Church of the East
Also
known as the Nestorian Church, the Church of the East was
a schismatic Christian sect formed in Asia Minor in 410,
and which followed the teachings of Nestorius. It declared
independence from the Church of Rome in 424, although it
retained communion until 431 when Nestorius was condemned
by the ecumenical Council of Ephesus, and again at the Council
of Chalcedon in 451. Geographically, it was the largest
Christian denomination until the 14th century, when it began
to decline due to Mongol invasions, and it was mostly eradicated
by Timur, although small communities continued in Iraq,
Turkey, and Kurdistan. In 1551, a number of members returned
in communion with Rome, and they became known as the Chaldaeans.
By the 19th century, a number of divisions had taken place.
Two churches that had formed from the Church of the East
remained: the Assyrian Church of the East (the Ancient Church
of the East split off from this in 1968), and the Eastern
Catholic Church.
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