are 1.1 billion Catholics worldwide served by
more than 4.2 million people engaged in pastoral activity.
8 CATHOLICISM & ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY
Introduction: The Modern Catholic and Orthodox Worlds 9