Western Christianity

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Western Christianity is a term used to cover the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, the Churches of the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran Church and Protestant Churches, which share common attributes that can be traced back to their medieval Roman Catholic heritage. The term is used by contrast to Eastern Christianity. It developed and came to be predominant in most of Western, Northern, and Southern Europe, parts of Eastern Europe, much of Southern Africa, and throughout Australia and the Western Hemisphere.

Some of the principal respects in which Western Christianity differs from Eastern Christianity are:

• Western Christianity's doctrine of original sin. Some people attribute Western Christianity's holding this doctrine to the influence of Saint Augustine.

• Most Western Christians use an amended version of the Nicene Creed that states that the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Father and the Son". This is considered heretical by most Eastern Christians, who use the Creed as originally promulgated by the Council of Nicaea, saying that the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Father" (See Filioque clause).

• The date of Easter usually differs between Western and Eastern Christianity.

Today, the geographical distinction between Western and Eastern Christianity is considerably less absolute than it formerly was, due to the great migrations of Europeans across the globe, as well as the spread of missionaries worldwide over the past five centuries.

Most religions listed in the top half are considered part of Western Christianity. The different width of the lines is without objective significance. Protestantism in general, and not just Restorationism, claims a direct connection with Early Christianity.

[edit] See also

• Holy Roman Empire
• Latin Rite
• List of Christian denominations
• Protestant Reformation
• Western churches

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