Jon M. Robertson
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199212606
- eISBN:
- 9780191707360
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199212606.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This book presents a detailed study of the theological concept (divine mediation) that was central to the Christological controversy of the early 4th century. The subject of this study is the access ...
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This book presents a detailed study of the theological concept (divine mediation) that was central to the Christological controversy of the early 4th century. The subject of this study is the access to God provided through the divine Word, as seen in the theologies of Eusebius of Caesarea, Marcellus of Ancyra, and Athanasius of Alexandria during the early years of the ‘Arian’ controversy. By analysing the views of three participants at the Council of Nicaea (325), this book demonstrates the variety of perspectives in a way that questions popular approaches to the period that see the controversy as having only two sides. This analysis constitutes a new approach to the early Arian controversy, as well as showing the theological backdrop of Athanasius' insight on Christ as mediator. It further demonstrates the contemporary relevance of the issue by giving an Athanasian critique of the modern Christology of Roger Haight.Less
This book presents a detailed study of the theological concept (divine mediation) that was central to the Christological controversy of the early 4th century. The subject of this study is the access to God provided through the divine Word, as seen in the theologies of Eusebius of Caesarea, Marcellus of Ancyra, and Athanasius of Alexandria during the early years of the ‘Arian’ controversy. By analysing the views of three participants at the Council of Nicaea (325), this book demonstrates the variety of perspectives in a way that questions popular approaches to the period that see the controversy as having only two sides. This analysis constitutes a new approach to the early Arian controversy, as well as showing the theological backdrop of Athanasius' insight on Christ as mediator. It further demonstrates the contemporary relevance of the issue by giving an Athanasian critique of the modern Christology of Roger Haight.
Jon M. Robertson
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199212606
- eISBN:
- 9780191707360
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199212606.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter analyses Eusebius of Caesarea's understanding of the radical transcendence of God the Father, which influenced his view of the Word as an intervening mediator between the Father and the ...
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This chapter analyses Eusebius of Caesarea's understanding of the radical transcendence of God the Father, which influenced his view of the Word as an intervening mediator between the Father and the created world. It argues that his concept of mediation is necessarily a ‘deictic’ one, i.e., one in which the mediator — while similar to that which it images — is not to be identified with it in any fundamental way. This is particularly evident in his presentation of ‘image’ theology. He favoured the illustration of image for the Father/Son relationship because he felt it pictured their similarity and non-identity, as well as described the eternal soteriological function of the Son in mediating knowledge of the Father. His comprehension of the Incarnation was that it reflected, at a new but not qualitatively different level, the ongoing mediating function of the Word.Less
This chapter analyses Eusebius of Caesarea's understanding of the radical transcendence of God the Father, which influenced his view of the Word as an intervening mediator between the Father and the created world. It argues that his concept of mediation is necessarily a ‘deictic’ one, i.e., one in which the mediator — while similar to that which it images — is not to be identified with it in any fundamental way. This is particularly evident in his presentation of ‘image’ theology. He favoured the illustration of image for the Father/Son relationship because he felt it pictured their similarity and non-identity, as well as described the eternal soteriological function of the Son in mediating knowledge of the Father. His comprehension of the Incarnation was that it reflected, at a new but not qualitatively different level, the ongoing mediating function of the Word.
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.
William, S.J. Harmless
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- July 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195162233
- eISBN:
- 9780199835645
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195162234.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
The patriarchs of Alexandria would cast long shadows over the history of Egyptian monasticism. This chapter focuses on the five most influential: Alexander, Athanasius, Theophilus, Cyril, and ...
