Lost Opportunity Yet Seed Bed for Later Discussion: the Council of Ferarra-florence As a Springboard for Encounters Between Western and Eastern Christianity

The East-West split of Christianity officially dates to the 11th century and persists to this day. Actually, the two halves of the Church experienced tensions prior to the Great Schism of 1054. Poor communication, conflicting personalities, a lack of theologians conversant in both Latin and Greek as well as East-West political tensions not only contributed to the division but thwarted reconciliation attempts. The Filioque, use of azymes, papal supremacy, and purgatory were the most contentious issues. An imperiled Byzantine Empire struggled to secure Western military assistance and preserve the Eastern theological practices. Failed ecclesiastical unions at Lyons in 1274 and after Ferrara-Florence in 1439 led to the 1453 demise of the empire. Only a few participants at Ferrara-Florence could comprehend the differing theological traditions. Western attempts at reductio, not reunio, were rejected in the East despite increasing Western presence and pressure. Luther and Melanchthon viewed Orthodoxy as a non-papal and purer form of Christianity. In the 16th century, Lutheran theologians and academicians in Tübingen, Germany, initiated contact with Patriarch Jeremias II of Constantinople. The Orthodox were eager to establish ties with the West, especially with a non-papal movement. From 1578 to 1578, correspondence between Tübingen and Constantinople addressed the four issues inherited from Ferrara-Florence ? and more.