Download 4. Second Council of Ephesus (449), Not always counted

 After Paul, who did the most to spread Christianity was killed,
Christianity went into a slump until three men got it started again a few
centuries later
 Diocletian
244 – 311 CE
 Constantine I 306 – 333 CE
 Theodosius
347 – 395 CE
DiocleTian
The Emperor Gaius Aurelius Valerius
Diocletianus (A.D. 284-305) put an end to
the disastrous phase of Roman history
known as the "Military Anarchy" or the
"Imperial Crisis" (235-284). He established
an obvious military despotism and was
responsible for laying the groundwork for
the second phase of the Roman Empire,
which is known variously as the
"Dominate," the "Tetrarchy," the "Later
Roman Empire," or the "Byzantine Empire."
His reforms ensured the continuity of the
Roman Empire in the east for more than a
244 – 311 CE
thousand years.
DiocleTian
The Emperor Gaius Aurelius Valerius
Diocletianus (A.D. 284-305) put an end to
the disastrous phase of Roman history
known as the "Military Anarchy" or the
"Imperial Crisis" (235-284). He established
an obvious military despotism and was
responsible for laying the groundwork for
the second phase of the Roman Empire,
which is known variously as the
"Dominate," the "Tetrarchy," the "Later
Roman Empire," or the "Byzantine Empire."
His reforms ensured the continuity of the
Roman Empire in the east for more than a
244 – 311 CE
thousand years.
DiocleTian
•305 CE Persecutes the Christians in
earnest
•Diocletian was the most savage of all
the persecutors of the church in what is
called the tenth persecution, however,
he ranks as one of the greatest of
Rome's emperors. The sudden about
face in Rome's history, from chaos and
encroaching dissolution to a new access
of vigor and stability, was largely the
product of one reign, that of Diocletian,
who occupied the throne for 20 years.
244 – 311 CE
Diocletian
Palace still standing in Split Croatia
Dioclectian
Palace still standing in Split, Croatia
Constantine
The emperor Constantine has rightly been
called the most important emperor of Late
Antiquity. His powerful personality laid the
foundations of post-classical European
civilization; his reign was eventful and highly
dramatic. His victory at the Milvian Bridge
counts among the most decisive moments in
world history, while his legalization and
support of Christianity and his foundation of a
'New Rome' at Byzantium rank among the
most momentous decisions ever made by a
European ruler. The fact that ten Byzantine
emperors after him bore his name may be seen
as a measure of his importance and of the
esteem in which he was held.
306 – 337 CE
Constantine
•Served under Diocletian
•“Conversion” to Christianity after
seeing sign in heaven at battle of
Milvian Bridge. “Through this sign you
shall conquer,” which he did.
•325 CE Nicea Council makes
Christianity the religion of the Empire
•326 CE Kills son and boils wife alive
•326 CE Moves capital of Empire and
renames it Constantinople
306 – 337 CE
Constantine
•Followed pagan religion his
entire life. Worshiped
Jupiter, etc.
•On deathbed his mother
forced him to convert to
Christianity
306 – 337 CE
Not One Iota

Homoiousios and
Homoousios
Not One Iota
 One of the more fundamental and earliest controversies
within the Christian Church centered around the ideas
identified by two Greek words: homoiousios (ηομοιουσιος),
meaning “of a similar substance,” and homoousios
(ηομοουσιος), meaning “of the same substance”; two words
that differ by a single letter: iota. Christianity was nearly split
by the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet. In Alexandria
around the year 319 CE, the previously obscure presbyter
Arius attempted to rationalize the mystery that Christians
find in the relationship between Jesus and God. He attracted a
large following preaching the neoplatonist idea of the
absolute oneness of the divinity. He felt that this was a unity
that could not be shared, and therefore Jesus was a lesser deity
who had been called into existence by God. Jesus was
“homoiousian,” that is, of a similar nature to God, but not the
same as, God.
Not One Iota
 Opponents, led most prominently by Athanasius, bishop of
Alexandria, preached that Jesus was in fact “homoousian,” the
same as God. This caused such conflict that Emperor
Constantine demanded they work out their differences at
what became the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE.
 The homoosians won the debate and codified their beliefs in a
set of statements known as the original Nicene Creed, which
states that Jesus is “one in being” with the Father. A version of
the creed is still recited at mass by Catholics to this day.
Not One Iota
 The homoosians won the debate
and codified their beliefs in a set of
statements known as the original
Nicene Creed, which states that
Jesus is “one in being” with the
Father. A version of the creed is still
recited at mass by Catholics to this
day.
Theodocius
•362 CE Julian outlaws teaching of
Christianity
•380 CE at Council of Nicea Theodosius
establishes
Christianity as the official state religion
and also declares:
•
God and Jesus are of the same
substance (Jesus is a God)
•
The Trinity is a fact
•This caused huge dissent since neither of
these are explicit in the Bible.
347 – 395 CE
Theodocius
•Theodosius claimed that if you
didn’t agree you were an insane,
demented heretic
•Many were killed over many
centuries over these two issues
•394 Banned Olympic Games
(until 1896)
347 – 395 CE
How Christianity Was
Created
Jesus Wars, Phillip Jenkins
How Four Patriarchs Three Queens, and Two Emperors Decided What Christians
Would Believe for the Next 1500 Years
Who was Jesus Christ?
• A human being that may or may not have existed. This option is not for theological
arguments or
• A man that was somehow transmuted into a half man half God at some point in his
life or
• A God in all aspects, living among humans
What is Christianity?
• Various religious dogmas and practices which resulted from the 8 Councils
that took place from 325 to 787, loosely based on the Bible
• Several competing branches with similarities and severe differences
• Dogmas are similar, but slight differences have lead to numerous religious
wars.
Definitions
• Monophysite: Christ has single divine nature
• Miaphysites Christ had two natures human and divine
• Coptics, Egypt
• Oriental Orthodox churches, Syria, Ethiopia and Armenia
• Caledonians another name for Miaphysites, adhere to the conclusions of the Council of
Chalcedonia
List of Councils
1.
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7.
8.
First Council of Nicea (325)
First Council of Constantinople (381)
Council of Ephesus (431)
Second Council of Ephesus (449), Not always counted
Council of Chalcedon (451)
Second Council of Constantinople (553)
Third Council of Constantinople (680 – 681)
Second Council of Nicea (787)
What Were Main Issues?
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Nature of Christ
Definition and role of Holy Spirit
Definition and Role of Trinity
Mary's Role
First Council of Nicea
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Time 325
Location Asia minor east of Constantinople
Main Characters Arius, Athanasius of Alexandria
Issues
• Arius, Christ inferior to God
• Athanasius, All 3 in Trinity were equal
• Conclusions: Trinitarians won, Athanasius went on to become Bishop of Alexandria
First Council of Constantinople
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Time 381
Location Constantinople
Main Characters Theodosius I
Issues
• Trinity. Asrius’ Arianism had remained powerful after Nicea and Thedosius wanted to
put Arianism down
• Conclusions: Expanded Nicean creed, but still referred to as Nicean creed
• Time 431
• Location Greece
• Main Characters
Council of Ephesus
• Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople made Virgin Mary the mother of Christ, but not God
due to two natures of Christ
• Cyril of Alexandria taught full unity of Christ’s natures
• Issues: Christology, the nature of Christ
• Conclusions: Cyril won, Nestorian party was condemned
• