Christological Controversies1 Lecture 19: Christological Controversies and Councils 10 November 2015

Christological Controversies 2 Introduction Refresher: 4 th C Christological Controversies Arians and Apollinarians Nestorian Controversy Cyril of Alexandria Monophysites Pope St. Leo the Great Council of Chalcedon Councils after Chalcedon

Christological Controversies 3 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

Christological Controversies 4 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”

Christological Controversies 5 Recall Political Problems for John Chrysostom Patriarch of Constantinople Opposed by Patriarch of Alexandria, Theophilus Opposed by Emperor (and Empress) Pope sides with Chrysostom

Christological Controversies 6 Nestorius ( ) 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

Christological Controversies 7 Cyril of Alexandria ( ) 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

Christological Controversies 8 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

Christological Controversies 9 Bitter conflict between Nestorius and Cyril Nestorius’ Letter to Pope Celestine (Christology of Later Fathers, p )  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 )  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

Christological Controversies 10 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)

Christological Controversies 11 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

Christological Controversies 12 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

Christological Controversies 13 Pope St. Leo the Great Born in Tuscany; deacon under Pope Celestine Pope 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”

Christological Controversies 14 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

Christological Controversies 15 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

Christological Controversies 16 Eastern Roman Emperors Constantine  Council of Nicaea Theodosius I, Great ( )  Council of Constantinople  Conflicts with Ambrose  Last Emperor of East and West Arcadius (son of Theodosius) and Eudoxia in East ( )  Conflicts with John Chrysostom Theodosius II ( )  Son of Arcadius  Council of Ephesus Pulcharia and Marcion ( )  Pulcharia daughter of Theodosius II  Council of Chalcedon

Islam and Eastern Christainity 17 Rise of Islam Muhammad ( )  The flight (hijrah) from Mecca to Medina (622) is beginning of Muslim calendar  Qur’an is revelation; its language, Arabic, is part of that revelation  Founded a religious and political movement aimed at uniting all Arab tribes. By 716 all of North Africa, Sicily and the Iberian peninsula was under Muslim control By 730 France and Constantinople were threatened  Stopped in France by Charles Martel at Poitiers 732  Charles Martel (the Hammer) is Charlemagne’s grandfather

Islam and Eastern Christainity 18 Theological Impact of Rise of Islam Monothelite controversy  One will (divine) of Christ  Maximus the Confessor Iconoclasm  Rejection of images  John of Damascus

Christological Controversies 19 Maximus the Confessor ( ) To try to bring Monophysites back under imperial control against Arabs  Patriarch of Constantinople, Sergius proposes ‘monothelete’ Christology or that Christ had one will  Pope Honorius ( ) goes along with this  Pope Martin I at First Lateran Council in Rome rejects this in 649, in opposition to Emperor and much of Eastern Church  In any case Monophysites also reject this Maximus the Confessor Eastern theologian who supported Chalcedon  Gave deepest theological arguments in support of two complete natures, against monothelete  Was persecuted and tortured by Emperor Heraclius Eventually Eastern Church returns to Chalcedonian formula in Third Council of Constantinople (680)

Christological Controversies 20 The Ecumenical Councils Nicea I, 325, called by Constantine the Great  Condemned Arianism  Son of one substance with the Father  Nicene Creed Constantinople I, 381, Called by Theodosius the Great  Affirmed divinity of Holy Spirit  Modified Creed; what we have now Ephesus, 431, called by Theodosius II  Condemned Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople  Jesus was not two separate persons, but one person both human and divine  Mary as ‘Theotokos’ Mother of God Chalcedon, 450, called by Empress Pulcharia at request of Pope St. Leo I (the Great)  Condemned monophysites: single nature  Christ has two natures: human and divine (Leo’s Tome Second Council of Constantinople, 553, Called by Justinian  Condemned Theodore of Mosuestia Third Council of Constantinople, 680  Called by Emperor Constantine Pogonatus  Condemned Monothelete and Pope Honorius

Islam and Eastern Christainity 21 Eastern Theological Response: Iconoclast Controversy Emperors Leo III ( ), Constantine V ( )  Supported “image breaking” iconoclasm as a way to attract Muslims to Christian orthodoxy  Historical Note: Emperor Leo III dropped all military support of Papacy against Lombards, forcing Pope Stephen II into an alliance with Pepin the Short Eastern Monks vehemently opposed iconoclasts  Because Word was Incarnate, could use human images as aids to worship of God

Islam and Eastern Christainity 22 John of Damascus ( ) Monk at St. Sabas near Jerusalem Strong theological defense of icons In Defense of Icons he differentiated types of worship and honor Other important work On Orthodox Faith  Book III is a summary and clear exposition of Orthodox Christology  “Communication of idioms” as means of relating human nature of Christ to His divine nature John of Damascus is very influential in Western Medieval theology Also modern Catholic theology; Pope Pius XII referenced John of Damascus when proclaiming doctrine of Assumption of Mary

Islam and Eastern Christainity 23 Second Council of Nicea, 787 Also known as Seventh Ecumenical Council  Called by Empress Irene, who supported icons (iconodule)  Following St. John Damascus, distinguished types of devotions Western Reaction  Problem: Eastern church did not invite anyone from West to participate  Another problem: poor translation from Greek into Latin Result: Charlemagne did not accept Nicea II  Theodulf wrote Libri Carolini condemning worship of images  Also encouraged Filioque in the Latin Creed Nicaea II was recognized by Pope Hadrian ( ) and his successors

Christological Controversies 24 Assignments “Dogmatic Letters of Nestorius and Cyril of Alexandria,” in Hardy, Edward. ed. Christology of the Later Fathers. Philadelphia: Warminster Press, Pp Leo the Great. “Letter to Flavian” (Leo’s Tome) in Hardy, Edward. ed. Christology of the Later Fathers. Philadelphia: Warminster Press, pp Leo the Great. Letter XXXI (pp 44-46) and Sermons I (p. 115), II (p ), III (p ), IX (p ), X (p ) Translated by Feltoe. Peabody: NPNF Series 2 Vol. 12 Hendrickson, Read John of Damascus  excerpt from Defense of Icons  Book III of The Orthodox Faith Prepare paper on Christology CCC