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59-513: Both miaphysitism and dyophysitism are oppositional to monophysitism , which all mainstream Christian communions view as heretical. While historically a major point of controversy within Christianity , some modern declarations by both Chalcedonian and miaphysite ( / m aɪ ˈ æ f ɪ s aɪ t , m iː -/ ) churches claim that the difference between the two Christological formulations does not reflect any significant difference in belief about

118-511: A Stoic philosopher. It is said that he was converted by one of the disciples of St Mark. He became head of the Catechetical School about 180. He immediately set about introducing those changes that contributed largely to its future celebrity. The union which he effected between theology and philosophy. Clement, the successor of Pantaenus viewed the union with suspicion." The supporters of Pantaenus "looked on this philosophy as

177-528: A concilium but a latrocinium , a robber council rather than a proper council, declared it null and void. The miaphysite churches still recognize it as valid, but outside their ranks it is not reckoned as an ecumenical council . The Council of Chalcedon was held in 451 and annulled the earlier council that had been presided over by Dioscurus. It has not been accepted by the Oriental Orthodox Churches, who do not defend Eutyches and accept

236-647: A 'Gift of God', a 'Work of Divine Providence,' which was intended to be for the Gentiles what the Law has been for the Jew, viz,. the means of their justification and a preparation for the Gospel. They held, that between revealed religion and philosophy, thus understood and explained, there can be no antagonism; but that, on the contrary, the latter can be made subservient to the interests of the former in various ways: (a) by training

295-456: A Constantinopole-based archimandrite named Eutyches , whose answer to questions put to him was judged heretical by Bishop Flavian of Constantinople , in turn, accused Flavian of heresy. The Emperor convoked a council and entrusted its presidency to Dioscurus. This Second Council of Ephesus , held in 449, rehabilitated Eutyches and condemned and deposed Flavian and some other bishops. These appealed to Pope Leo I , who, calling their assembly not

354-502: A fully-fledged religion with a philosophy and a cosmology ." "The Council of Constantinople, convened in 381", a little while after the death of St. Athanasius of Alexandria , "had far-reaching effects for Egypt". After declaring the primacy of the Bishop of Rome at the expense of Alexandrian authority, riots destroyed the school. "However, it was reopened in a different location in 1893." "Origen undertook this great work to vindicate

413-581: A prominent exponent of the Antiochian school, condemned at the Council of Ephesus in 431, and insisted on the formula "one physis of the incarnate Word", claiming that any formula that spoke of two physeis represented Nestorianism . Some taught that in Christ the human nature was completely absorbed by the divine, leaving only a divine nature. In 451, the Council of Chalcedon , on the basis of Pope Leo

472-577: A single nature in Jesus Christ but rather a united divine-human nature." The Agreed Statement by the Anglican –Oriental Orthodox International Commission in 2014 said: The term 'monophysite', which has been falsely used to describe the Christology of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, is both misleading and offensive as it implies Eutychianism. Anglicans, together with the wider oikumene , use

531-504: A synthesis of divine and human, identical with neither. This doctrine is rejected by miaphysites, who teach instead that the incarnate Christ has one "nature" that is both divine and human in its character, retaining all the characteristics of both humans and divinity, but with no mingling, confusion ( pouring together ) or change within. To avoid being confused with Eutychians, the Oriental Orthodox Churches reject

590-563: Is a Christological doctrine that states that there was only one nature—the divine—in the person of Jesus Christ , who was the incarnated Word . It is rejected as heretical by the Catholic Church , Eastern Orthodox Church , Anglicanism , Lutheranism and all mainstream Protestant denominations, which hold to the dyophysitism of the 451 Council of Chalcedon - as well by Oriental Orthodoxy , which holds to miaphysitism . The First Council of Nicaea (325) declared that Christ

649-555: Is closer to a verbal than to a real monophysism". Under Emperor Basiliscus , who ousted Emperor Zeno in 475, "the monophysites reached the pinnacle of their power" . In his Encyclion , which he issued in the same year, he revoked the Council of Chalcedon and recognized the Second Council of Ephesus of 449 except for its approval of Eutyches, whom Basiliscus condemned. He required his edict to be signed by each bishop. Among

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708-532: Is in Jesus one hypostasis (person) but two physeis (natures). It is disputed whether Cyril used physis in that sense. John Anthony McGuckin says that in Cyril's formula " physis serves as a rough semantic equivalent to hypostasis ". Others interpret the miaphysite term physis in line with its use by the Council of Chalcedon and speak of "miaphysitism" as " monophysitism ", a word used of all forms of denial of

