Western Christianity
Western Christianity refers collectively to
Catholicism and
Protestantism, especially when speaking more about what they share in common than about the ways they differ. As opposed to
Eastern Christianity, these sects of
Christianity dominated mostly and were historically developed in the western half of
Europe, hence the name. One of the principal respects in which Western Christianity differs from Eastern Christianity is its doctrine of
original sin. Today, however, the geographical distinction between Western and Eastern Christianity is not nearly as absolute, especially after the spread
missionaries.