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The patriarchs of Alexandria would cast long shadows over the history of Egyptian monasticism. This chapter focuses on the five most influential: Alexander, Athanasius, Theophilus, Cyril, and Dioscorus. It surveys both their careers and their theological controversies, especially their doctrine-defining clashes at the ecumenical Councils of Nicaea, Ephesus, and Chalcedon. This chapter provides critical historical and theological background, since the politics and theologies of the bishops of Alexandria figure prominently in early monastic literature, and their international prominence would help draw the world’s attention to Egypt and its monks.Less
The patriarchs of Alexandria would cast long shadows over the history of Egyptian monasticism. This chapter focuses on the five most influential: Alexander, Athanasius, Theophilus, Cyril, and Dioscorus. It surveys both their careers and their theological controversies, especially their doctrine-defining clashes at the ecumenical Councils of Nicaea, Ephesus, and Chalcedon. This chapter provides critical historical and theological background, since the politics and theologies of the bishops of Alexandria figure prominently in early monastic literature, and their international prominence would help draw the world’s attention to Egypt and its monks.
Benjamin J. King
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199548132
- eISBN:
- 9780191720383
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199548132.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
John Henry (later Cardinal) Newman is widely known to have been devoted to reading the Church Fathers. By exploring which Fathers interested Newman most and when, using both published and archive ...
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John Henry (later Cardinal) Newman is widely known to have been devoted to reading the Church Fathers. By exploring which Fathers interested Newman most and when, using both published and archive material, this book demonstrates the influence of the various Alexandrian theologians in different periods of Newman's life. In each of these periods, the book draws a causal connection between the patristic theology Newman was reading and his own developing theology, revealing how key events in these periods changed the theologian's interpretation of the Fathers. The book argues that ultimately Newman tailored his reading of the Church Fathers to fit his own needs. Seemingly ‘trying on’ the ideas of different Fathers in turn, Newman began with those who predated the Council of Nicaea in the late 1820s, moving on to the post-Nicenes during his research into Christological controversies in the mid-1830s, and finding Athanasius the best fit in the 1840s. By the 1870s, his reading of Athanasius was tailored to Catholic tastes and, measuring Origen up with the interpretations made by Aquinas, Newman found him a better fit than he had in the 1840s. A careful comparison of Newman's translations of Athanasius from 1842–44 and 1881, not previously undertaken, demonstrates that in 1881 it is not so much Aquinas as the neo-Thomism of the teachers of Leo XIII whom he read back into Athanasius.Less
John Henry (later Cardinal) Newman is widely known to have been devoted to reading the Church Fathers. By exploring which Fathers interested Newman most and when, using both published and archive material, this book demonstrates the influence of the various Alexandrian theologians in different periods of Newman's life. In each of these periods, the book draws a causal connection between the patristic theology Newman was reading and his own developing theology, revealing how key events in these periods changed the theologian's interpretation of the Fathers. The book argues that ultimately Newman tailored his reading of the Church Fathers to fit his own needs. Seemingly ‘trying on’ the ideas of different Fathers in turn, Newman began with those who predated the Council of Nicaea in the late 1820s, moving on to the post-Nicenes during his research into Christological controversies in the mid-1830s, and finding Athanasius the best fit in the 1840s. By the 1870s, his reading of Athanasius was tailored to Catholic tastes and, measuring Origen up with the interpretations made by Aquinas, Newman found him a better fit than he had in the 1840s. A careful comparison of Newman's translations of Athanasius from 1842–44 and 1881, not previously undertaken, demonstrates that in 1881 it is not so much Aquinas as the neo-Thomism of the teachers of Leo XIII whom he read back into Athanasius.
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.
Susan Wessel
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199268467
- eISBN:
- 9780191699276
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199268467.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter examines the proceedings at Ephesus I, including the problems of ecclesiastical procedure raised by the council; its relationship to the Council of Nicaea; the role of the emperor in ...
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This chapter examines the proceedings at Ephesus I, including the problems of ecclesiastical procedure raised by the council; its relationship to the Council of Nicaea; the role of the emperor in conveying an ecumenical proceeding; and the problems of authority implicit in two opposing councils held by the parties competing at Ephesus I.Less
This chapter examines the proceedings at Ephesus I, including the problems of ecclesiastical procedure raised by the council; its relationship to the Council of Nicaea; the role of the emperor in conveying an ecumenical proceeding; and the problems of authority implicit in two opposing councils held by the parties competing at Ephesus I.