767-401: Is not only of two natures but is in fact two centres of attribution, and thus two persons, a view condemned by the Council of Chalcedon. Similarly, "monophysitism" covers not only Oriental Orthodox teaching but also the view called Eutychianism , according to which, after the union of the divine and human natures in the incarnation of the eternal Son or Word of God, he has only a single "nature",

826-644: Is one, perfect in his humanity and perfect in his divinity – at once consubstantial with the Father in his divinity, and consubstantial with us in his humanity. His humanity is one with his divinity – without change, without commingling, without division and without separation. In the Person of the Eternal Logos Incarnate are united and active in a real and perfect way the divine and human natures, with all their properties, faculties and operations. ... It

885-487: Is this faith which we both confess. Its content is the same in both communions; in formulating that content in the course of history, however, differences have arisen, in terminology and emphasis. We are convinced that these differences are such as can co-exist in the same communion and therefore need not and should not divide us, especially when we proclaim Him to our brothers and sisters in the world in terms which they can more easily understand. Similar accords were signed by

944-690: Is to us One and the same Son, the Self-same Perfect in Godhead, the Self-same Perfect in Manhood; truly God and truly Man; the Self-same of a rational soul and body; co-essential with the Father according to the Godhead, the Self-same co-essential with us according to the Manhood; like us in all things, sin apart; before the ages begotten of the Father as to the Godhead, but in the last days, the Self-same, for us and for our salvation (born) of Mary

1003-582: The Coptic Theological Seminary , Cairo. The Catechetical School of Alexandria is the oldest catechetical school in the world. Jerome records that the Christian School of Alexandria was founded by St. Mark himself and the first manager appointed by Saint Mark was Saint Justus , who later became the sixth bishop of Alexandria. There is another opinion that the school was founded mid-second century, around 190 A.D. Under

1062-636: The Septuagint version of the Bible. The original manuscript was preserved in Caesarea, where it was said to have been destroyed by the Arabs when the city was taken by them in 653. It was Origen, who is generally looked on as the father of biblical criticism, that gave the Catechetical School of Alexandria the high character it enjoyed for biblical studies. He was the first to draw a clear distinction between

1121-677: The hypostasis of Christ, one of the three hypostaseis or prosopa (persons) of the Trinity, who has "become incarnate of the Holy Spirit and Blessed Virgin Mary Theotokos, and thus became man, consubstantial with us in His humanity but without sin. He is true God and true Man at the same time, perfect in his Divinity, perfect in His humanity. Because the one she bore in her womb was at the same time fully God as well as fully human we call

1180-674: The 35-year Acacian schism ), while in Egypt the Acephali broke away from Peter III. The Acacian schism continued under Zeno's successor, the monophysite Anastasius I Dicorus and ended only with the accession of the Chalcedonian Justin I in 518. Justin I was succeeded by the Chalcedonian Justinian I (527–565), whose wife Empress Theodora protected and assisted the monophysites. Ghassanid patronage of

1239-455: The Balkans and the largely anti-Chalcedonian population of Egypt and Syria. In an attempt to reconcile both sides, Zeno, with the support of Acacius of Constantinople and Peter III of Alexandria , tried to enforce the compromise Henoticon (Formula of Union) decree of 482, which condemned Eutyches but ignored Chalcedon. Schisms followed on both sides. Rome excommunicated Acacius (leading to

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1298-627: The Blessed Virgin Theotokos. When we speak of the one composite hypostasis of our Lord Jesus Christ, we do not say that in Him, a divine hypostasis and a human hypostasis came together. It is that the one eternal hypostasis of the Second Person of the Trinity has assumed our created human nature in that act uniting it with His own uncreated divine nature, to form an inseparably and unconfusedly united real divine-human being,

1357-579: The Chalcedonian doctrine. However, they add that "miaphysitism" is "the more accurate term for the position held by the Syriac, Coptic and Armenian churches". The Second Council of Constantinople (553), the ecumenical council that followed that of Chalcedon, accepted Cyril's phrase but warned against misinterpreting it. The broad term " dyophysitism " covers not only the Chalcedonian teaching but also what Nestorianism interpreted as meaning that Jesus

