Nestorius and Cyril

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Nestorius and Cyril
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Background

• Nicea
• Arius condemned
• Son is of the same substance (homo-ousios) as the
  Father
• Does not end the debate
• Arian bishops, emperors continue
• Objections to Nicea
• homoousios not biblical
• Sounds Sabellian better to say Son is of like
  substance (homoi-ousios)
• Is divine Logos the soul of Christ?

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Nestorius (ca. 381-451)

• Agrees with Nicea
• Chidester, 143 all agreed on divinity of Christ,
  but differed in views of Christs humanity
• Bishop of Constantinople, 428-431
• eastern capital of the Roman empire and one of
  the five major churches
• Provokes a major controversy by objecting to a
  popular liturgical practice why?

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Terms

• Nature (Greek Physis) what all beings of a
  species share. Can only exist as instantiated in
  a person.
• Example Human nature, dog nature, divine nature
• Person (Greek Hypostasis) individual
  instantiation of a nature.
• A person must also have a nature nature only
  exists as instantiated in persons.
• Example Paul and Mattea Rover and Fluffy

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Theotokos controversy

• Liturgy people called Mary the God-bearer
  (Grk. Theotokos)
• Lex orandi, lex credendi The law of prayer
  shapes the law of belief
• Nestorius objects to theotokos why?
• God was not born at a point in time
• Need to distinguish human and divine natures of
  Christ
• Like Athanasius, just as Logos suffered in the
  flesh, so Christ, not God, was born of Mary
• Must be careful with language to avoid heresies
  (God suffers)

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Cyril of Alexandria (ca. 375-444)

• Bishop of Alexandria
• Ambitious
• Wanted to assert Alexandrias authority over
  Constantinople
• Cyril defends theotokos. Issue who is the
  subject/person in Jesus, the Word Incarnate?
• CC 27 While remaining God, , the Logos took on,
  became subject of, human life
• Once human and divine have been united, cannot be
  separated, because there is one subject
• Hypostatic union two natures united in one
  person
• Union is essential to salvationwhy?
• Cyril misrepresents Nestorius

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Results

• Ephesus, 431
• Affirms Theotokos
• Nestorius resigns as bishop
• 431-451 debate continues, Pope Leo I steps in
• 451 Council of Chalcedon settles problem
• Provides conceptual and terminological precision
• Yet, plenty of room for thought and debate remain
• But, Nestorian churches still exist

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For next time

• Pope Leo I
• What ideas (of Eutyches) does Leo reject, and
  why?
• How does he define person and natures?
• Council of Chalcedon (451)
• In what ways does the council strike a middle
  ground between Cyril and Nestorius?
• How does the council try to balance discussion of
  human and divine natures?