Henry Chadwick
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199246953
- eISBN:
- 9780191600463
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199246955.003.0025
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
Paul of Samosata, bishop of Antioch in the 160s, when it was ruled by Queen Zenobia of Palmyra, was criticized for his doctrine of Christ and his worldly lifestyle. A synod decided that he be removed ...
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Paul of Samosata, bishop of Antioch in the 160s, when it was ruled by Queen Zenobia of Palmyra, was criticized for his doctrine of Christ and his worldly lifestyle. A synod decided that he be removed from office, but he had enthusiastic support from many people in Antioch. The fall of Zenobia changed the political situation, and emperor Aurelian ruled in favour of Roman doctrine.Less
Paul of Samosata, bishop of Antioch in the 160s, when it was ruled by Queen Zenobia of Palmyra, was criticized for his doctrine of Christ and his worldly lifestyle. A synod decided that he be removed from office, but he had enthusiastic support from many people in Antioch. The fall of Zenobia changed the political situation, and emperor Aurelian ruled in favour of Roman doctrine.
Sara Parvis
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199280131
- eISBN:
- 9780191603792
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199280134.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
In the recent explosion of scholarship on the Arian controversy, the years immediately after Nicaea have been comparatively neglected. This is partly because the prevailing view in the ...
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In the recent explosion of scholarship on the Arian controversy, the years immediately after Nicaea have been comparatively neglected. This is partly because the prevailing view in the English-speaking world is that either there was no real theological controversy at all during the years 325-345, merely a general distaste for the activities of Athanasius of Alexandria, or that there was a general fear throughout the East of the theology of Marcellus of Ancyra, uniting Eastern bishops against him. This book argues that neither of these positions can be sustained on the basis of the available evidence. It examines closely the evidence for episcopal attendance at the important councils of these years, and shows that all were demonstrably partial; that there was never a majority of politically active Eastern bishops against Marcellus, Athanasius, or their fellow supporter of Alexander, Eustathius of Antioch; and that Marcellus was deposed for theological opinions which he did not hold in the manner attributed to him. These years are best made sense of by returning to the idea of two theological and political alliances at war with one another before, during, and long after Nicaea, which only began to fragment in the early 340s after the death of Eusebius of Nicomedia and the falling-out of Marcellus and Athanasius over the so-called ‘Western Creed of Serdica’.Less
In the recent explosion of scholarship on the Arian controversy, the years immediately after Nicaea have been comparatively neglected. This is partly because the prevailing view in the English-speaking world is that either there was no real theological controversy at all during the years 325-345, merely a general distaste for the activities of Athanasius of Alexandria, or that there was a general fear throughout the East of the theology of Marcellus of Ancyra, uniting Eastern bishops against him. This book argues that neither of these positions can be sustained on the basis of the available evidence. It examines closely the evidence for episcopal attendance at the important councils of these years, and shows that all were demonstrably partial; that there was never a majority of politically active Eastern bishops against Marcellus, Athanasius, or their fellow supporter of Alexander, Eustathius of Antioch; and that Marcellus was deposed for theological opinions which he did not hold in the manner attributed to him. These years are best made sense of by returning to the idea of two theological and political alliances at war with one another before, during, and long after Nicaea, which only began to fragment in the early 340s after the death of Eusebius of Nicomedia and the falling-out of Marcellus and Athanasius over the so-called ‘Western Creed of Serdica’.
David M. Gwynn
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199205554
- eISBN:
- 9780191709425
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199205554.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter examines the influence of Athanasius’ polemic upon the western Church in the period 339-46. This influence is particularly visible in two texts quoted by Athanasius in his Apologia ...
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This chapter examines the influence of Athanasius’ polemic upon the western Church in the period 339-46. This influence is particularly visible in two texts quoted by Athanasius in his Apologia Contra Arianos: the letter of Julius of Rome in 340/1, and the letters of the Western Council of Serdica in 343. All these letters endorse Athanasius’ construction of the ‘Eusebians’ and seek to impose this construct upon his eastern foes.Less
This chapter examines the influence of Athanasius’ polemic upon the western Church in the period 339-46. This influence is particularly visible in two texts quoted by Athanasius in his Apologia Contra Arianos: the letter of Julius of Rome in 340/1, and the letters of the Western Council of Serdica in 343. All these letters endorse Athanasius’ construction of the ‘Eusebians’ and seek to impose this construct upon his eastern foes.
