Paul B. Clayton, Jr.
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198143987
- eISBN:
- 9780191711497
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198143987.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
Theodoret of Cyrus (c.393-466) was the most able Antiochene theologian in the defence of Nestorius from the Council of Ephesus in 431 to the Council of Chalcedon in 451. While the works of Theodore ...
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Theodoret of Cyrus (c.393-466) was the most able Antiochene theologian in the defence of Nestorius from the Council of Ephesus in 431 to the Council of Chalcedon in 451. While the works of Theodore of Mopsuestia and Nestorius are extant today only in translations or in fragments, Theodoret's voluminous works are largely available in their original Greek. This study of his writings throws light on the theology of those councils and the final evolution and content of Antiochene Christology. This book demonstrates that Antiochene Christology was rooted in the concern to maintain the impassibility of God the Word and is consequently a two-subject Christology. Its fundamental philosophical assumptions about the natures of God and humanity compelled the Antiochenes to assert that there are two subjects in the Incarnation: the Word himself and a distinct human personality. This Christology is not the hypostatic union of the Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon.Less
Theodoret of Cyrus (c.393-466) was the most able Antiochene theologian in the defence of Nestorius from the Council of Ephesus in 431 to the Council of Chalcedon in 451. While the works of Theodore of Mopsuestia and Nestorius are extant today only in translations or in fragments, Theodoret's voluminous works are largely available in their original Greek. This study of his writings throws light on the theology of those councils and the final evolution and content of Antiochene Christology. This book demonstrates that Antiochene Christology was rooted in the concern to maintain the impassibility of God the Word and is consequently a two-subject Christology. Its fundamental philosophical assumptions about the natures of God and humanity compelled the Antiochenes to assert that there are two subjects in the Incarnation: the Word himself and a distinct human personality. This Christology is not the hypostatic union of the Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon.
Bernard Green
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199534951
- eISBN:
- 9780191715990
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199534951.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
Leo's decision to write letters offering theological teaching was a new departure for the papacy. The Tome was his most ambitious theological project; arguments against his authorship are weak. It is ...
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Leo's decision to write letters offering theological teaching was a new departure for the papacy. The Tome was his most ambitious theological project; arguments against his authorship are weak. It is uncharacteristic of the main emphases of his theological development in previous years, where he had sought to coordinate rather than distinguish the two natures of Christ. It can best be understood as a response to what he thought to be the opposite errors of Eutyches and Nestorius. He revised his understanding of Nestorius when he was accused of Nestorianism in the aftermath of Chalcedon, and produced a more characteristic and satisfactory Christological statement in the Letter to the Palestininan monks.Less
Leo's decision to write letters offering theological teaching was a new departure for the papacy. The Tome was his most ambitious theological project; arguments against his authorship are weak. It is uncharacteristic of the main emphases of his theological development in previous years, where he had sought to coordinate rather than distinguish the two natures of Christ. It can best be understood as a response to what he thought to be the opposite errors of Eutyches and Nestorius. He revised his understanding of Nestorius when he was accused of Nestorianism in the aftermath of Chalcedon, and produced a more characteristic and satisfactory Christological statement in the Letter to the Palestininan monks.
Donald Fairbairn
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199256143
- eISBN:
- 9780191600586
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199256144.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This book addresses the question of whether the fifth‐century pronouncements about Christ's person were reflective of a genuine theological consensus in the early Church, or whether they were merely ...