1416-929: The Eastern Orthodox churches, only the patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch and Romania have accepted the Statements, as have the Coptic, Syriac and Malankara Churches on the Oriental Orthodox side. The Russian patriarchate has asked for clarification of some points. The monastic community of Mount Athos rejects any form of dialogue, whether with Oriental Orthodoxy or otherwise. Monophysitism Monophysitism ( / m ə ˈ n ɒ f ɪ s aɪ t ɪ z əm / mə- NOF -ih-seye-tih-zəm ) or monophysism ( / m ə ˈ n ɒ f ɪ z ɪ z əm / mə- NOF -ih-zih-zəm ; from Greek μόνος monos , "solitary" and φύσις physis , " nature ")

1475-479: The Great 's 449 declaration , defined that in Christ there were two natures united in one person . Those who insisted on the "one physis " formula were referred to as monophysites ( / m ə ˈ n ɒ f ɪ s aɪ t s / ), while those who accepted the "two natures" definition were called dyophysites , a term applied also to followers of Nestorianism. The forms of monophysism were numerous, and included

1534-555: The Great . Having conquered Egypt, he tasked Ptolemy Lagus to building Alexandria. The streets were based on Aristotle's ideal urban plan; they were designed on a rectangular grid and oriented south-west to provide shelter from the north wind and take advantage of the westerly breeze. Next to the Serapeum stood the Daughter Library. It was open to the public and according to the poet Callimachus contained 42,800 books. At

1593-531: The Logos which Eutyches denied. The Orthodox also use this terminology. The Oriental Orthodox agree that the Orthodox are justified in their use of the two-natures formula, since they acknowledge that the distinction is "in thought alone" (τῇ θεωρίᾳ μόνῃ). ... we have now clearly understood that both families have always loyally maintained the same authentic Orthodox Christological faith, and the unbroken continuity of

1652-569: The Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Chalcedonian churches later divided into the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church and its Protestant derivations. In recent decades a number of Christological agreements between miaphysite and Chalcedonian churches have been signed not just by theologians but by heads of churches. They explicitly distinguish the divinity and the humanity of Christ, without necessarily using

1711-736: The Self-same Son and Only-begotten God, Word, Lord, Jesus Christ; even as from the beginning the prophets have taught concerning Him, and as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself hath taught us, and as the Symbol of the Fathers hath handed down to us. Dissent from this definition did not at first lead to a clean break between what are now the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches . While in

1770-729: The Virgin Theotokos as to the Manhood; One and the Same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten; acknowledged in Two Natures unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the difference of the Natures being in no way removed because of the Union, but rather the properties of each Nature being preserved, and (both) concurring into One Person and One Hypostasis; not as though He was parted or divided into Two Persons, but One and

1829-536: The West, Rome tended to uphold steadfastly the text of Leo's Tome and of the Chalcedonian definition, the situation in the East was fluid for a century after the council, with compromise formulas imposed by the emperors and accepted by the church and leading at times to schisms between East and West (cf. Acacian Schism , Henotikon , Monoenergism ). The situation then hardened into a fixed division between what are now called

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1888-531: The accurate term 'miaphysite' to refer to the Cyrilline teaching of the family of Oriental Orthodox Churches, and furthermore call each of these Churches by their official title of "Oriental Orthodox". The teaching of this family confesses not a single nature but one incarnate united divine-human nature of the Word of God. To say "a single nature" would be to imply that the human nature was absorbed in his divinity, as

1947-517: The apostolic tradition, though they have used Christological terms in different ways. It is this common faith and continuous loyalty to the Apostolic Tradition that should be the basis for our unity and communion. Implementation of the recommendations of these two Agreed Statements would mean restoration of full communion between the Eastern Orthodox and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, but as of 2021 they have not been put into effect. Of

2006-428: The birth of Christ, and the same period after it, Alexandria was the great seat of intellectual culture and home of Greek philosophy. It was the joining point between three continents, and became the battle-ground, where the religions of the East were brought face to face with the philosophical creeds of the West, and where both were represented by their ablest champions." "The story of Alexandria begins with Alexander

2065-809: The commission that carried on that dialogue signed "a common formula expressing our official agreement on Christology which was already approved by the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church on 21 June 1986". The brief common formula was as follows: We believe that our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Incarnate-Logos, is perfect in His Divinity and perfect in His Humanity. He made His Humanity one with His Divinity without mixture nor mingling, nor confusion. His Divinity