David M. Gwynn
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199205554
- eISBN:
- 9780191709425
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199205554.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter assesses Athanasius’ presentation of the ‘Eusebians’ as ‘Arian’. After a brief introduction to Athanasius’ highly polarized heresiological polemic, it traces Athanasius’ construction of ...
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This chapter assesses Athanasius’ presentation of the ‘Eusebians’ as ‘Arian’. After a brief introduction to Athanasius’ highly polarized heresiological polemic, it traces Athanasius’ construction of the ‘Arianism’ which he imposes upon his opponents. A comparison between this ‘Athanasian Arianism’, the doctrines of Arius himself, and the known doctrines of Eusebius of Nicomedia and Asterius ‘the Sophist’ reveals that these two alleged ‘Eusebians’ differ theologically both from Arius’ and from Athanasius’ definition of ‘Arianism’. Indeed, Eusebius and Asterius appear to have been representative of a widespread theological position held by a significant number of eastern bishops in the first half of the 4th century, a theology expressed above all by the ‘Dedication Creed’ of the Council of Antioch in 341. The chapter then turns to the methodology through which Athanasius created his distorted polarized construct of the ‘Arian Controversy’, and concludes with a brief assessment of how this construct influences Athanasius’ interpretation of the Council of Nicaea and the Nicene Creed.Less
This chapter assesses Athanasius’ presentation of the ‘Eusebians’ as ‘Arian’. After a brief introduction to Athanasius’ highly polarized heresiological polemic, it traces Athanasius’ construction of the ‘Arianism’ which he imposes upon his opponents. A comparison between this ‘Athanasian Arianism’, the doctrines of Arius himself, and the known doctrines of Eusebius of Nicomedia and Asterius ‘the Sophist’ reveals that these two alleged ‘Eusebians’ differ theologically both from Arius’ and from Athanasius’ definition of ‘Arianism’. Indeed, Eusebius and Asterius appear to have been representative of a widespread theological position held by a significant number of eastern bishops in the first half of the 4th century, a theology expressed above all by the ‘Dedication Creed’ of the Council of Antioch in 341. The chapter then turns to the methodology through which Athanasius created his distorted polarized construct of the ‘Arian Controversy’, and concludes with a brief assessment of how this construct influences Athanasius’ interpretation of the Council of Nicaea and the Nicene Creed.
Sara Parvis
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199280131
- eISBN:
- 9780191603792
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199280134.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter examines the evidence for membership of the two alliances which squared up against one another before Nicaea, including the names and numbers on both sides, and the degree to which ...
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This chapter examines the evidence for membership of the two alliances which squared up against one another before Nicaea, including the names and numbers on both sides, and the degree to which nameable individuals committed themselves politically. The theological affinities and differences of Alexander of Alexandria’s allies are studied, particularly those of Marcellus with each of the rest. The significance of the initial calling of the ‘great and priestly synod’ for Ancyra rather than Nicaea is considered. It is argued that the synod was not originally called by Constantine but by the pro-Alexander alliance, and moved by him to his own palace to promote peace. The Synod of Antioch is discussed and dated to 324. It is argued that Marcellus had little influence on the Nicene Creed, which was not characteristic of his theology and which he never defended, but probably rather more on the canons of Nicaea.Less
This chapter examines the evidence for membership of the two alliances which squared up against one another before Nicaea, including the names and numbers on both sides, and the degree to which nameable individuals committed themselves politically. The theological affinities and differences of Alexander of Alexandria’s allies are studied, particularly those of Marcellus with each of the rest. The significance of the initial calling of the ‘great and priestly synod’ for Ancyra rather than Nicaea is considered. It is argued that the synod was not originally called by Constantine but by the pro-Alexander alliance, and moved by him to his own palace to promote peace. The Synod of Antioch is discussed and dated to 324. It is argued that Marcellus had little influence on the Nicene Creed, which was not characteristic of his theology and which he never defended, but probably rather more on the canons of Nicaea.