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This book addresses the question of whether the fifth‐century pronouncements about Christ's person were reflective of a genuine theological consensus in the early Church, or whether they were merely the result of political pressure or compromise between opposing christological ‘schools.’ The book seeks to use the concept of grace to clarify the question of christology. The study finds that for Theodore of Mopsuestia and Nestorius, grace is God's gift of co‐operation to Christians as we seek to advance from the current age to a perfect future age, and Christ is the supreme example of this co‐operative grace. In contrast, Cyril of Alexandria views grace primarily as God's gift of himself to Christians by sharing with us the communion he has within himself, between the persons of the Trinity. This view of grace leads Cyril to argue that Christ must be the Son of God by nature in order to give grace to us. Furthermore, this study finds that Cassian holds to a view of grace very similar to that of Cyril. In the light of this connection between grace and christology, the book argues that the central issue of the christological controversy was whether God the Logos was himself personally present on earth through the incarnation. The study concludes by treating several other important writers from the christological controversy, and by suggesting that Cyril's understanding of grace and christology was not merely his own, but was in fact the consensus of the early Church.Less
This book addresses the question of whether the fifth‐century pronouncements about Christ's person were reflective of a genuine theological consensus in the early Church, or whether they were merely the result of political pressure or compromise between opposing christological ‘schools.’ The book seeks to use the concept of grace to clarify the question of christology. The study finds that for Theodore of Mopsuestia and Nestorius, grace is God's gift of co‐operation to Christians as we seek to advance from the current age to a perfect future age, and Christ is the supreme example of this co‐operative grace. In contrast, Cyril of Alexandria views grace primarily as God's gift of himself to Christians by sharing with us the communion he has within himself, between the persons of the Trinity. This view of grace leads Cyril to argue that Christ must be the Son of God by nature in order to give grace to us. Furthermore, this study finds that Cassian holds to a view of grace very similar to that of Cyril. In the light of this connection between grace and christology, the book argues that the central issue of the christological controversy was whether God the Logos was himself personally present on earth through the incarnation. The study concludes by treating several other important writers from the christological controversy, and by suggesting that Cyril's understanding of grace and christology was not merely his own, but was in fact the consensus of the early Church.
Paul L. Gavrilyuk
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- November 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199269822
- eISBN:
- 9780191601569
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199269823.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
Major reconsideration of the notion of divine impassibility in patristic thought. It is commonly claimed that patristic theology fell prey to the assumption of Hellenistic philosophy about the ...
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Major reconsideration of the notion of divine impassibility in patristic thought. It is commonly claimed that patristic theology fell prey to the assumption of Hellenistic philosophy about the impassibility of God and departed from the allegedly biblical view, according to which God is passible. The author argues that this standard view misrepresents the tradition. For the fathers, the attribute of divine impassibility functioned in a restricted sense as an apophatic qualifier of divine emotions. Gavrilyuk construes the development of patristic thought as a series of dialectical turning points taken to safeguard the paradox of God’s voluntary and salvific suffering in the incarnation.Less
Major reconsideration of the notion of divine impassibility in patristic thought. It is commonly claimed that patristic theology fell prey to the assumption of Hellenistic philosophy about the impassibility of God and departed from the allegedly biblical view, according to which God is passible. The author argues that this standard view misrepresents the tradition. For the fathers, the attribute of divine impassibility functioned in a restricted sense as an apophatic qualifier of divine emotions. Gavrilyuk construes the development of patristic thought as a series of dialectical turning points taken to safeguard the paradox of God’s voluntary and salvific suffering in the incarnation.
Donald Fairbairn
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199256143
- eISBN:
- 9780191600586
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199256144.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter finds that Theodore of Mopsuestia and Nestorius understand salvation as the human ascent from the current imperfect age to a perfect future age (the second katastasis), and grace is ...
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This chapter finds that Theodore of Mopsuestia and Nestorius understand salvation as the human ascent from the current imperfect age to a perfect future age (the second katastasis), and grace is God's gift of indwelling, aid, and co‐operation in that ascent. Christ is the supreme example of this co‐operative grace and is divine in the sense that he is indwelt by God the Son in a unique way. As this uniquely graced man, Christ is the one who blazes the trail for Christians, who then follow him in the ascent to the future age.Less
This chapter finds that Theodore of Mopsuestia and Nestorius understand salvation as the human ascent from the current imperfect age to a perfect future age (the second katastasis), and grace is God's gift of indwelling, aid, and co‐operation in that ascent. Christ is the supreme example of this co‐operative grace and is divine in the sense that he is indwelt by God the Son in a unique way. As this uniquely graced man, Christ is the one who blazes the trail for Christians, who then follow him in the ascent to the future age.
Paul L. Gavrilyuk
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- November 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199269822
- eISBN:
- 9780191601569
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199269823.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
Having briefly surveyed various inadequate approaches to the Nestorian controversy, the author shows that the protection of the unqualified divine impassibility from being compromised by any ...