2124-630: The early theological controversies of the Christian church . It was one of the two major centers of the study of biblical exegesis and theology during Late Antiquity, the other being the School of Antioch . According to Jerome the Alexandrian school was founded by John Mark the Apostle . The earliest recorded dean was supposedly Athenagoras (176). He was succeeded by Pantaenus 181, who

2183-462: The following: Concerning verbal declarations of monophysitism, Justo L. González stated, "in order not to give an erroneous idea of the theology of the so-called monophysite churches, that have subsisted until the twentieth century, one should point out that all the extreme sects of monophysism disappeared within a brief span, and that the Christology of the present so-called monophysite churches

2242-530: The fourth century BC. The first director of the Library, Eratosthenes , was the first person to calculate the circumference of the earth, coming within two per cent of modern measurements." "The School's purpose was to supply defenders of the Christian Faith. It did not attain a world-wide fame till Pantaenus became its teacher. He was a native of Sicily , and, before his conversion to Christianity,

2301-652: The head of the Catholic Church and the heads of the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church. Although unofficial dialogue between individual theologians of the (Eastern) Orthodox and the Oriental Orthodox began in 1964, official dialogue did not begin until 1985; but already by 1989 an agreement was reached on the Christological dogma, stating that the word physis in Cyril of Alexandria's formula referred to

2360-538: The heart of the classical city lay the Museion , the first public research institution, and the Great Library, said to contain 700,000 scrolls. The Museum and the Library were not open to the public but reserved for scholars who undertook research in philology, the mathematical sciences and astrology. Both institutions were famed for their accomplishments. The school of mathematics had been founded by Euclid in

2419-533: The implicit condemnation of him by the (non-ecumenical) Third Council of Ephesus held in 475. Chalcedon accepted by acclamation Leo's Tome , the letter by Pope Leo I setting out, as he saw it, the church's doctrine on the matter, and issued what has been called the Chalcedonian Definition , of which the part that directly concerns miaphysitism runs as follows: Following, then, the holy Fathers, we all unanimously teach that our Lord Jesus Christ

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2478-448: The label "monophysite". Coptic Metropolitan Bishop of Damiette declared it a misnomer to call them monophysites, for "they always confessed the continuity of existence of the two natures in the one incarnate nature of the Word of God. Non[e] of the natures ceased to exist because of the union and the term 'mia physis' denoting the incarnate nature is completely different from the term 'monophysites'. ... The Oriental Orthodox do not believe in

2537-503: The leadership of the scholar Pantaenus, the school of Alexandria became an important institution of religious learning, where students were taught by scholars such as Athenagoras, Clement, Didymus, and the great Origen, who was considered the father of theology and who was also active in the field of commentary and comparative Biblical studies. Many scholars, such as Jerome, visited the school of Alexandria to exchange ideas and to communicate directly with its scholars. The scope of this school

2596-470: The mind to think and reason accurately, and thus prepare the mind for the higher study of theology. (b) by supplying proofs and illustrations of many truths common to the two sciences. (c) by unfolding and throwing into scientific shape the truths of Revelation. This union was opposed by the 'Positive Teachers' of the Western Church, especially by Tertullian and St Cyprian . Pantaenus' successor

2655-469: The monophysite Syrian Church under phylarch Al-Harith ibn Jabalah was crucial for its survival, revival, and even its spread. Justinian I was followed by Justin II , who after being a monophysite, perhaps because of Theodora's influence, converted to the Chalcedonian faith before obtaining the imperial throne. Some time later, he adopted a policy of persecuting the monophysites. From Justinian I on, no emperor

2714-581: The nature of Christ. The word miaphysite derives from the Ancient Greek μία ( mía , "one") and φύσις ( phúsis , "nature, substance"). Miaphysite teaching is based on Cyril of Alexandria 's formula μία φύσις τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου σεσαρκωμένη, meaning "one physis of the Word of God made flesh" (or "... of God the Word made flesh"). The 451 Council of Chalcedon used physis to mean "nature" (as in "divine nature" and "human nature"), and defined that there

2773-399: The natures being distinguished from each other in contemplation only." A second Agreed Statement was published in the following year 1990 declaring: The Orthodox agree that the Oriental Orthodox will continue to maintain their traditional Cyrillian terminology of "one nature of the incarnate Logos" (μία φύσις τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου σεσαρκωμένη), since they acknowledge the double consubstantiality of