Sara Parvis
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199280131
- eISBN:
- 9780191603792
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199280134.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter argues that Eustathius of Antioch’s deposition took place in autumn 327 as a result of real or faked evidence of sexual misdemeanour, triggering a reversal by Constantine of his previous ...
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This chapter argues that Eustathius of Antioch’s deposition took place in autumn 327 as a result of real or faked evidence of sexual misdemeanour, triggering a reversal by Constantine of his previous ecclesiastical policy. It is suggested that Marcellus wrote his Against Asterius partly in response to this event and to the subsequent return of Eusebius of Nicomedia. It is argued that Marcellus, like Athanasius, was trapped by a summons to the Synod of Tyre in 335 when he refused to accept Arius’ reception back into communion at Jerusalem, despite Constantine’s orders. Marcellus’ trial is examined from the accounts of Sozomen and Eusebius of Caesarea, and his innocence established of the theological charges brought.Less
This chapter argues that Eustathius of Antioch’s deposition took place in autumn 327 as a result of real or faked evidence of sexual misdemeanour, triggering a reversal by Constantine of his previous ecclesiastical policy. It is suggested that Marcellus wrote his Against Asterius partly in response to this event and to the subsequent return of Eusebius of Nicomedia. It is argued that Marcellus, like Athanasius, was trapped by a summons to the Synod of Tyre in 335 when he refused to accept Arius’ reception back into communion at Jerusalem, despite Constantine’s orders. Marcellus’ trial is examined from the accounts of Sozomen and Eusebius of Caesarea, and his innocence established of the theological charges brought.
Gregory A. Beeley
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195313970
- eISBN:
- 9780199871827
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195313970.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
The introduction provides an orientation to Gregory's' life and works within his multiple contexts. It covers Gregory's family, childhood, education, training in biblical study and Greek ...
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The introduction provides an orientation to Gregory's' life and works within his multiple contexts. It covers Gregory's family, childhood, education, training in biblical study and Greek philosophical rhetoric; his pioneering, moderate form of monasticism as a “middle path” between solitude and public service; his strong influence by Origen and complicated relationship with Basil; his theological and ecclesiastical leadership as a priest and bishop; his central role in the consolidation of the Trinitarian faith and the pro‐Nicene movement in Constantinople; and his retirement, literary corpus, and the distinctive character of the Theological Orations. In addition, it offers a summary narrative of the mid‐fourth‐century theological controversies, in which Gregory played a key part—with attention to Marcellus of Ancyra, the Council of Nicaea 325, Eusebius of Caesarea, Athanasius, Basil of Ancyra, George of Laodicea, Melitius of Antioch, Damasus and the Western synods, Eunomius and the Heterousians, the Homoiousians, the Pneumatomachians, the homoian regimes of Constantius and Valens, the synod of Antioch in 372, the religious policy of Theodosius, and other church councils; an account of the negative effects of the Antiochene schism, and a reconstruction of the Council of Constantinople 381.Less
The introduction provides an orientation to Gregory's' life and works within his multiple contexts. It covers Gregory's family, childhood, education, training in biblical study and Greek philosophical rhetoric; his pioneering, moderate form of monasticism as a “middle path” between solitude and public service; his strong influence by Origen and complicated relationship with Basil; his theological and ecclesiastical leadership as a priest and bishop; his central role in the consolidation of the Trinitarian faith and the pro‐Nicene movement in Constantinople; and his retirement, literary corpus, and the distinctive character of the Theological Orations. In addition, it offers a summary narrative of the mid‐fourth‐century theological controversies, in which Gregory played a key part—with attention to Marcellus of Ancyra, the Council of Nicaea 325, Eusebius of Caesarea, Athanasius, Basil of Ancyra, George of Laodicea, Melitius of Antioch, Damasus and the Western synods, Eunomius and the Heterousians, the Homoiousians, the Pneumatomachians, the homoian regimes of Constantius and Valens, the synod of Antioch in 372, the religious policy of Theodosius, and other church councils; an account of the negative effects of the Antiochene schism, and a reconstruction of the Council of Constantinople 381.
