Eastern Christianity

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/eastern-christianity

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary theological emphasis?Theosis (deification) and the apophatic understanding of God
2. What is the historical divergence points?Council of Chalcedon (451 CE) and the Great Schism (1054 CE)
3. Why do Eastern Christians use icons?Icons help people think about God and are a window to the divine, not idols.
4. How do Eastern Christians celebrate the Eucharist?They call it the Divine Liturgy, a big worship service with music, prayers, and the Eucharist, where everyone participates.

Apophatic Theology: Theological approach that emphasizes God's transcendence and ineffability, focusing on what God is not.
Autocephalous: Self-governing; referring to an independent national or regional church within Eastern Christianity.
Philokalia: A collection of spiritual texts emphasizing prayer, asceticism, and the pursuit of inner peace and divine love.