The Schism of the Three Chapters 553-715 AD

Name: The Schism of the Three Chapters 553-715 AD
Price: 74.66 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock
ISBN: 9798233839986

Seán Mac Donnchadha

$87.95 $74.66

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We will update you on expected arrival time to us. If this delay is too long, please let us know within 2 business days and we can give you options regarding cancelling or adjusting your order. More details on cancelling your order can be found in our Terms of Trade.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Silverback Books
27 March 2026

History of other lands; Agnosticism & atheism

The Schism of the Three Chapters 553-715 AD

In 553 AD, the bishops of Northern Italy did something unprecedented: they said no to both the Byzantine Emperor and the Pope of Rome simultaneously, and held that position for a century and a half. The Schism of the Three Chapters, triggered by Emperor Justinian I's attempt to reconcile estranged Eastern Christians by condemning the writings of three long-dead theologians, became one of the most consequential and least-known ruptures in the history of Western Christianity.

This comprehensive history traces the schism from its theological origins in the aftermath of the Council of Chalcedon through its dramatic institutional expressions, the flight of the Patriarch to the island of Grado, the development of a distinctive liturgical tradition, the protection of Lombard kings, and the eventual resolution at the Synod of Pavia in 698 AD. Along the way, it examines the ordeal of Pope Vigilius, the intellectual brilliance of Facundus of Hermiane, the extraordinary Letter 5 of Saint Columbanus, and the role of Queen Theodelinda in transforming the Lombard kingdom.

Ultimately, this is a story about what communities do when they believe an institution has betrayed the faith it was meant to protect, and how, sometimes, the act of principled resistance leaves marks on history that outlast the controversy that produced them.

By: Seán Mac Donnchadha
Imprint: Silverback Books
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 140mm, Spine: 46mm
Weight: 930g
ISBN: 9798233839986
Pages: 818
Publication Date: 27 March 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Seán Mac Donnchadha is an Irish historian and writer specialising in the ecclesiastical and political history of late antiquity and the early medieval period. Drawing on Ireland's own deep tradition of engagement with the Latin church, he has written extensively on the institutional development of early Christianity, the theological controversies that shaped the medieval West, and the often-overlooked regional histories that lie beneath the surface of the familiar grand narratives. His work is characterised by narrative rigour, accessibility to the general reader, and a particular interest in the long-term consequences of moments when ordinary communities made extraordinary institutional decisions. He lives and writes in Ireland.