Volker L. Menze
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199534876
- eISBN:
- 9780191716041
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199534876.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
Chapter 1 analyses the accession of Justin I in 518 and questions the conventional view that Justin was a convinced Chalcedonian. It argues that the emperor became Chalcedonian for raisons d'état. ...
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Chapter 1 analyses the accession of Justin I in 518 and questions the conventional view that Justin was a convinced Chalcedonian. It argues that the emperor became Chalcedonian for raisons d'état. He came to terms with Pope Hormisdas and then implemented a papal understanding of Chalcedon in the East which created a clear-cut chasm between eastern Chalcedonians and non-Chalcedonians whose ecclesiastical positions had been rather diverse so far. Every bishop was required to sign the libellus of Pope Hormisdas but the non-Chalcedonian bishops preferred exile to subordinating themselves and their followers to the papal perspective of the Christian past. Using the available prosopographical data, Chapter 1 concludes with a discussion of how the religious landscape in the patriarchate of Antioch changed in the 520s.Less
Chapter 1 analyses the accession of Justin I in 518 and questions the conventional view that Justin was a convinced Chalcedonian. It argues that the emperor became Chalcedonian for raisons d'état. He came to terms with Pope Hormisdas and then implemented a papal understanding of Chalcedon in the East which created a clear-cut chasm between eastern Chalcedonians and non-Chalcedonians whose ecclesiastical positions had been rather diverse so far. Every bishop was required to sign the libellus of Pope Hormisdas but the non-Chalcedonian bishops preferred exile to subordinating themselves and their followers to the papal perspective of the Christian past. Using the available prosopographical data, Chapter 1 concludes with a discussion of how the religious landscape in the patriarchate of Antioch changed in the 520s.
Carl L. Beckwith
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199551644
- eISBN:
- 9780191720789
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199551644.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter discusses the Trinitarian debates from the Council of Nicaea (325) to the synod of Sirmium (351) and the emergence of the creed from Nicaea in the West as a standard of orthodoxy.
This chapter discusses the Trinitarian debates from the Council of Nicaea (325) to the synod of Sirmium (351) and the emergence of the creed from Nicaea in the West as a standard of orthodoxy.
Philip Wood
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199588497
- eISBN:
- 9780191595424
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199588497.003.0006
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern History: BCE to 500CE
The final three chapters examine the disparate ways in which Edessene and Suryoyo identities evolved in the course of the Christological controversies of the fifth and sixth centuries. This chapter ...
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The final three chapters examine the disparate ways in which Edessene and Suryoyo identities evolved in the course of the Christological controversies of the fifth and sixth centuries. This chapter discusses the Edessene Julian Romance, a hagiographical history written in the sixth century about the fourth‐century reign of Julian the apostate. Unlike the Doctrina, this text presents Edessa as the donation of Constantine to Christ, and expresses Edessa's special position in much more Roman terms. In this text, the history ofJulian's reign is invoked to undermine Edessa's sixth‐ century opponents, Antioch and Constantinople and to assert the conditional nature of imperial authority. If Edessa belonged to Christ, then the emperor's right to the allegiance of the city depended on his orthodoxy, lest the city be rules by ‘a friend of the Jews’.Less
The final three chapters examine the disparate ways in which Edessene and Suryoyo identities evolved in the course of the Christological controversies of the fifth and sixth centuries. This chapter discusses the Edessene Julian Romance, a hagiographical history written in the sixth century about the fourth‐century reign of Julian the apostate. Unlike the Doctrina, this text presents Edessa as the donation of Constantine to Christ, and expresses Edessa's special position in much more Roman terms. In this text, the history ofJulian's reign is invoked to undermine Edessa's sixth‐ century opponents, Antioch and Constantinople and to assert the conditional nature of imperial authority. If Edessa belonged to Christ, then the emperor's right to the allegiance of the city depended on his orthodoxy, lest the city be rules by ‘a friend of the Jews’.