Alden A. Mosshammer
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199543120
- eISBN:
- 9780191720062
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199543120.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity, Early Christian Studies
The Easter‐table of Dionysius Exiguus was the continuation of a 95‐year list he attributes to Cyril of Alexandria. He describes his work in two letters—one to Boniface and Bonus written in AD 525/6 ...
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The Easter‐table of Dionysius Exiguus was the continuation of a 95‐year list he attributes to Cyril of Alexandria. He describes his work in two letters—one to Boniface and Bonus written in AD 525/6 in response to a question, the other written in 524/5 addressed to Petronius, at whose behest Dionysius undertook his work. The letter to Petronius serves as an introduction to the 95‐year Easter‐table. Dionysius explains and defends the mathematical accuracy of the Alexandrian 19‐year cycle as arising not from human inventiveness, but from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He claims that the Council of Nicaea explicitly authorized the 19‐ year cycle and promulgated rules for it use that the patriarchs of Alexandria from Athanasius to Cyril careffihly guarded.Less
The Easter‐table of Dionysius Exiguus was the continuation of a 95‐year list he attributes to Cyril of Alexandria. He describes his work in two letters—one to Boniface and Bonus written in AD 525/6 in response to a question, the other written in 524/5 addressed to Petronius, at whose behest Dionysius undertook his work. The letter to Petronius serves as an introduction to the 95‐year Easter‐table. Dionysius explains and defends the mathematical accuracy of the Alexandrian 19‐year cycle as arising not from human inventiveness, but from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He claims that the Council of Nicaea explicitly authorized the 19‐ year cycle and promulgated rules for it use that the patriarchs of Alexandria from Athanasius to Cyril careffihly guarded.
Andrew Louth
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199291403
- eISBN:
- 9780191710674
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199291403.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
The Council of Nicaea, held in 325, marks a watershed in the history of Christian theology. The precise nature of the difference between the Orthodox and the Arians, between Alexander and Athanasius, ...
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The Council of Nicaea, held in 325, marks a watershed in the history of Christian theology. The precise nature of the difference between the Orthodox and the Arians, between Alexander and Athanasius, on the one hand, and Arius, on the other, has been the subject of much scholarly debate. The point of difference is clear: for the Orthodox the Word or the Son was of one substance (homoousios) with the Father, for the Arians he was a creature, albeit a very exalted one.Less
The Council of Nicaea, held in 325, marks a watershed in the history of Christian theology. The precise nature of the difference between the Orthodox and the Arians, between Alexander and Athanasius, on the one hand, and Arius, on the other, has been the subject of much scholarly debate. The point of difference is clear: for the Orthodox the Word or the Son was of one substance (homoousios) with the Father, for the Arians he was a creature, albeit a very exalted one.
Mark S. Smith
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- December 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198835271
- eISBN:
- 9780191872938
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198835271.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter sets the scene for the various appeals to Nicaea during the Nestorian controversy, by analysing the nature of Nicaea’s earlier reception. It begins by examining the Council of Nicaea ...
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This chapter sets the scene for the various appeals to Nicaea during the Nestorian controversy, by analysing the nature of Nicaea’s earlier reception. It begins by examining the Council of Nicaea itself, and the terminology of the Creed. It then explains how attempts to replace Nicaea with superior councils and creeds during the 340s and 350s were gradually eclipsed by the widespread acceptance of the Athanasian polemic of Nicaea’s unique authority and sole sufficiency. Athanasius’ spirited ‘re-reception’ of Nicaea, however, itself necessitated an uneasy reshaping of the Nicene past, and served to raise more sharply the dilemma of how the Nicene Creed’s status could be preserved amidst the increasing inadequacy of its text to speak into new doctrinal controversies. This analysis is extended into the early fifth century, and identifies a growing tension between the rhetorical focus on Nicaea’s textual sufficiency and the more fluid use of Nicene credal statements ‘on the ground’.Less
This chapter sets the scene for the various appeals to Nicaea during the Nestorian controversy, by analysing the nature of Nicaea’s earlier reception. It begins by examining the Council of Nicaea itself, and the terminology of the Creed. It then explains how attempts to replace Nicaea with superior councils and creeds during the 340s and 350s were gradually eclipsed by the widespread acceptance of the Athanasian polemic of Nicaea’s unique authority and sole sufficiency. Athanasius’ spirited ‘re-reception’ of Nicaea, however, itself necessitated an uneasy reshaping of the Nicene past, and served to raise more sharply the dilemma of how the Nicene Creed’s status could be preserved amidst the increasing inadequacy of its text to speak into new doctrinal controversies. This analysis is extended into the early fifth century, and identifies a growing tension between the rhetorical focus on Nicaea’s textual sufficiency and the more fluid use of Nicene credal statements ‘on the ground’.