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Having briefly surveyed various inadequate approaches to the Nestorian controversy, the author shows that the protection of the unqualified divine impassibility from being compromised by any involvement in suffering was at the heart of Theodore’s and Nestorius’ christology. Nestorians charged Cyril with being an advocate of theopatheia. In response, Cyril developed a doctrine of God’s appropriation of human suffering and insisted upon the divine self-emptying in the incarnation.Less
Having briefly surveyed various inadequate approaches to the Nestorian controversy, the author shows that the protection of the unqualified divine impassibility from being compromised by any involvement in suffering was at the heart of Theodore’s and Nestorius’ christology. Nestorians charged Cyril with being an advocate of theopatheia. In response, Cyril developed a doctrine of God’s appropriation of human suffering and insisted upon the divine self-emptying in the incarnation.
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/9780199268467.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter examines several homilies that Nestorius delivered during his controversy with Cyril, in the light of Nestorius' biblical interpretative method and his early rhetorical training in the ...
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This chapter examines several homilies that Nestorius delivered during his controversy with Cyril, in the light of Nestorius' biblical interpretative method and his early rhetorical training in the city of Antioch. His homilies presented his christological views by carefully explicating the biblical text. Though his style differed from that of Cyril, his homilies displayed his rhetorical skill, which was more learned and studied than the homespun rhetoric of his adversary. Like his Antiochene counterparts, Nestorius believed that homilectic discourse, supported by good exegetical method, could resolve all the difficult doctrinal questions facing the churches.Less
This chapter examines several homilies that Nestorius delivered during his controversy with Cyril, in the light of Nestorius' biblical interpretative method and his early rhetorical training in the city of Antioch. His homilies presented his christological views by carefully explicating the biblical text. Though his style differed from that of Cyril, his homilies displayed his rhetorical skill, which was more learned and studied than the homespun rhetoric of his adversary. Like his Antiochene counterparts, Nestorius believed that homilectic discourse, supported by good exegetical method, could resolve all the difficult doctrinal questions facing the churches.
Daniel A. Keating
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199267132
- eISBN:
- 9780191602092
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199267138.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
Places Cyril in historical context, and outlines the theme of the appropriation of divine life in Cyril’s narrative of salvation. Through this narrative of divine life, Cyril links the ...
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Places Cyril in historical context, and outlines the theme of the appropriation of divine life in Cyril’s narrative of salvation. Through this narrative of divine life, Cyril links the inter-trinitarian life of God to the human reception of that life through the Incarnate Word and the Spirit. A concise account of Cyril as biblical exegete is offered, and the overall aims of the study are enumerated.Less
Places Cyril in historical context, and outlines the theme of the appropriation of divine life in Cyril’s narrative of salvation. Through this narrative of divine life, Cyril links the inter-trinitarian life of God to the human reception of that life through the Incarnate Word and the Spirit. A concise account of Cyril as biblical exegete is offered, and the overall aims of the study are enumerated.
Henry Chadwick
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199246953
- eISBN:
- 9780191600463
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199246955.003.0052
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
Discusses the debate about the nature of Christ and its repercussions from its origins to the Council of Ephesus in 431. Divisions on the question were by no means clear‐cut in their relation to ...
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Discusses the debate about the nature of Christ and its repercussions from its origins to the Council of Ephesus in 431. Divisions on the question were by no means clear‐cut in their relation to Nicene orthodoxy. The major division became defined around the figures of Nestorius of Constantinople and Cyril of Alexandria. At the Council of Ephesus, Cyril's ‘Twelve Anathemas’ condemned Nestorius and in the long run they were to gain the backing of Rome.Less
Discusses the debate about the nature of Christ and its repercussions from its origins to the Council of Ephesus in 431. Divisions on the question were by no means clear‐cut in their relation to Nicene orthodoxy. The major division became defined around the figures of Nestorius of Constantinople and Cyril of Alexandria. At the Council of Ephesus, Cyril's ‘Twelve Anathemas’ condemned Nestorius and in the long run they were to gain the backing of Rome.
Henry Chadwick
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199246953
- eISBN:
- 9780191600463
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199246955.003.0053
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
Continues the history of the Christological debate from the Formulary of Reunion in 433 to the break down of unity and deposition of Flavian, bishop of Constantinople in 449. The western emperor ...