Jerome Murphy‐O'Connor
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199592104
- eISBN:
- 9780191595608
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592104.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, Early Christian Studies
The passage contains hints that Paul's opponents were composed of ‘Spirit‐people’ (pneumatikoi) (2 Cor 2:16; 3:5) and newly arrived Judaizers (3:3, 6). In the Postscript I correct what I said in the ...
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The passage contains hints that Paul's opponents were composed of ‘Spirit‐people’ (pneumatikoi) (2 Cor 2:16; 3:5) and newly arrived Judaizers (3:3, 6). In the Postscript I correct what I said in the article. The intruders came from Antioch, not Jerusalem. The key element in Paul's response was to distinguish a ‘new covenant of the spirit’ from a ‘new covenant of the letter’.Less
The passage contains hints that Paul's opponents were composed of ‘Spirit‐people’ (pneumatikoi) (2 Cor 2:16; 3:5) and newly arrived Judaizers (3:3, 6). In the Postscript I correct what I said in the article. The intruders came from Antioch, not Jerusalem. The key element in Paul's response was to distinguish a ‘new covenant of the spirit’ from a ‘new covenant of the letter’.
Catherine Homes
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199279685
- eISBN:
- 9780191707353
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199279685.003.0007
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter looks behind the distorting mirror of the historiographical record of Basil II's reign. It focuses on the administration of the Byzantine Empire's eastern frontier using the contemporary ...
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This chapter looks behind the distorting mirror of the historiographical record of Basil II's reign. It focuses on the administration of the Byzantine Empire's eastern frontier using the contemporary Arabic historiographical record (especially the history of Yahya ibn Sa'id), Byzantine sigilliographical evidence; and an important administrative record from the 970s, the Escorial Taktikon. In the case of military administration, the chapter concentrates on the office of doux; in the case of civil on that of kourator. It is argued that Byzantine administration in the east was not as rigid or as heavily militarized as sometimes thought. Instead, governance was typified by flexibility and a willingness to devolve practical power to local elites on both sides of the frontier. This was particularly true in the second half of the reign when Basil II's most loyal commander, Nikephoros Ouranos, played a particularly prominent role in frontier governance as doux of Antioch.Less
This chapter looks behind the distorting mirror of the historiographical record of Basil II's reign. It focuses on the administration of the Byzantine Empire's eastern frontier using the contemporary Arabic historiographical record (especially the history of Yahya ibn Sa'id), Byzantine sigilliographical evidence; and an important administrative record from the 970s, the Escorial Taktikon. In the case of military administration, the chapter concentrates on the office of doux; in the case of civil on that of kourator. It is argued that Byzantine administration in the east was not as rigid or as heavily militarized as sometimes thought. Instead, governance was typified by flexibility and a willingness to devolve practical power to local elites on both sides of the frontier. This was particularly true in the second half of the reign when Basil II's most loyal commander, Nikephoros Ouranos, played a particularly prominent role in frontier governance as doux of Antioch.
Andrew Louth
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195383355
- eISBN:
- 9780199870561
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195383355.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, History of Christianity
This chapter shows what may be learned for readers of Genesis after Darwin by attending to the profound—often strange—ways in which Genesis was read long before Darwin, particularly by Greek-speaking ...