Carlos R. Galvão-Sobrinho
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780520257399
- eISBN:
- 9780520954663
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520257399.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, History of Religion
Chapter 6 deals with the impact on the controversy of Constantine's intervention and the “criminalization” of doctrinal dissent following the proclamation of Nicene orthodoxy. Thereafter, theological ...
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Chapter 6 deals with the impact on the controversy of Constantine's intervention and the “criminalization” of doctrinal dissent following the proclamation of Nicene orthodoxy. Thereafter, theological positions became politically charged and dissent from orthodoxy, however that was defined, posed even more serious threats to prelates' claims to leadership.Less
Chapter 6 deals with the impact on the controversy of Constantine's intervention and the “criminalization” of doctrinal dissent following the proclamation of Nicene orthodoxy. Thereafter, theological positions became politically charged and dissent from orthodoxy, however that was defined, posed even more serious threats to prelates' claims to leadership.
Mark S. Smith
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- December 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198835271
- eISBN:
- 9780191872938
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198835271.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter begins by arguing that the debate between Nestorius and Cyril (428–31) was characterized by a deep concern for the authentic interpretation of the Nicene Creed. As the controversy grew, ...
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This chapter begins by arguing that the debate between Nestorius and Cyril (428–31) was characterized by a deep concern for the authentic interpretation of the Nicene Creed. As the controversy grew, it dramatically brought to the surface profound tensions in the inherited assumptions concerning the Nicene faith. This central Nicene theme is then traced through the complex conciliar events of 431. The two rival councils of Ephesus each developed mirroring strategies for defending their particular construal of the Nicene faith, and for portraying their opponents as heretical violators of its tenets. Particular emphasis is put on the way that both sides sought to employ carefully shaped conciliar documentation to advance their respective positions. This opened up new and fruitful discursive possibilities, especially in the attempts to show continuity between the events of 325 and 431.Less
This chapter begins by arguing that the debate between Nestorius and Cyril (428–31) was characterized by a deep concern for the authentic interpretation of the Nicene Creed. As the controversy grew, it dramatically brought to the surface profound tensions in the inherited assumptions concerning the Nicene faith. This central Nicene theme is then traced through the complex conciliar events of 431. The two rival councils of Ephesus each developed mirroring strategies for defending their particular construal of the Nicene faith, and for portraying their opponents as heretical violators of its tenets. Particular emphasis is put on the way that both sides sought to employ carefully shaped conciliar documentation to advance their respective positions. This opened up new and fruitful discursive possibilities, especially in the attempts to show continuity between the events of 325 and 431.
Mark S. Smith
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- December 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198835271
- eISBN:
- 9780191872938
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198835271.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
The emperor Marcian sought at Chalcedon to solve the problem of Nicaea’s reception once and for all, by presenting his oecumenical council as not only the repetition, but also the completion, of ...
