Schism

Schism, as distinct from heresy, refers to divisions in the Christian Church over issues other than doctrine, usually matters of discipline. This distinction, though found in the Patristic period, is not always very clear, however. In the mind of the Fathers, schism was more dangerous even than heresy, for it sought to divide the Body of Christ, the Church. However, the conviction that Christ would preserve his Church intact meant that schism was always understood as schism from the Church, not schism within the Church.

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