Post by Judge Sam on Jun 24, 2007 5:53:13 GMT -5
Thesaurus:
1. An interruption in friendly relations: alienation, breach, break, disaffection, estrangement, fissure, rent, rift, rupture, split.
2. A state of disagreement and disharmony: clash, conflict, confrontation, contention, difference, difficulty, disaccord, discord, discordance, dissension, dissent, dissentience, dissidence, dissonance, faction, friction, inharmony, strife, variance, war, warfare.
3. The condition of being divided, as in opinion: disunion, disunity, divergence, divergency, division.
schism /ˈsɪzəm, ˈskɪz-/ [siz-uhm, skiz-]
–noun
1. division or disunion, especially into mutually opposed parties.
2. a. a formal division within, or separation from, a church or religious body over some doctrinal difference.
b. the state of a sect or body formed by such division.
c. the offense of causing or seeking to cause such a division.
* division of a group into opposing factions; "another schism like that and they will wind up in bankruptcy"
* the formal separation of a church into two churches or the withdrawal of one group over doctrinal differences
* The word schism, from the Greek σχισμα, schisma (from σχιζω, schizo, "to split"), means a division or a split, usually in an organization.
* A schismatic is a person who creates or incites schism in an organization or who is a member of a splinter group. Schismatic as an adjective means pertaining to a schism or schisms, or to those ideas, policies, etc. that are thought to lead towards or promote schism.
* More generally, especially outside of religion the word schism may refer to the separation/split between two or more people, be it brothers, friends, lovers, etc. or any division of a formerly united from the state movement in politics or any other field into two or more disagreeing groups.
* Political schisms are often created because of differences in ideology, such as those between the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. "Washington tried to balance his administration’s appointments between the parties in order to prevent the schism from growing"
Use within Christianity
In Roman Catholic Church canon law, an act of schism, like an act of apostasy or heresy, automatically brings on the individual concerned the penalty of excommunication. As stated in canon 1312 §1 1° of the Code of Canon Law, this penalty is intended to be medicinal, so as to lead to restoration of unity.
The Nicene Creed declares belief in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Those who accept this creed therefore generally believe they should be united in a single Church or group of Churches in communion with each other. The ancient Churches consider that they represent the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church: for instance, the Roman Catholic Church claims that title and considers the Eastern Orthodox Church to be in schism, while the Eastern Orthodox Church also claims that title and holds that the Catholic Church is schismatic and probably heretical; some Protestant Churches believe that they also represent the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and consider the Orthodox and Catholic Churches to be in error, whilst others have in effect abandoned any expectation of a wholly united Church. See also Great Apostasy.
A current dispute with an acknowledged risk of schism for the Anglican Communion is that over homosexuality.
Use within Islam
Early schisms in Islam were the division between Sunni, Shia, and Kharijite Islam in CE 632 regarding the rightful successor to the prophet Muhammad, and in 661 and 680 regarding the rightful claimant to the Caliphate. After the end of the period of the Sunni and Shia Caliphates, and a more diffused organisation within Islam, the concept of schism becomes less relevant, though there have been many divisions, especially the many Ismaili groups within Shia Islam. Since most Ismaili groups have a defined head, such as the Aga Khan for the Nizari group that is now the largest, the concept remains meaningful in their history. The liberal movements within Islam, aspire to reform rather than an attempt at schism.
Use within Buddhism
In Buddhism, the first schism was set up by Devadatta, during Buddha's life. This schism didn't last long, and Devadatta later repented his misdeeds. Later (after Buddha's passing away), the early Buddhist schools came into being due to various schisms, but there is still some unclarity concerning the specific schisms that occurred, and the order in which they occurred. In the old texts, 18 or 20 early schools are mentioned. Later, there were the Mahayana and Vajrayana movements, which can be regarded as being schismatic in origin. Each school has various subgroups, which often are schismatic in origin. For example, in Thai Theravadin Buddhism there are two groups (Mahanikaya and Dhammayut), of which the Dhammayut has its origin partly in the Mahanikaya, and is the new and schismatic group. Both Mahanikaya and Dhammayut have many subgroups, which usually do not have schismatic origins, but came into being in a natural way, through the popularity of a (leader) monk. Tibetan Buddhism has seen schisms in the past, of which most were healed, although the Drukpa school centred in Bhutan perhaps remains in a state of schism (since 1616) from the other Tibetan schools. In recent years political manipulation from China has attempted to create further schisms among Tibetan Buddhists. But since the religious authority of the Dalai Lama is uncertainly defined, schism in Tibetan Buddhism is hard to detect.
[edit] Use within Judaism
Throughout the Jewish history, Judaism survived many schisms. Today, major Jewish denominations are Orthodox Judaism and non-Orthodox: Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist.
Examples of Schisms:
* Samaritanism, c. 586BCE
* The many Antipopes, beginning with Hippolytus (writer) in 217 though Hippolytus later reconciled.
* The schism with Arianism and Quartodecimanism at the First Council of Nicaea, 325
* The schism of the Shia and Sunni, c. 632
* The Cadaver Synod of 897
* The Great Schism of 1054
* Three Popes at the same time: Roman Pope Gregory XII, Avignon Pope Benedict XIII, Pisan Pope John XXIII, resolved at Council of Constance, see also Western Schism, 1378-1417
* The Protestant Reformation beginning in 1517
* Old believers and Raskol - schism within the Russian Orthodox Church in 1666
* Disruption of 1843
* Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland rejects First Vatican Council doctrine of Papal Infallibility, see also Old Catholic Church, 1868