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This chapter shows what may be learned for readers of Genesis after Darwin by attending to the profound—often strange—ways in which Genesis was read long before Darwin, particularly by Greek-speaking Christians and Jews of the early centuries of the Common Era. Observing that the six days of creation (the Hexaemeron) provided a recurring focus for theological reflection, the suggestion is made that the fathers offer an understanding of the cosmos that is of abiding relevance. Characteristics of this understanding are a resistance to a deterministic account of the cosmos, attention to wonder at creation as God's gift, humility as the appropriate moral corollary, and a conviction of the wholeness and interconnectedness of all created things.Less
This chapter shows what may be learned for readers of Genesis after Darwin by attending to the profound—often strange—ways in which Genesis was read long before Darwin, particularly by Greek-speaking Christians and Jews of the early centuries of the Common Era. Observing that the six days of creation (the Hexaemeron) provided a recurring focus for theological reflection, the suggestion is made that the fathers offer an understanding of the cosmos that is of abiding relevance. Characteristics of this understanding are a resistance to a deterministic account of the cosmos, attention to wonder at creation as God's gift, humility as the appropriate moral corollary, and a conviction of the wholeness and interconnectedness of all created things.
Donald Fairbairn
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199256143
- eISBN:
- 9780191600586
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199256144.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
In the light of the book's treatment of grace and christology, this chapter argues that the central issue in patristic christology was not whether Christ was one person or two or whether one spoke of ...
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In the light of the book's treatment of grace and christology, this chapter argues that the central issue in patristic christology was not whether Christ was one person or two or whether one spoke of one nature or two, but whether God the Son was personally present on earth through the incarnation. The chapter asserts that the key phrase expressing this issue was the ‘double birth’ of the Logos. Those who insisted that God the Son must be and was personally present insisted that the Logos was born twice (of the Father eternally and of Mary in time). This chapter looks briefly at John Chrysostom, John of Antioch, Celestine, Leo, and the Chalcedonian Definition and concludes that belief in the double birth of the Logos was the faith of the entire Church in the fifth century, with only a small handful of dissenters.Less
In the light of the book's treatment of grace and christology, this chapter argues that the central issue in patristic christology was not whether Christ was one person or two or whether one spoke of one nature or two, but whether God the Son was personally present on earth through the incarnation. The chapter asserts that the key phrase expressing this issue was the ‘double birth’ of the Logos. Those who insisted that God the Son must be and was personally present insisted that the Logos was born twice (of the Father eternally and of Mary in time). This chapter looks briefly at John Chrysostom, John of Antioch, Celestine, Leo, and the Chalcedonian Definition and concludes that belief in the double birth of the Logos was the faith of the entire Church in the fifth century, with only a small handful of dissenters.
Raffaella Cribiore
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801452079
- eISBN:
- 9780801469084
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801452079.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
Libanius of Antioch was a rhetorician of rare skill and eloquence. So renowned was he in the fourth century that his school of rhetoric in Roman Syria became among the most prestigious in the Eastern ...
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Libanius of Antioch was a rhetorician of rare skill and eloquence. So renowned was he in the fourth century that his school of rhetoric in Roman Syria became among the most prestigious in the Eastern Empire. This book draws on the entire body of Libanius's vast literary output—including 64 orations, 1,544 letters, and exercises for his students—to offer the fullest intellectual portrait yet of this figure whom John Chrystostom called “the sophist of the city.” Libanius (314–ca. 393) lived at a time when Christianity was celebrating its triumph but paganism tried to resist. Although himself a pagan, Libanius cultivated friendships within Antioch's Christian community and taught leaders of the Church including Chrysostom and Basil of Caesarea. The book calls him a “gray pagan” who did not share the fanaticism of the Emperor Julian. The book considers the role that a major intellectual of Libanius's caliber played in this religiously diverse society and culture. When he wrote a letter or delivered an oration, who was he addressing and what did he hope to accomplish? One thing that stands out in Libanius's speeches is the startling amount of invective against his enemies. How common was character assassination of this sort? What was the subtext to these speeches and how would they have been received? The book restores Libanius to his rightful place in the rich and culturally complex world of Late Antiquity.Less
Libanius of Antioch was a rhetorician of rare skill and eloquence. So renowned was he in the fourth century that his school of rhetoric in Roman Syria became among the most prestigious in the Eastern Empire. This book draws on the entire body of Libanius's vast literary output—including 64 orations, 1,544 letters, and exercises for his students—to offer the fullest intellectual portrait yet of this figure whom John Chrystostom called “the sophist of the city.” Libanius (314–ca. 393) lived at a time when Christianity was celebrating its triumph but paganism tried to resist. Although himself a pagan, Libanius cultivated friendships within Antioch's Christian community and taught leaders of the Church including Chrysostom and Basil of Caesarea. The book calls him a “gray pagan” who did not share the fanaticism of the Emperor Julian. The book considers the role that a major intellectual of Libanius's caliber played in this religiously diverse society and culture. When he wrote a letter or delivered an oration, who was he addressing and what did he hope to accomplish? One thing that stands out in Libanius's speeches is the startling amount of invective against his enemies. How common was character assassination of this sort? What was the subtext to these speeches and how would they have been received? The book restores Libanius to his rightful place in the rich and culturally complex world of Late Antiquity.
