christian-ecclesiology-sacramentsfeatured in 30 works

Schism

When the Church tears not over doctrine but over who holds the keys

Schism is a breach of the Church's visible unity over discipline or jurisdiction rather than over doctrine. The Novatianist and Donatist controversies forced the Fathers to clarify the nature of the Church's unity and whether sacraments given outside it remained valid. Cyprian's On the Unity of the Church and Augustine's anti-Donatist writings became foundational, distinguishing schism from heresy and wrestling with how the one Church relates to those who break away.

How it traveled

The Epistles of Cyprian.
Carthage · 258
explains
The First Ecumenical Council: The First Council of Nice
Nicaea · 325
applies
The Church History of Eusebius
Caesarea · 339
explains
The Life of Constantine with Orations of Constantine and Eusebius
Caesarea · 339
explains
The Canons of the Councils of Ancyra, Gangra, Neocæsarea, Antioch and Laodicea, which Canons were Accepted and Received by the Ecumenical Synods
— · 360
applies
Defence Against the Arians. (Apologia Contra Arianos.)
Alexandria · 373
explains
The Letters
Caesarea (Cappadocia) · 379
explains
Concerning Repentance
Milan · 397
explains
Homilies on First Corinthians
Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
explains
The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and Ephesians
Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
explains
Jerome and Gennadius. Lives of Illustrious Men
Bethlehem · 420
explains
To Pammachius against John of Jerusalem
Bethlehem · 420
applies
The Dialogue Against the Luciferians
Bethlehem · 420
applies
Answer to the Letters of Petilian, the Donatist
Hippo Regius · 430
explains
Letters of St. Augustin
Hippo Regius · 430
explains
On Baptism, Against the Donatists
Hippo Regius · 430
explains
Expositions on the Book of Psalms
Hippo Regius · 430
applies
The Correction of the Donatists
Hippo Regius · 430
explains
Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John
Hippo Regius · 430
applies
Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John
Hippo Regius · 430
explains
Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament
Hippo Regius · 430
applies
The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus
Constantinople (Istanbul) · 439
explains
The Commonitory of Vincent of Lérins, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All Heresies
Lérins · 445
applies
The Ecclesiastical History of Sozomen
Constantinople (Istanbul) · 450
explains
The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret
Cyrrhus · 458
explains
The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great
Rome · 461
applies
The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great
Rome · 604
explains
Selected Epistles of Gregory the Great
Rome · 604
applies
The Canons of the Synods of Sardica, Carthage, Constantinople, and Carthage Under St. Cyprian, Which Canons Were Received by the Council in Trullo and Ratified by II. Nice
Constantinople (Istanbul) · 692
explains
Treatise on the Sacraments (qq[60]-90)
Paris · 1274
applies

Key passages(20)

On Baptism, Against the Donatists — In which Augustin proves that it is to no purpose that the Donatists bring forward the authority of Cyprian, bishop and martyr, since it is really more opposed to them than to the Catholics. For that he held that the view of his predecessor Agrippinus, on the subject of baptizing heretics in the Catholic Church when they join its communion, should only be received on condition that peace should be maintained with those who entertained the opposite view, and that the unity of the Church should never be broken by any kind of schism. — part 2↗explains

On Baptism, Against the Donatists · Augustine of Hippo