Holy Trinity

At the large Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Church in the Russian Compound, Saturday morning's walking tour guide tried to explain the difference between Eastern Orthodox churches and the Roman Catholic Church. Bemusement. The difference, as she explained it, is in theology -- belief -- and she stuck to one basic difference in the Credo. Bemusement reigned. As she said, Judaism has many divisions, but they are not about theology but about practice or whose authority to accept when deciding how to act.

Not that Christians find their differences any easier to understand. In a Byzantine History class we read about the differences between homoousios and homoiousios, between monophysites and dyophysites, between the Arians and and those who believe in consubstantiality. Wars were fought over these beliefs. Christians in the class found the subject arcane. As for me, I still have to look up the definitions. And the spelling.

In any case, I think she got it wrong. She did not mention the filioque clause, which seems to be at the basis of the difference. If I understand the difference. Which I probably do not.

Copyright 2015 Jane S. Fox