Lecture 21: Christological Controversies 25 November 2014 Christological Controversies

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 Christological Controversies

Christological Controversies 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 Christological Controversies

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 Christological Controversies

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 Christological Controversies

Christological Controversies 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 Christological Controversies

Christological Controversies 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 Christological Controversies

Christological Controversies 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

Apollinarius: Heretical Reaction to Arius 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

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

Christological Controversies 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 Christological Controversies

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 Christological Controversies

Christological Controversies 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

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 Christological Controversies

Christological Controversies 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

Monophysitism: Eutyches and Dioscursus 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

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

Christological Controversies 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” Christological Controversies

Christological Controversies 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

Christological Controversies 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

Christological Controversies 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) Christological Controversies

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 Christological Controversies

Christological Controversies 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 Christological Controversies