Christological Controversies1 Lecture 21: Christological Controversies 25 November 2014

Christological Controversies 1

Lecture 21: Christological Controversies

25 November 2014


Next Three Lectures: 4th through 7th C This lecture

Key developments in Church history and doctrine in Mediterranean basin: Christology

Next Lecture: Rise of Islam

Following Lecture: Western Monasticism

Why such a broad historical sweep? Destruction of Roman Empire, which is not complete until 1453 Sometime during these lectures the West moved from antiquity to

middle ages


Introduction

History: Fall of Rome Refresher: 4th C Controversies Arians and

Apollinarians Nestorian Controversy Cyril of Alexandria Monophysites Pope St. Leo the Great Council of Chalcedon Councils after Chalcedon


Key Political Events of Fourth Century The Great Persecution of Diocletian Constantine the Great rises to power; adopts Christianity as his

religion Battle of Milvian Bridge 312 Council of Nicaea 325 Creates powerful Eastern capitol of Roman Empire in

Constantinople Emperors alternately orthodox and Arian (except for brief pagan

interlude by Julian the Apostate 361-363) Theodosius the Great

Firmly establishes orthodoxy as official religion of Empire Calls First Council of Constantinople to reaffirm Nicaea Moves Western Capital to Milan


Eastern Roman Emperors

Constantine Council of Nicaea

Theodosius I, Great (379-395) Council of Constantinople Conflicts with Ambrose Last Emperor of East and West

Arcadius (son of Theodosius) and Eudoxia in East (395-408) Conflicts with John Chrysostom

Theodosius II (408-450) Son of Arcadius Council of Ephesus

Pulcharia and Marcion (450-457) Pulcharia daughter of Theodosius II Council of Chalcedon


Fall of Rome

Fall of Rome in 410 to Alaric had a huge psychological impact

The Goths sacking Rome were Arian Christians

“My voice sticks in my throat, and as I dictate, sobs choke my utterance. The City which had taken the whole world, was itself taken.” St. Jerome


City of God

Augustine wrote City of God to explain how this could happen

Traces the history of Roman Empire to show that without Christ Roman Empire was great only in eyes of man; human societies are destined to rise and fall

Only true society is society of pilgrim Church moving toward heavenly Jerusalem But even pilgrim Church is a mixtures of wheat and tares

Takes up many of themes of Confessions, plus Pelagian Controversy, plus theory of history and society, plus, plus, plus…

Systematic work analyzing all of these issues


Arianism

Arius, presbyter in Alexandria Christ the First Fruit of Creation; “there was when he was not”

Opposed by Athanasius, Cappadocians Council of Nicaea

Homoousia, Christ one in being with the Father But Arianism has great staying power in East

and among Germanic tribes


Apollinarius: Heretical Reaction to Arius Apollinarius,

bishop of Laodicea, proposed notion that Jesus had a physically

human body, but mind and will were not human but divine.

Gregory of Nazianzus rejects this completely; Supports “what is not assumed is not saved”


Recall Political Problems for John Chrysostom Patriarch of Constantinople Opposed by Patriarch of Alexandria,

Theophilus Opposed by Emperor (and Empress) Pope sides with Chrysostom


Nestorius (400-451)

Born in Antioch; became Patriarch in Constantinople in 428 Opposed Arians and Apollinarians Theology based upon Theodore of Mopsuestia and Diodorus,

Antiochenes Human and Divine joined, but separate in Jesus Christ

Mary gave birth to human Jesus, not to Word; rejects Mary as Theotokos (God bearer)

The Word of God did not suffer on the cross Human Jesus is raised by power of the Word and perfected at

the Resurrection Seemed to be way to solve “Son of God” and “Son of Man”

references in Gospels


Cyril of Alexandria (375-444)

Issues between Constantinople and Alexandria Economic, political and social tensions between Alexandria and

Constantinople Scriptural interpretation tension between Antiochene and Alexandrian

hermeneutics Ecclesial hierarchical issues over precedence of Constantinople over

Alexandria Cyril succeeded his uncle, Theolphilus, as patriarch (pope) of

Alexandria in 412 Actively persecuted non-orthodox Christians in Alexandria, mostly

because of city politics Novatian Christians Jews Pagan Neo-Platonists; torture and death of Hypathia


Cyril’s Christology

Hypostatic union of God and man Not two persons in Christ Both God and man fully present from the moment

of the Incarnation Mary gave birth to God; i.e. Theotokos Recall Athanasius also had a great devotion

to the Incarnation Recall, Origen used term theotokos


Bitter conflict between Nestorius and Cyril Nestorius’ Letter to Pope Celestine (Christology of Later Fathers, p.