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Continues the history of the Christological debate from the Formulary of Reunion in 433 to the break down of unity and deposition of Flavian, bishop of Constantinople in 449. The western emperor Valentinian III and his powerful and fervently anti‐Nestorian elder sister Pulcheria worked for union, but met opposition in the east. Cyril of Alexandria remained a dominant figure until 444, but the churches in the major eastern sees were still divided, with conflicts often degenerating into disorder. The occasion for the break down was provided by the views of the archimandrite Eutyches, whose ideas on the one nature of Christ were in some respects outside the Formulary of Reunion.Less
Continues the history of the Christological debate from the Formulary of Reunion in 433 to the break down of unity and deposition of Flavian, bishop of Constantinople in 449. The western emperor Valentinian III and his powerful and fervently anti‐Nestorian elder sister Pulcheria worked for union, but met opposition in the east. Cyril of Alexandria remained a dominant figure until 444, but the churches in the major eastern sees were still divided, with conflicts often degenerating into disorder. The occasion for the break down was provided by the views of the archimandrite Eutyches, whose ideas on the one nature of Christ were in some respects outside the Formulary of Reunion.
Susan Wessel
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199268467
- eISBN:
- 9780191699276
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199268467.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
What were the historical and cultural processes by which Cyril of Alexandria was elevated to canonical status while his opponent, Nestorius, Bishop of Constantinople, was made into a heretic? In ...
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What were the historical and cultural processes by which Cyril of Alexandria was elevated to canonical status while his opponent, Nestorius, Bishop of Constantinople, was made into a heretic? In contrast to previous scholarship, this book concludes that Cyril's success in being elevated to orthodox status was not simply a political accomplishment based on political alliances he had fashioned as opportunity arose. Nor was it a dogmatic victory, based on the clarity and orthodoxy of Cyril's doctrinal claims. Instead, it was his strategy in identifying himself with the orthodoxy of the former bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius, in his victory over Arianism, in borrowing Athanasius' interpretive methods, and in skillfully using the tropes and figures of the second sophistic that made Cyril a saint in the Greek and Coptic Orthodox Churches.Less
What were the historical and cultural processes by which Cyril of Alexandria was elevated to canonical status while his opponent, Nestorius, Bishop of Constantinople, was made into a heretic? In contrast to previous scholarship, this book concludes that Cyril's success in being elevated to orthodox status was not simply a political accomplishment based on political alliances he had fashioned as opportunity arose. Nor was it a dogmatic victory, based on the clarity and orthodoxy of Cyril's doctrinal claims. Instead, it was his strategy in identifying himself with the orthodoxy of the former bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius, in his victory over Arianism, in borrowing Athanasius' interpretive methods, and in skillfully using the tropes and figures of the second sophistic that made Cyril a saint in the Greek and Coptic Orthodox Churches.
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/9780199268467.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This study explains the paradox regarding Cyril and Nestorius in the Eastern church history by situating the Nestorian controversy within a broader historical and cultural context. It examines how ...
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This study explains the paradox regarding Cyril and Nestorius in the Eastern church history by situating the Nestorian controversy within a broader historical and cultural context. It examines how Cyril of Alexandria emerged as one of the most revered and influential church fathers of Byzantine history, his orthodox credentials intact, while Nestorius became one of the archetypal heretics of the Eastern church. It explores this question in relation to a broader literary context by examining the full range of literary genre, including letters, homilies, conciliar acts, exegetical and Christological treatises, and ecclesiastical narratives.Less
This study explains the paradox regarding Cyril and Nestorius in the Eastern church history by situating the Nestorian controversy within a broader historical and cultural context. It examines how Cyril of Alexandria emerged as one of the most revered and influential church fathers of Byzantine history, his orthodox credentials intact, while Nestorius became one of the archetypal heretics of the Eastern church. It explores this question in relation to a broader literary context by examining the full range of literary genre, including letters, homilies, conciliar acts, exegetical and Christological treatises, and ecclesiastical narratives.
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/9780199268467.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
After Chalcedon, Cyril's Twelve Chapters, which he had composed in opposition to Nestorius and which the Antiochenes had said were heretical, were finally reaffirmed at the Fifth Ecumenical Council ...