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The emperor Marcian sought at Chalcedon to solve the problem of Nicaea’s reception once and for all, by presenting his oecumenical council as not only the repetition, but also the completion, of Nicaea’s work—seen especially in his desire for the council to promulgate a new statement of faith. The chapter begins with several case studies from the Chalcedonian acta, which demonstrate how problematic the flexibility of ‘Nicaea’ as a cypher of orthodoxy had become by 451. The chapter then explores Marcian’s attempt to make his case for a new ‘Definition’ of the faith to the bishops at Chalcedon. For instance, by re-narrating the Nicene past to include the contribution of Constantinople 381, Marcian provided a precedent for further credal statements, and so blunted the force of ‘Canon 7’ (according to its construal at Ephesus II). The Chalcedonian acta, however, suggest that Marcian met with substantial episcopal opposition in his endeavour, precisely because he was seen as violating Nicaea’s unique status. The chapter then considers the Definition itself, and its earliest reception.Less
The emperor Marcian sought at Chalcedon to solve the problem of Nicaea’s reception once and for all, by presenting his oecumenical council as not only the repetition, but also the completion, of Nicaea’s work—seen especially in his desire for the council to promulgate a new statement of faith. The chapter begins with several case studies from the Chalcedonian acta, which demonstrate how problematic the flexibility of ‘Nicaea’ as a cypher of orthodoxy had become by 451. The chapter then explores Marcian’s attempt to make his case for a new ‘Definition’ of the faith to the bishops at Chalcedon. For instance, by re-narrating the Nicene past to include the contribution of Constantinople 381, Marcian provided a precedent for further credal statements, and so blunted the force of ‘Canon 7’ (according to its construal at Ephesus II). The Chalcedonian acta, however, suggest that Marcian met with substantial episcopal opposition in his endeavour, precisely because he was seen as violating Nicaea’s unique status. The chapter then considers the Definition itself, and its earliest reception.
Hamilton Hess
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780198269755
- eISBN:
- 9780191601163
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198269757.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
Addresses three textual problems: the transmission of the Latin text of the Serdican canons, the early history of the Greek text and its differences from the Latin, and the derivation of a third ...
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Addresses three textual problems: the transmission of the Latin text of the Serdican canons, the early history of the Greek text and its differences from the Latin, and the derivation of a third textual version of the canons known as the version of Theodosius Diaconus. All evidence points towards the probability that the Latin text of the canons arrived in Rome shortly after the Serdican council and that they were soon mistakenly identified as acts of the Council of Nicaea. It seems likely that the Greek text was first taken to Thessalonica and remained unknown elsewhere for over half a century. It is demonstrated in this chapter that by the use of the textual analyses in the chapters to follow the several instances of different meanings between the Greek and Latin texts in parallel passages were probably caused by later scribal or editorial changes, some accidental and others purposeful, in both the Greek and the Latin. The version of Theodosius Diaconus is an early Latin translation from the Greek text, which provides valuable evidence for the relationship between the Greek and the Latin.Less
Addresses three textual problems: the transmission of the Latin text of the Serdican canons, the early history of the Greek text and its differences from the Latin, and the derivation of a third textual version of the canons known as the version of Theodosius Diaconus. All evidence points towards the probability that the Latin text of the canons arrived in Rome shortly after the Serdican council and that they were soon mistakenly identified as acts of the Council of Nicaea. It seems likely that the Greek text was first taken to Thessalonica and remained unknown elsewhere for over half a century. It is demonstrated in this chapter that by the use of the textual analyses in the chapters to follow the several instances of different meanings between the Greek and Latin texts in parallel passages were probably caused by later scribal or editorial changes, some accidental and others purposeful, in both the Greek and the Latin. The version of Theodosius Diaconus is an early Latin translation from the Greek text, which provides valuable evidence for the relationship between the Greek and the Latin.
Alden A. Mosshammer
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199543120
- eISBN:
- 9780191720062
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199543120.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity, Early Christian Studies
Jesus was crucified at the time of the Passover. Passover is observed on the 14th day of the first month, when the springtime crop is ripe. In a lunar calendar, the 14th day of the month is a full ...
