AH Challenge: Top-down Eastern Christianity, Primus inter pares West.

Something I've been curious about is that top-down hierarchy probably gave the Western branch of Christianity as much of an advantage over the East as its geography did. If the styles of church governance had been reversed, for instance a first among equals ecclesiastical government in the Latin West and a top-down Greek East, how might that have changed things? To have the top-down hierarchy would require the Arab irruption to possibly change in nature from a new religion to perhaps one variation of Ethiopian Christianity, maybe? Regardless of how a Catholic system of governance evolves in the East and an Orthodox one in the West, what impact does this have on both branches and how might the variations of Christendom that emerged have ended up different?
 
Pretty much ASB i guess... East has 4 ancient Patriarchates which are consider equal (with a honorary precedence only Patriarch of Constantinople is considered Primus inter Pares only because his seat was the capital of the Roman Empire)
Example if the Patriarch of Constantinople lets say issues a decree in dogma it wont be binding for other churches in orthodox communion unless it is ratified by a Major Synod of all Patriarchs and Arcbishops...
On the other hand West has only one ancient "Patriarchate" so the Pope being "Primus Solus" is a one way road... Unless some Catholic Archdioceses starting claim Apostolic foundation (as i said in a previous thread) and become independent from Rome...
 
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