Churches of the Middle East

February 14, 2006

Now that I have been in the Middle East for five weeks and having experienced worship (liturgy) in many different traditions, to have the overview of the Churches in the Middle East was very helpful. Fr. Frans Bouwen walked our class through an overview of 2,000 years of Church Councils and the major issues being faced by the Church in different regions around the Middle East. These councils tended to produce agreement among the Churches but there were notable counils which ended in major schism. One major council which produced division was the Council of Chalcedon held in the year 451 AD which led (possibly) to further division in 1054 AD and later in the Reformation Movement of the 16th century.

I quite like Fr. Bowuen’s approach which starts with the richness of diversity, which was the reality of Christian life. Only later was diversity turned into controversy and division as certain influences and personalities sought exacting language and common agreement of thought on a number of issues.