Age of the Christian Roman Empire II

1. Age of the Christian Roman Empire II The Ecumenical Councils

3. Arius c.254-336 • Presbyter in Alexandria c. 313 • Excommunicated 318 • Continued to hold assemblies anyway • Kicked out of Alexandria moved to Palestine

4. Council of Nicæa 325AD • Called by Constantine to prevent division in the catholic church • Included “318” bishops, approx 1/6th of all bishops in the empire • 10 from the west • 20 Arians • Eastern Bishops

5. Beliefs of Arianism • Jesus was of a different substance than God • Jesus was created out of nothing • Jesus was divine but not deity • Jesus was subordinate to the Father • Jesus was neither co-equal nor co-eternal with the Father.

6. Substance? • Homo-usios – of the same essence • Homoi-usios – of like essence • Hetero-usios – of different essence

7. Nicene Creed

8. Council of Nicæa 325AD • Heretic – Arius • Subject – Substance of the Father & Son • Solution – Father and Son are of the Same Substance

9. Post Council of Nicæa • Arius & his followers were exiled to Illyria • Arian books were burned • Arians were labeled enemies of Christianity

10. End of Arius • Acquitted of charge of Heresy by a Jerusalem council in 335 • He returns to Constantinople to be officially received • The night of the ceremony he dies while “attending to a call of nature”

11. The last years of Arianism • Endorsed by Constantius • Became the majority of Christianity in the Empire • Empire reconverted under Theodosius and the judgment of the Council of Constantinople

12. Apollinarianism • Wanted to solve God/Man concept • Two parts human one part divine • The Logos replaced the human will/ration which was the seat of sin.

13. Council of Constantinople 381 • Furthered the teachings of the Nicæan creed • Terminology made more explicit • The Holy Spirit is given more status

14. Council of Constantinople 381 • Heretic – still Arius, Apollinaris • Subject – substance of Father, Son and Holy Spirit • Conclusion – Father Son and Spirit are all of the same substance and are equal. Apollinarianism condemned.

15. Nestorianism • Mary was the mother of Jesus • Jesus is Logos, and the Logos is omnipresent • Mary gave birth to the temple not the Logos • Jesus was not truly the “Son of God” until after his baptism • Therefore Mary couldn’t give birth to God as Jesus wasn’t yet fully God

16. Council of Ephesus 431 • Heretic – Nestorius • Subject – Mary the mother of God(Theotokos) • Conclusion –1st time “We anathematize you” - 2nd time Mary was the mother of God

17. Eutychiansim • God only has one nature • Logos personality had to suffer • The deification of the Human in Christ • Christ was not a normal human like us

18. Council of Chalcedon 451 • Heretic – Eutyches • Subject – Hypostatic Union • Conclusion – Christ was fully God and fully Man

19. Monophysitism • There must be only one nature to Christ, as two natures would require two persons. • GOD has been Crucified • Schismed into many splinter groups

20. Council of Constantinople II 553 AD • Heretic – Monophysites • Subject – The three Chapters, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodoret's letter, and the letter of Ibas • Conclusion – nothing much, Three Chapters condemned use of phrases “God was crucified” and “One of the Trinity has suffered” sanctioned