Much blood — literal and figurative — has flowed since the Protestant Reformation snapped the Catholic Church in two in the early 1500s. It wasn’t the first major break in Catholicism. The “Great Schism” happened in 1054 when what’s now known as Orthodox Christianity split from Ro man Catholicism. But the results of those divisions can be seen all over metro Kansas City today, with a variety of churches in each of the three categories — Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox. And under those primary headings, particularly in Protestantism, are many other divisions that go under such labels as evangelical, conservative, fundamentalist, progressive, Pentecostal and independent. The church, in other words, is a many-splintered thing (as are many other faith traditions). Despite all of this division within split within separation, there appears to be a move afoot within global Catholic leadership to mend the breach that began the day reformer Martin Luther posted his 95 theses (questions, really) on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church in Germany in 1517 and, thus, lit the fuse of the Protestant Reformation. The Holy Family — Jesus, Mary and Joseph — are depicted in Hasna Sal’s glass artwork. (Courtesy Hasna Sal) As this Religion Unplugged news story reports, “high-ranking Vatican officials are championing the Augsburg Confession — a pivotal Lutheran text — highlighting it as a shared basis for Christian unity, as the 500th anniversary of the document approaches in 2030.” This isn’t the first time Catholics and Lutherans have moved toward compatibility — internationally or even here in the Heartland. Leaders of the two denominations signed the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in 1999. And Donna Simon, the Evangelical Lutheran bishop of Missouri and Kansas, tells me she’s “excited for the possibility of drawing closer to our Roman Catholic siblings, and all our ecumenical partners. The point of the Reformation was always to strengthen and restore one church. In a time of so much division in our country and across the world, the idea of churches coming together and affirming our unity in the gospel is exciting and constructive.” Beyond that, Ashlie Hand, communications director of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, notes that “last year we marked the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed, a profession of faith that we share with Lutherans and other Christians.” Archdiocese officials also then issued a letter “urging pastors and people to pray for reunion among Christians of different traditions during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January.”  Despite such local efforts, the idea of Christianity becoming all one thing seems uncertain at best. More than 500 years after Protestants divorced themselves from Catholicism (but not from Christianity), is there really a possibility of remarriage? I’m glad to know of serious conversation about the possibility, but what I know of faith traditions, including here in Kansas City — Christian and otherwise — suggests that only dreamers who don’t fully grasp how divided Christians really are can imagine such a reunion. The entrance at Second Presbyterian Church in Brookside welcomes worshippers, but can it also symbolize an open door to the reunification of Christianity’s fractious flock? (Bill Tammeus | Flatland) What kind of divisions? There are many, including ones based on theology, race, worship styles, music, liturgical traditions, governance structures and more. The question may be what this or that division is willing to give up or radically change for reunion to happen. History tells me that too many parts of Christianity are unwilling to abandon or modify certain beliefs or practices to make differences go away because it might mean ditching positions that have become sacred cows, idols or theological hills on which to die. Without significant adjustment, the only hope for some reconciliation of differences would be a willingness to let other parts of the faith do things their way while your church or denomination does things its way. And isn’t that almost where we are already? Well, sort of. But we have split after split even inside of branches of Christianity that bear the same name. For instance, my congregation is a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA) denomination, but the PCUSA is only one of dozens of such collections of Presbyterian churches in North America. (When I was in Alaska earlier this year, a pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians who used to be in the PCUSA said he left our denomination because we didn’t believe the Bible anymore. I just shook my head in, well, disbelief.) The same kind of division is true among churches that carry the Lutheran name. And Baptists? Oh, my. There are dozens of denominations in North America bearing the name Baptist. And each one does something or believes something slightly (or seriously) different from the others. And, of course, Catholicism itself is also internally divided in several ways. Beyond that, there are many churches that identify as “independent.” They stand alone, outside the bounds of any denomination. You can see them, too, all over the Heartland. And what about groups on the edges of Christianity, such as Unity or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? “The Dead Christ” is a 13th century Spanish piece in the collection of the Nelson-Atkinson Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri. The belief that Jesus of Nazareth was divine and part of Holy Trinity is one idea that unites the many groups within Christianity. (Bill Tammeus | Flatland) So, what does all this division mean for the Catholic-Lutheran effort to bridge the gap? I won’t say it’s doomed, but that’s the way to bet. And yet, there’s much that all these Christian branches hold in common. Among them, the idea that Jesus of Nazareth was and is divine and is part of the Holy Trinity, one God with three different perichoretic identities. But even so one finds many theological differences. Some Christians insist that the whole emphasis of the church should be convincing people to call Jesus their “personal lord and savior” so they won’t go to hell for their sins. Others put almost most of their emphasis on the idea that Jesus taught us how to live loving, graceful and generous lives. From the pulpits of this latter group you almost never hear about hell or damnation. More: To some Christians, the Bible is the inerrant literal word of God. To others it’s a library of writings by many different authors written over hundreds of years, all of which must be carefully interpreted so it can be a window through which we begin to see God. It’s a holy potpourri out there. Which is why periodically you’ll hear the story in sermons about rescuers reaching a desert island on which they find one lone man. But there are two buildings there. Asked to explain, the man points to one structure and says, “That’s my church.” Then, turning to the other building, he says, “And that’s the church I used to attend.” The story to which I linked you earlier in this column reports this: “At an ecumenical service that culminated the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on Jan. 25, (Pope) Leo (XIV) preached: ‘We are one! We already are! Let us recognize it, experience it and make it visible!’” Such aspirational language is reminiscent of what Jesus is reported saying in his “high priestly prayer” in the Gospel of John: Speaking of his followers, he prays “that they may all be one.” The division back then was 11-1, with the disciple of betrayal, Judas Iscariot, breaking up the unanimity of the 12. The division today is much more complex. And I think Christianity — like other major faith traditions with congregations scattered across the Heartland — will remain divided. Perhaps our best hope is that those divisions won’t be bitter or even unfriendly but, rather, will reflect the strength that can — and often does — come from difference, from variety, from something that may begin as mere tolerance but that can build toward love and acceptance. And that alone would be a ringing achievement. Bill Tammeus, an award-winning columnist formerly with The Kansas City Star, writes the “Faith Matters” blog (https://substack.com/@billtammeus429970) for The Star’s website. His latest book is Love, Loss and Endurance: A 9/11 Story of Resilience and Hope in an Age of Anxiety. Email him at [email protected] The post Area Christians Join Unification Movement first appeared on Flatland. ...read more read less