Question

What was the main reason for the growing differences between Eastern and Western churches?


What was the main reason for the growing differences between Eastern and Western churches?


Different languages


Different musical traditions


Different architectural styles


Different doctrines

Answer 1

The main reason for the growing differences between Eastern and Western churches primarily lies in **different doctrines**. While all these factors you mentioned—languages, musical traditions, and architectural styles—contributed to cultural divergence, it was the theological disputes and doctrinal disagreements that played a central role in the schism between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. Key doctrinal issues included the nature of the Holy Spirit, the authority of the Pope, and the use of the filioque clause in the Nicene Creed. These differences, alongside political and cultural factors, ultimately led to the Great Schism of 1054.