I've never heard that explained like this, cheers. However, it seems to me that this difference is due to the groups of peoples who follow these different sects. For example, Italians are hot headed, but perfectly happy to go off and do some questionable stuff, then cross themselves and ask for forgiveness, to finally go off on their merry way. Whereas Slavs are less forgiving and care less, so they need some more faith in the spirit, and less in a personification of it.