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Jesus was crucified at the time of the Passover. Passover is observed on the 14th day of the first month, when the springtime crop is ripe. In a lunar calendar, the 14th day of the month is a full moon. Some communities commemorated the Passion on the 14th day of the moon, regardless of the calendar date (Quartodecimans). Others observed Easter on a Sunday at the approximate time of the full moon. The Council of Nicaea (AD 325) endorsed the latter practice and provided that all should defer to the churches at Rome and Alexandria for the determination of the date. Those churches had adopted a cycle for coordinating the phases of the moon with the vernal equinox. The earliest such cycle equated eight Julian years with 99 lunar months. What ultimately became the standard cycle equated 19 Julian years with 235 lunar months.Less
Jesus was crucified at the time of the Passover. Passover is observed on the 14th day of the first month, when the springtime crop is ripe. In a lunar calendar, the 14th day of the month is a full moon. Some communities commemorated the Passion on the 14th day of the moon, regardless of the calendar date (Quartodecimans). Others observed Easter on a Sunday at the approximate time of the full moon. The Council of Nicaea (AD 325) endorsed the latter practice and provided that all should defer to the churches at Rome and Alexandria for the determination of the date. Those churches had adopted a cycle for coordinating the phases of the moon with the vernal equinox. The earliest such cycle equated eight Julian years with 99 lunar months. What ultimately became the standard cycle equated 19 Julian years with 235 lunar months.
Henry Chadwick
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199264575
- eISBN:
- 9780191698958
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199264575.003.0014
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History, Early Christian Studies
This chapter discusses the rising Frankish power and while becoming the principal political and military defense of the papacy's rights and property, the Franks were not sympathetic to the iconoclasm ...
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This chapter discusses the rising Frankish power and while becoming the principal political and military defense of the papacy's rights and property, the Franks were not sympathetic to the iconoclasm of Hiereia, neither were they in any serious rapport with the iconophiles. This chapter also discusses the debate about the propriety of venerating icons, the second Council of Nicaea being acknowledged to have the rank of an ‘ecumenical council’, iconoclast criticisms, and campaign against the authority of Nicaea II.Less
This chapter discusses the rising Frankish power and while becoming the principal political and military defense of the papacy's rights and property, the Franks were not sympathetic to the iconoclasm of Hiereia, neither were they in any serious rapport with the iconophiles. This chapter also discusses the debate about the propriety of venerating icons, the second Council of Nicaea being acknowledged to have the rank of an ‘ecumenical council’, iconoclast criticisms, and campaign against the authority of Nicaea II.
Henry Chadwick
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199246953
- eISBN:
- 9780191600463
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199246955.003.0029
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
The new situation created by the rise to sole power of a Christian emperor was seen by many Christians as fulfilment of the prophecy that God's word would spread throughout the civilized world but ...
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The new situation created by the rise to sole power of a Christian emperor was seen by many Christians as fulfilment of the prophecy that God's word would spread throughout the civilized world but raised new questions about the unity of the Church. The Divine Institutes by Lactantius was directed against pagan philosophers and stressed the need for education about Christianity to put an end to persecution, while Eusebius of Caesarea wrote a panegyric of Constantine and about the superiority of biblical religion over paganism. However, the ‘subordinationist’ theology of Arius raised the fundamental problem of the Christian doctrine of God and was viewed by Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, as a heresy for which toleration was not possible. The Council of Nicaea in 325, the largest assembly of bishops yet gathered, produced the Nicene Creed, the effects of which divided the eastern Church. It would now be taken as axiomatic that dissenters were to be excluded from the Church, without any minority rights.Less
The new situation created by the rise to sole power of a Christian emperor was seen by many Christians as fulfilment of the prophecy that God's word would spread throughout the civilized world but raised new questions about the unity of the Church. The Divine Institutes by Lactantius was directed against pagan philosophers and stressed the need for education about Christianity to put an end to persecution, while Eusebius of Caesarea wrote a panegyric of Constantine and about the superiority of biblical religion over paganism. However, the ‘subordinationist’ theology of Arius raised the fundamental problem of the Christian doctrine of God and was viewed by Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, as a heresy for which toleration was not possible. The Council of Nicaea in 325, the largest assembly of bishops yet gathered, produced the Nicene Creed, the effects of which divided the eastern Church. It would now be taken as axiomatic that dissenters were to be excluded from the Church, without any minority rights.