Jerome Murphy-O'Connor
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- November 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199266531
- eISBN:
- 9780191601583
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199266530.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Why Barnabas was sent to Antioch, and why he recruited Paul. The problems of table-fellowship for Jewish and Gentile believers in Antioch. The Roman road system in Asia Minor as arteries through ...
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Why Barnabas was sent to Antioch, and why he recruited Paul. The problems of table-fellowship for Jewish and Gentile believers in Antioch. The Roman road system in Asia Minor as arteries through which the gospel flowed in a mission shared by Paul and Barnabas. Travel conditions were harsh and unforgiving, and gave rise to a key element in Paul’s theology (‘Sin’).Less
Why Barnabas was sent to Antioch, and why he recruited Paul. The problems of table-fellowship for Jewish and Gentile believers in Antioch. The Roman road system in Asia Minor as arteries through which the gospel flowed in a mission shared by Paul and Barnabas. Travel conditions were harsh and unforgiving, and gave rise to a key element in Paul’s theology (‘Sin’).
Jerome Murphy-O'Connor
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- November 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199266531
- eISBN:
- 9780191601583
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199266530.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Before moving to his maintenance base at Ephesus, Paul reported to Antioch, where he became embroiled in a controversy regarding the conditions on which Gentiles could become Christians. A meeting in ...
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Before moving to his maintenance base at Ephesus, Paul reported to Antioch, where he became embroiled in a controversy regarding the conditions on which Gentiles could become Christians. A meeting in Jerusalem voted in Paul’s favour because of James’ appreciation of the politics of anti-semitism. Peter’s defection in Antioch forced Paul to rethink his position on (1) the authority of his mission, and (2) the place of the Law in Christian communities. He became radically antinomian, and this had a significant impact on his moral teaching.Less
Before moving to his maintenance base at Ephesus, Paul reported to Antioch, where he became embroiled in a controversy regarding the conditions on which Gentiles could become Christians. A meeting in Jerusalem voted in Paul’s favour because of James’ appreciation of the politics of anti-semitism. Peter’s defection in Antioch forced Paul to rethink his position on (1) the authority of his mission, and (2) the place of the Law in Christian communities. He became radically antinomian, and this had a significant impact on his moral teaching.
Jerome Murphy-O'Connor
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- November 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199266531
- eISBN:
- 9780191601583
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199266530.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Missionary expansion through converts returning to their homes and businesses. As a first step in claiming her daughter churches, Antioch sent a Judaising delegation to correct the theology of the ...
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Missionary expansion through converts returning to their homes and businesses. As a first step in claiming her daughter churches, Antioch sent a Judaising delegation to correct the theology of the Galatians. Celtic reluctance to make a decision obliged consultation with Paul, who responded in Galatians. Ostensibly addressed to the Galatians, its real audience was the intruders.Less
Missionary expansion through converts returning to their homes and businesses. As a first step in claiming her daughter churches, Antioch sent a Judaising delegation to correct the theology of the Galatians. Celtic reluctance to make a decision obliged consultation with Paul, who responded in Galatians. Ostensibly addressed to the Galatians, its real audience was the intruders.