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After Chalcedon, Cyril's Twelve Chapters, which he had composed in opposition to Nestorius and which the Antiochenes had said were heretical, were finally reaffirmed at the Fifth Ecumenical Council that the emperor Justinian convened in 533. By the seventh century, Cyril was considered to be one of the greatest church fathers of Eastern Christianity, while Nestorius emerged as second only to Arius, the quintessential heretic of the Eastern church. Cyril's complete rhetorical victory implies that his success was not simply a political accomplishment based on the alliances he fashioned. Instead, it was his strategy in identifying himself with the orthodoxy of Athanasius in his victory over Arianism, and in skillfully using the tropes and figures of the second sophistic that elevated Cyril to orthodox status.Less
After Chalcedon, Cyril's Twelve Chapters, which he had composed in opposition to Nestorius and which the Antiochenes had said were heretical, were finally reaffirmed at the Fifth Ecumenical Council that the emperor Justinian convened in 533. By the seventh century, Cyril was considered to be one of the greatest church fathers of Eastern Christianity, while Nestorius emerged as second only to Arius, the quintessential heretic of the Eastern church. Cyril's complete rhetorical victory implies that his success was not simply a political accomplishment based on the alliances he fashioned. Instead, it was his strategy in identifying himself with the orthodoxy of Athanasius in his victory over Arianism, and in skillfully using the tropes and figures of the second sophistic that elevated Cyril to orthodox status.
ROGER P. H. GREEN
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199284573
- eISBN:
- 9780191713804
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199284573.003.0002
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Poetry and Poets: Classical, Early, and Medieval, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
Sedulius is a rather shadowy figure, though he himself describes a circle of Christian devotees, probably in Italy, to which he belongs. Almost exactly one hundred years later than Juvencus – this ...
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Sedulius is a rather shadowy figure, though he himself describes a circle of Christian devotees, probably in Italy, to which he belongs. Almost exactly one hundred years later than Juvencus – this chapter includes a brief survey of the significant developments in Christian poetry in that time – Sedulius differs notably from him, concentrating for the most part on the New Testament miracles, which he elaborates with powerful rhetoric. Each of his five books is examined in turn, with particular attention to the first, introductory book, in which his ingenious and obviously admiring uses of Vergil are prominent. Sedulius's strong theological position centres on his attacks on the controversial Nestorius, but it is also clear throughout the work, that he too engages thoughtfully with the diction and artistry of Vergil (though not, it is argued, with his hero Aeneas).Less
Sedulius is a rather shadowy figure, though he himself describes a circle of Christian devotees, probably in Italy, to which he belongs. Almost exactly one hundred years later than Juvencus – this chapter includes a brief survey of the significant developments in Christian poetry in that time – Sedulius differs notably from him, concentrating for the most part on the New Testament miracles, which he elaborates with powerful rhetoric. Each of his five books is examined in turn, with particular attention to the first, introductory book, in which his ingenious and obviously admiring uses of Vergil are prominent. Sedulius's strong theological position centres on his attacks on the controversial Nestorius, but it is also clear throughout the work, that he too engages thoughtfully with the diction and artistry of Vergil (though not, it is argued, with his hero Aeneas).
Adam M. Schor
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520268623
- eISBN:
- 9780520948617
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520268623.003.0005
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter addresses the social roots and effects of doctrinal conflict during the Nestorian controversy. It examines the dispute over Nestorius from the perspective of the Antiochene network that ...
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This chapter addresses the social roots and effects of doctrinal conflict during the Nestorian controversy. It examines the dispute over Nestorius from the perspective of the Antiochene network that supported and then abandoned him and describes the social actions of Antiochene clerics as they fractured and reassembled their network. It suggests that Theodoret of Cyrrhus' successful mediation in this controversy can be credited to a well-timed rationale for reforming his community.Less
This chapter addresses the social roots and effects of doctrinal conflict during the Nestorian controversy. It examines the dispute over Nestorius from the perspective of the Antiochene network that supported and then abandoned him and describes the social actions of Antiochene clerics as they fractured and reassembled their network. It suggests that Theodoret of Cyrrhus' successful mediation in this controversy can be credited to a well-timed rationale for reforming his community.
Fergus Millar
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520247031
- eISBN:
- 9780520941410
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520247031.003.0005
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
The Imperial “laws” or letters concerning Nestorius and Irenaeus, addressed to major Prefects and the edicts that in their turn were broadcasted to the public, represent the best evidence for the ...