Ronald Hutton
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198205708
- eISBN:
- 9780191676758
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198205708.003.0017
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History, British and Irish Early Modern History
This chapter discusses the origins of Easter. As the execution and resurrection of its founder were the principal events upon which Christianity has based its claims in Messianism, it was inevitable ...
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This chapter discusses the origins of Easter. As the execution and resurrection of its founder were the principal events upon which Christianity has based its claims in Messianism, it was inevitable that the annual commemoration of them would be the principal festival of the Christian year. ‘Pesach’, the proper Hebrew name for that festival, forms the basis for most of the terms for the Christian Feast of the Resurrection used across Europe. The Council of Nicaea agreed upon a means of reckoning its date, compromising between the churches in Asia's custom of calculating it according to the phases of the moon, and the practice of the Church in Rome, of fixing it upon a particular Sunday in the calendar. Not until the eighth century were all these in the British Isles agreed upon the rule that was becoming standard in Western Europe, of the first Sunday after the moon had achieved its fullness.Less
This chapter discusses the origins of Easter. As the execution and resurrection of its founder were the principal events upon which Christianity has based its claims in Messianism, it was inevitable that the annual commemoration of them would be the principal festival of the Christian year. ‘Pesach’, the proper Hebrew name for that festival, forms the basis for most of the terms for the Christian Feast of the Resurrection used across Europe. The Council of Nicaea agreed upon a means of reckoning its date, compromising between the churches in Asia's custom of calculating it according to the phases of the moon, and the practice of the Church in Rome, of fixing it upon a particular Sunday in the calendar. Not until the eighth century were all these in the British Isles agreed upon the rule that was becoming standard in Western Europe, of the first Sunday after the moon had achieved its fullness.
Lincoln H. Blumell
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- June 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199348138
- eISBN:
- 9780199376735
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199348138.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter contextualizes the production of the Nicene Creed by examining the primary documentary sources of the Council of Nicaea. LDS members have often cited the Nicene Creed as evidence of ...
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This chapter contextualizes the production of the Nicene Creed by examining the primary documentary sources of the Council of Nicaea. LDS members have often cited the Nicene Creed as evidence of ecclesial and doctrinal apostasy, but this chapter demonstrates that the bishops at the Council of Nicaea shared many theological concerns with Latter-day Saints, though they reached some different conclusions about the nature of Christ. It suggests that Latter-day Saints would profit from seeking to understand the development of Christian practices and doctrines within their theological, cultural, and political background before assessing points of accurate agreement or disagreement.Less
This chapter contextualizes the production of the Nicene Creed by examining the primary documentary sources of the Council of Nicaea. LDS members have often cited the Nicene Creed as evidence of ecclesial and doctrinal apostasy, but this chapter demonstrates that the bishops at the Council of Nicaea shared many theological concerns with Latter-day Saints, though they reached some different conclusions about the nature of Christ. It suggests that Latter-day Saints would profit from seeking to understand the development of Christian practices and doctrines within their theological, cultural, and political background before assessing points of accurate agreement or disagreement.
Henry Chadwick
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199264575
- eISBN:
- 9780191698958
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199264575.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History, Early Christian Studies
After the churches of the West became Latin-speaking, difficulties about establishing terms equivalent terms such as Trinitas or ‘three persons in one substance’ began. The doctrine that Father, Son, ...
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After the churches of the West became Latin-speaking, difficulties about establishing terms equivalent terms such as Trinitas or ‘three persons in one substance’ began. The doctrine that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are different adjectives for describing aspects of one God. This chapter discusses the disagreements about the Trinity, the First Council of Nicaea and the Nicene creed, the Arian controversy, the Nicene and Serdican canons and Pope Damasus, who reaffirmed the authorization of the Nicene creed.Less
After the churches of the West became Latin-speaking, difficulties about establishing terms equivalent terms such as Trinitas or ‘three persons in one substance’ began. The doctrine that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are different adjectives for describing aspects of one God. This chapter discusses the disagreements about the Trinity, the First Council of Nicaea and the Nicene creed, the Arian controversy, the Nicene and Serdican canons and Pope Damasus, who reaffirmed the authorization of the Nicene creed.