Episode Details

Most people know the Great Schism happened, but why are the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches still separate nearly a thousand years later? This episode unpacks the theology, politics, and lasting consequences of the 1054 split — from the Filioque clause and papal supremacy to the Fourth Crusade's sacking of Constantinople. We also explore the demographics of Orthodoxy today (220 million believers, concentrated in Russia and Eastern Europe), the separate Oriental Orthodox tradition that includes the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the extraordinary denominational complexity of Christians in the Holy Land. Plus: the Immovable Ladder, the perfect symbol of frozen ecumenical relations.