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The Imperial “laws” or letters concerning Nestorius and Irenaeus, addressed to major Prefects and the edicts that in their turn were broadcasted to the public, represent the best evidence for the coexistence of Latin and Greek in the Theodosian Empire. Nestorius's highly personal work was preserved only in a Syriac translation, apparently made in the sixth century, and known through a single medieval manuscript. In connection to this matter, Irenaeus composed a history in Greek of the aftermath of the First Council of Ephesus up to 435 or 436. The entire story that Irenaeus told in his Tragoedia was an act of moral defiance, and assertion of the validity and consistency of his own position. Nestorius gave an even more overtly polemical reinterpretation of events.Less
The Imperial “laws” or letters concerning Nestorius and Irenaeus, addressed to major Prefects and the edicts that in their turn were broadcasted to the public, represent the best evidence for the coexistence of Latin and Greek in the Theodosian Empire. Nestorius's highly personal work was preserved only in a Syriac translation, apparently made in the sixth century, and known through a single medieval manuscript. In connection to this matter, Irenaeus composed a history in Greek of the aftermath of the First Council of Ephesus up to 435 or 436. The entire story that Irenaeus told in his Tragoedia was an act of moral defiance, and assertion of the validity and consistency of his own position. Nestorius gave an even more overtly polemical reinterpretation of events.
Stephen J. Shoemaker
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780300217216
- eISBN:
- 9780300219531
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300217216.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This chapter examines the role of the cult of the Virgin in the controversies leading up to the Council of Ephesus as well as its outcome. Toward the end of the twentieth century, a number of studies ...
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This chapter examines the role of the cult of the Virgin in the controversies leading up to the Council of Ephesus as well as its outcome. Toward the end of the twentieth century, a number of studies addressed the impact that an already vibrant Marian piety seems to have had in galvanizing the resistance to Nestorius in Constantinople and elsewhere. These studies also often identify the Empress Pulcheria as an instrumental figure who was particularly responsible for deploying Marian devotion to orchestrate Nestorius’s downfall. More recent scholarship, however, has cast some doubt on the extent of Pulcheria’s involvement in both the promotion of the early Marian cult and Nestorius’s demise. This chapter first considers the controversy involving Nestorius stemming from the issue of Marian veneration before discussing his rift with Pulcheria. It then looks at Pulcheria’s relationship with Proclus, along with her participation in the cult of the Virgin and personal devotion to Mary. It also considers how much popular devotion to Mary in Constantinople and elsewhere may have actually contributed to Nestorius’s ultimate demise.Less
This chapter examines the role of the cult of the Virgin in the controversies leading up to the Council of Ephesus as well as its outcome. Toward the end of the twentieth century, a number of studies addressed the impact that an already vibrant Marian piety seems to have had in galvanizing the resistance to Nestorius in Constantinople and elsewhere. These studies also often identify the Empress Pulcheria as an instrumental figure who was particularly responsible for deploying Marian devotion to orchestrate Nestorius’s downfall. More recent scholarship, however, has cast some doubt on the extent of Pulcheria’s involvement in both the promotion of the early Marian cult and Nestorius’s demise. This chapter first considers the controversy involving Nestorius stemming from the issue of Marian veneration before discussing his rift with Pulcheria. It then looks at Pulcheria’s relationship with Proclus, along with her participation in the cult of the Virgin and personal devotion to Mary. It also considers how much popular devotion to Mary in Constantinople and elsewhere may have actually contributed to Nestorius’s ultimate demise.
Philip Wood
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199670673
- eISBN:
- 9780191760709
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199670673.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion in the Ancient World, Church History
This chapter and the next examine the massive expansion in the historical awareness of the Church of the East of c.580, including the incorporation of large amounts of Roman ecclesiastical history, ...
