The Great Schism divided Christianity into which two branches?

• A. Anglican and Lutheran.
• B. Coptic and Ethiopian.
• C. Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic.
• D. Maronite and Syriac.

Answer: (C)

The Great Schism mainly shows how Christianity split into two major branches, with different centers of authority and tradition. The Western church, centered in Rome under the pope, and the Eastern church, centered in Constantinople under the patriarch, became distinct communities—the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East. This separation grew from long-standing disagreements over leadership, doctrine (like the pope’s authority and the filioque clause in the creed), and practices, alongside cultural and political tensions. The other option pairs point to different splits or traditions—Protestant reform movements in Western Christianity (Anglican and Lutheran) and branches within the Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Christian families (such as Coptic, Ethiopian, Maronite, or Syriac) that aren’t the two-result of the Great Schism.