2832-522: The persecution of Septimius Severus . After four years he returned". "The first great figures of the Church in Egypt were scholars rather than bishops, directors of the Catechetical School of Alexandria: Clement (160-215) and Origen (185-251). Both were versed in Greek philosophy and their lives' work was one of great integration: they transformed Christianity from a localised cult for the poorest class into

2891-540: The phrase "two natures". On 20 May 1973, Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria and Pope Paul VI jointly declared: We confess that our Lord and God and Saviour and King of us all, Jesus Christ, is perfect God with respect to His Divinity, perfect man with respect to His humanity. In Him His divinity is united with His humanity in a real, perfect union without mingling, without commixtion, without confusion, without alteration, without division, without separation. His divinity did not separate from His humanity for an instant, not for

2950-502: The signatures he obtained were those of three of the four Eastern Patriarchs, but the Patriarch and the populace of the capital protested so resolutely that in 476, seeing that his overthrow was imminent, he issued his Anti-Encyclion revoking his former edict. In the same year, Zeno returned victoriously. Events had made it clear that there was a split between the population, staunchly Chalcedonian in sympathies, of Constantinople and

3009-507: The theological rivalry between the two schools added a certain political competitiveness between, on the one hand, Alexandria and, on the other, Antioch and Constantinople. The condemnation of Nestorius at the Council of Ephesus in 431 was a victory for the Alexandrian school and church, but its acceptance required a compromise, the "Formula of Reunion", entered into by Cyril of Alexandria and John of Antioch two years later. Cyril died in 444. Under his successor, Dioscurus I of Alexandria ,

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3068-413: The twinkling of an eye. He who is God eternal and invisible became visible in the flesh, and took upon Himself the form of a servant. In Him are preserved all the properties of the divinity and all the properties of the humanity, together in a real, perfect, indivisible and inseparable union. At that meeting they decided to set up an official theological dialogue between the two churches. On 12 February 1988

3127-524: Was Titus Flavius Clement, Clement of Alexandria. Clement was appointed in 192. His lectures were attended by large numbers of pagans. He commenced with those truths that could be demonstrated from philosophy, for the purpose of leading his hearers by degrees to embrace the Christian faith. He did not confine himself to oral instruction. He wrote numerous works for the benefit of those who could not attend his lectures. In 202 he fled to Palestine because of

3186-523: Was a declared monophysite, although they continued their efforts to find compromise formulas such as monoenergism and monothelitism . Catechetical School of Alexandria The Catechetical School of Alexandria was a school of Christian theologians and bishops and deacons in Alexandria . The teachers and students of the school (also known as the Didascalium ) were influential in many of

3245-439: Was both divine ( homoousios , consubstantial , of one being or essence, with the Father ) and human (was incarnate and became man). In the fifth century a heated controversy arose between the sees and theological schools of Antioch and Alexandria about how divinity and humanity existed in Christ, with the former stressing the humanity, the latter the divinity of Christ. Cyril of Alexandria succeeded in having Nestorius ,

3304-415: Was not limited to theological subjects. Apart from subjects like theology, Christian philosophy and the Bible; science, mathematics and Greek & Roman literature, logic and the arts were also taught. The question-and-answer method of commentary began there, and, 15 centuries before Braille , blind students at the school were using wood-carving techniques to read and write. "For about two centuries before

3363-422: Was not separated from His Humanity even for a moment or twinkling of an eye. At the same time, we anathematize the doctrines of both Nestorius and Eutyches. A "Doctrinal Agreement on Christology" was signed on 3 June 1990 by Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews I , Catholicos of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and Pope John Paul II , in which they explicitly spoke of "divine and human natures": Our Lord Jesus Christ

3422-401: Was succeeded as head of the school by his student Clement of Alexandria in 190. Other notable theologians with a connection to the school include Origen , Gregory Thaumaturgus , Heraclas , Dionysius "the Great" , and Didymus the Blind . Others, including Jerome and Basil , made trips to the school to interact with the scholars there. Continuity with the ancient school is claimed by

3481-421: Was taught by Eutyches . The conflict over terminology was to some extent a conflict between two renowned theological schools. The Catechetical School of Alexandria focused on the divinity of Christ as the Logos or Word of God and thereby risked leaving his real humanity out of proper consideration (cf. Apollinarism ). The stress by the School of Antioch was on the humanity of Jesus as a historical figure. To

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