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This chapter and the next examine the massive expansion in the historical awareness of the Church of the East of c.580, including the incorporation of large amounts of Roman ecclesiastical history, which provided an assurance of the ‘orthodoxy’ of the East through the celebration of a Western canon of patristic thinkers. One feature of this borrowed history is its treatment of Nestorius and the council of Chalcedon, which was a major waypoint in the orthodox self-definition of the Roman world. Several fifth-century accounts seem ignorant of the condemnation of Nestorius at Chalcedon, while others have more accurate information and are more reluctant to accept the orthodoxy of the Chalcedonian churches of the West. This separation between the Church of the East and the Dyophysites of the West becomes increasingly marked by the seventh century, with the elevation of Nestorius’ theology under the leadership of Babai the Great.Less
This chapter and the next examine the massive expansion in the historical awareness of the Church of the East of c.580, including the incorporation of large amounts of Roman ecclesiastical history, which provided an assurance of the ‘orthodoxy’ of the East through the celebration of a Western canon of patristic thinkers. One feature of this borrowed history is its treatment of Nestorius and the council of Chalcedon, which was a major waypoint in the orthodox self-definition of the Roman world. Several fifth-century accounts seem ignorant of the condemnation of Nestorius at Chalcedon, while others have more accurate information and are more reluctant to accept the orthodoxy of the Chalcedonian churches of the West. This separation between the Church of the East and the Dyophysites of the West becomes increasingly marked by the seventh century, with the elevation of Nestorius’ theology under the leadership of Babai the Great.
Thomas L. Humphries
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199685035
- eISBN:
- 9780191765537
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199685035.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies, Theology
The first chapter opens an argument about Cassian’s pneumatological project by addressing three aspects of his ascetic pneumatology. Cassian’s theology of the Holy Spirit is orthodox according to the ...
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The first chapter opens an argument about Cassian’s pneumatological project by addressing three aspects of his ascetic pneumatology. Cassian’s theology of the Holy Spirit is orthodox according to the Nicene Catholic position in the 5th century. He applies this belief in the full divinity of the Holy Spirit to the ascetic traditions he knew well to argue that the Holy Spirit is the guide for reading scripture and that the Holy Spirit is the former of virtues in monks.Less
The first chapter opens an argument about Cassian’s pneumatological project by addressing three aspects of his ascetic pneumatology. Cassian’s theology of the Holy Spirit is orthodox according to the Nicene Catholic position in the 5th century. He applies this belief in the full divinity of the Holy Spirit to the ascetic traditions he knew well to argue that the Holy Spirit is the guide for reading scripture and that the Holy Spirit is the former of virtues in monks.
Christine Shepardson
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780520292086
- eISBN:
- 9780520965638
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520292086.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
Melania the Younger died more than a decade before the Council of Chalcedon (451 CE) and the ensuing bitter conflicts between Chalcedonian and miaphysite Christians. Nevertheless, the Greek Vita by ...
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Melania the Younger died more than a decade before the Council of Chalcedon (451 CE) and the ensuing bitter conflicts between Chalcedonian and miaphysite Christians. Nevertheless, the Greek Vita by Gerontius portrays her as actively involved in numerous religious and political controversies surrounding bishop Nestorius preceding her death. This chapter argues that the historicity of her alleged anti-Nestorian activities in the Vita must remain in doubt. The anti-Nestorian Melania of the Greek Vita appears to support Gerontius’s miaphysite condemnation of the politically dominant Chalcedonian Christians, providing him with a useful weapon in the pressing Christological battles he faced following her death. While the anti-Nestorian stance Gerontius attributed to Melania remained orthodox in Greek Christianity, his anti-Chalcedonian views, which he considered the natural extension of Melania’s, did not. Gerontius’s Vita Melania thus serves as a microcosm of the complex and highly politicized fifth-century disputes over the definition of Christian orthodoxy.Less
Melania the Younger died more than a decade before the Council of Chalcedon (451 CE) and the ensuing bitter conflicts between Chalcedonian and miaphysite Christians. Nevertheless, the Greek Vita by Gerontius portrays her as actively involved in numerous religious and political controversies surrounding bishop Nestorius preceding her death. This chapter argues that the historicity of her alleged anti-Nestorian activities in the Vita must remain in doubt. The anti-Nestorian Melania of the Greek Vita appears to support Gerontius’s miaphysite condemnation of the politically dominant Chalcedonian Christians, providing him with a useful weapon in the pressing Christological battles he faced following her death. While the anti-Nestorian stance Gerontius attributed to Melania remained orthodox in Greek Christianity, his anti-Chalcedonian views, which he considered the natural extension of Melania’s, did not. Gerontius’s Vita Melania thus serves as a microcosm of the complex and highly politicized fifth-century disputes over the definition of Christian orthodoxy.