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Article: Vatican II on ecumenism and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
- Article from:
- Journal of Ecumenical Studies
- Article date:
- March 22, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Journal of Ecumenical Studies. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Since its beginning the Christian church has had a propensity toward unity--one Christ, one church, one salvation. That is, the struggle for unity was a very strong motivation for Christian communities that forced the development of doctrines and the resolution of heresies. However, diversity of opinions, differences in cultural and political life, and personal ambitions often threatened this unity. The Christian Church historically and presently comprises a very divergent and sometimes heterogeneous group of believers. The level of diversity varies through the centuries. We still have Monophysite churches in Egypt, Ethiopia, and Armenia; the great division of 1054 between ...