Jerome Murphy-O'Connor
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- November 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199266531
- eISBN:
- 9780191601583
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199266530.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Reports on the situation at Corinth convinced Paul that the root of most of the problems lay with the Spirit-people who had misunderstood Apollos. In 1 Cor, Paul brutally attacks this group, ...
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Reports on the situation at Corinth convinced Paul that the root of most of the problems lay with the Spirit-people who had misunderstood Apollos. In 1 Cor, Paul brutally attacks this group, alienating them completely. To revenge themselves on Paul, they formed an alliance with the Judaising delegation from Antioch. The presence of the latter sparked Paul’s second (unplanned) visit to Corinth, which culminated in an undignified retreat to Macedonia. There he discovered why the Judaizers had reached Corinth so quickly. They had been repudiated in Philippi and Thessalonica. Returning to Ephesus, Paul wrote the extremely delicate Severe Letter, which he sent with Titus.Less
Reports on the situation at Corinth convinced Paul that the root of most of the problems lay with the Spirit-people who had misunderstood Apollos. In 1 Cor, Paul brutally attacks this group, alienating them completely. To revenge themselves on Paul, they formed an alliance with the Judaising delegation from Antioch. The presence of the latter sparked Paul’s second (unplanned) visit to Corinth, which culminated in an undignified retreat to Macedonia. There he discovered why the Judaizers had reached Corinth so quickly. They had been repudiated in Philippi and Thessalonica. Returning to Ephesus, Paul wrote the extremely delicate Severe Letter, which he sent with Titus.
Hamilton Hess
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780198269755
- eISBN:
- 9780191601163
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198269757.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
The failure of the attempted settlement of the dispute over the teachings of Arius by the Council of Nicaea in 325 resulted in intense turmoil within the Church during the decades to follow, and this ...
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The failure of the attempted settlement of the dispute over the teachings of Arius by the Council of Nicaea in 325 resulted in intense turmoil within the Church during the decades to follow, and this was greatly exacerbated by the division of the Empire after the death of Constantine and the differing ecclesiastical policies of his heirs. Following the deposition of Athanasius and other bishops by the partisans of Arius and their restoration by a council at Rome in 341, a council to resolve the doctrinal differences and personal grievances was convened by permission of the emperors to meet at Serdica in 343. Upon arrival at Serdica, the Eastern bishops, largely sympathetic with the anti‐Nicene party, refused to meet with the Westerns, and two rival councils were held. The Western council confirmed the restoration of Athanasius and his companions at Rome in 341, considered but rejected a new creed, wrote an encyclical and other letters, resolved a dispute over the dating of Easter, and enacted the canons that we are here considering; the Eastern council reapproved the Fourth Creed of Antioch, drafted a paschal cycle, wrote an encyclical condemning Athanasius and his associates and all who had entered into communion with them. The chapter ends with a brief discussion of the life of Ossius of Cordova, who presided over the Western council and was also the leading figure in the framing of the Serdican canons.Less
The failure of the attempted settlement of the dispute over the teachings of Arius by the Council of Nicaea in 325 resulted in intense turmoil within the Church during the decades to follow, and this was greatly exacerbated by the division of the Empire after the death of Constantine and the differing ecclesiastical policies of his heirs. Following the deposition of Athanasius and other bishops by the partisans of Arius and their restoration by a council at Rome in 341, a council to resolve the doctrinal differences and personal grievances was convened by permission of the emperors to meet at Serdica in 343. Upon arrival at Serdica, the Eastern bishops, largely sympathetic with the anti‐Nicene party, refused to meet with the Westerns, and two rival councils were held. The Western council confirmed the restoration of Athanasius and his companions at Rome in 341, considered but rejected a new creed, wrote an encyclical and other letters, resolved a dispute over the dating of Easter, and enacted the canons that we are here considering; the Eastern council reapproved the Fourth Creed of Antioch, drafted a paschal cycle, wrote an encyclical condemning Athanasius and his associates and all who had entered into communion with them. The chapter ends with a brief discussion of the life of Ossius of Cordova, who presided over the Western council and was also the leading figure in the framing of the Serdican canons.
