The reading by David Bundy encouraged me to consider my own faith, Catholicism, due to the fact that Nestorianism, is much like Catholicism. They were both derived from Christianity, or the belief in Christ. What is different, however, is that Nestorians believed Jesus to have existed as two different people, a man and the Son of God. Catholics, however, believe that Jesus is embodied by the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. A Catholic would argue that by embodying Jesus as simply a man, you are limiting Him. We believe that he is omnipotent, the Messiah, regardless of His form. He was sent by God for a specific purpose, our salvation, and while in a human form, He was still divine; able to perform miracles. He was more than a prophet and was the closet thing to God on earth. Although humans perceived His physical form as simply human, our faith teaches us that He was so much more. The concepts may appear similar, and my explanation may be confusing, but it is very difficult to explain the existence of the divine. As a human, I am limited by words.
What is also interesting is the fact that the Nestorian Church was almost separate from the country and able to do as it pleased. It was not controlled in China and was free to ‘chart its own course.’ In the Catholic Church, the Vatican is the ultimate authority on code of conduct. The Church is governed by a College of Bishops who then rule from the Vatican. Nothing can occur without the Bishops’ or the Pope’s approval.
It seems to me that the Nestorian Church, because it moved to China and grew from there, did not have the established institutions that the Catholic Church had had in place for centuries. Because of this, monks and traders that were practicing the faith of their own accord. It was a very free flowing, respectful religion that didn’t assert superiority but rather suggested that others simply accepted their ‘way’. Because of their modesty and respectful nature, the other, previously established religions in China, practiced tolerance for the Nestorians.
