hile the Crusades were caused by a significant division between the
Christians and saracens, it is important to take note of the divisions
amongst the Christians themselves as well. During the period of the Fourth Crusade, the East-West Schism, also known as the "Great Schism", was taking place between the western catholics churches and the eastern orthodox churches.
AN ARTISTIC DEPICTION OF THE GREAT SCHISM:
THE TWO CHRISTIAN BODIES FIGHTING OVER JESUS CHRIST.
HISTORICAL
CONTEXT
RELIGIOUS CONTEXT
W
The Byzantine empire, including their capital, Constantinople, adopted Orthodox Christianity. While the Orthodox Christians and the Catholic Christians fought together in the first and second Crusades, the number of Orthodox Christians decreased as the relationship between the Roman Catholic Pope and the Orthodox Patriarchs deteriorated. As a result, the Orthodox Christians were not involved in the third and the forth Crusades; the Crusades had became the sole responsibility of the Catholic Pope.
