Dynamic Great Schism Doctrines

[AlexJG]

A common request in CK2 was to implement some way to simulate the Great Schism. One way I think it could be done is with some slightly modified Ecumenism Doctrines.

In the earlier start dates Catholicism and Orthodoxy should have a Unified Church Doctrine. This causes them to regard Ecumenical Christians as Astray, and vice versa, but regards each other as Righteous, though there may be a Temple opinion penalty to each other's clergy to symbolise the theological tensions below the surface.

After the Schism both of them go to Ecumenism.

If something bad happens to strain relations between the two churches further, such as the Catholics pulling a 4th Crusade or the Orthodox taking and installing their own Patriarch in Rome, both religions get an Open Hostility Doctrine. They still regard and are regarded by Ecumenical Faiths as Astray but regard each other as Hostile. By the time that the Ottomans conquered Constantinople there were many Orthodox Christians who would have preferred a Muslim conqueror than a Latin Catholic one.

Various events and decisions can change the attitudes and relations between the Churches over the course of the game, allowing players to potentially heal the Schism, as almost happened several times historically, or deepen it.

 

[AlexJG]

Another idea is to bring in some of the other Christian Faiths into the dynamic.

Give Iconoclasm the ability to take Orthodoxy's place as the legitimate Eastern Church, with Orthodoxy losing Ecumenism and Iconoclasm gaining whatever relation with Catholicism is appropriate at the time.

In addition, grant the Catholics or Orthodox Churches the opportunity to resolve the Chalcedonian Schism if they gain control over Armenia and Egypt and certain holy sites. This gives them the option to reconcile with the Apostolic and Coptic Churches, which gives them either the Unified Church Doctrine if there hasn't been a Great Schism or, if there has been, an Eastern or Western Communion Doctrine, depending on the Faith that reconciles, which causes them to regard each other as Righteous and share the same view of the other Church. Alternatively, they can take the opportunity to denounce and persecute both of the Non-Chalcedonian Churches and strip them of their Ecumenical Doctrine, possibly for a big boost to piety and religious head opinion.

 

[vyshan]

In regards to christianity, there was a schism in 867 the Photian Schism. It did get resolved that year and then the next couple decades the two churches spent time patching things up IIRC. The fact that the Great Schism is even the great schism is because IMO it never got patched up. So if there are dynamic schisms, then it should be allowed to be patched up between them. Which would make things more interesting.