346-348) Starts asking what to do about Julian of Eclanum who is seeking support for

Pelagainism from Emperor Complains against those who like Arius and Apollinarius have their

Christology wrong Says now there are some who mix together Divinity and humanity; who even

call Mary Theotokos Christ’s human and divine nature unconfused; tries to maintain reality of

Christ’s humanity; Cyril’s Reply to Nestorius (p. 349-354)

Word took flesh from the Virgin in the womb Word and flesh are united in one hypostasis; Virgin is Theotokos Whoever does not believe this should be anathema Christ’s human and divine nature undivided; tries to maintain reality of

Christ’s divinity Relies heavily on Athanasius


Council of Ephesus, 431

Council called by Emperor Theodosius II Gathering of Bishops from around Eastern Empire, including Cyril and

Nestorius Pope Celestine supported Cyril Cyril presides at Council in the place of Celestine In fact, Celestine sent Nestorius’ letter to Cyril for a response

Nestorius condemned and removed as Patriarch of Constantinople Council formally declares Mary Theotokos Nestorians still found in Jacobin Syrian Churches (which usually also

call themselves Orthodox); also sometimes refer to themselves as Antiochene

Note: St. Mary Major in Rome is built to honor Mary as Theotokos after the council

Theodore of Mopsuestia condemned at Second Council of Constantinople (553)


Monophysitism: Eutyches and Dioscursus Eutyches

Head of large monastery in Constantinople Adamantly opposed to Nestorius Seemed to renew Apollinarian heresy Christ had one nature : Divine with a human body

Dioscursus Succeeded Cyril as Patriarch of Alexandria in 444 Also adamantly opposed to Nestorianism Supports Eutyches against patriarch of Constantinople,

Flavian “Robber” council of Ephesus 449


Opposition to Monophysitism (Single Nature) Flavian, Patriarch of Constantinople

Succeeds Nestorius Opposed to Eutyches

Pope St. Leo Supports two natures, one hypostasis (person)

Pulcharia, Empress Daughter of Theodosius II Calls Council of Chalcedon to confirm support of

Flavian and Leo


Pope St. Leo the Great

Born in Tuscany; deacon under Pope Celestine Pope 440-461 Fought against Pelagians and Manicheans

Deeply influenced by Augustine Concerned for Church discipline,

Proper forms for Latin liturgies Papal control over appointment of bishops; conflict with St. Hilary

of Arles Managed to convince barbarians not to sack Rome

Attila the Hun Genseric the Vandal

Most famous for Christological formula, “One person, two natures”


Leo’s Tome

Letter written to St. Flavian Relies on Scripture and Nicene Creed for

arguments against monophysites Distinction of both natures meets in one

Person Similar views expressed in Letter XXXI to

Empress, St. Pucharia


Council of Chalcedon, 451

Called by Pulcharia and Marcian Establishes the Christological formula that Leo

suggested Primarily bishops from the East, with a

representative from Rome Dioscursus and much of the Alexandrian Church

refuse to accept Chalcedon Politically this remained a divisive issue in the East

until rise of Islam Theologically it remains a divisive issue to the

present day; Coptic Christians


Caesaropapism

Society in which head of government is also head of Church

Notice that all these early (eastern) councils are called by Emperors

Constantine considered a saint in the East, “equal to Apostles”

Revived civil Roman law includes canonical law in East Theodosian Code (Theodosius II), 438, takes 312 as the

beginning of legal precedents Justinian Code, 534

This will be the Church-State model in Byzantium until 1453 (in Russia until 1917)


A Different Development in West: Pope Gelasius Pope 492-496; West being overrun with barbarians Only civil authority with continuity to Roman Empire was Church Eastern Emperor (Anastatius) claims authority in West, but has no military

capability to back it up Gelasius’ Letter to Anastatius is a landmark in defining balance of power

relation between altar and throne Two authorities in world: consecrated priests and royal power Each has its own sphere of operation and respect Priests have greater responsibility; emperor should obey priests

This view was never accepted in East; however became the basis of operation for Middle Ages in West Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor in 800

Note: Papacy is only real continuing link between East and West from 476 onwards

Gelaisus’ Letter will be used by Papacy throughout Middle Ages to justify Papal stance with respect to Western Rulers


Assignments

“Dogmatic Letters of Nestorius and Cyril of Alexandria,” in Hardy, Edward. ed. Christology of the Later Fathers. Philadelphia: Warminster Press, 1954. Pp 346-354.

Leo the Great. “Letter to Flavian” (Leo’s Tome) in Hardy, Edward. ed. Christology of the Later Fathers. Philadelphia: Warminster Press, 1954. pp 359-370.

Leo the Great. Letter XXXI (pp 44-46) and Sermons I (p. 115), II (p. 115-116), III (p.116-118), IX (p. 118-120), X (p120-121) Translated by Feltoe. Peabody:

NPNF Series 2 Vol. 12 Hendrickson, 1995.

CCC 464-478

Documents

Christological Controversies1 Lecture 21: Christological Controversies 25 November 2014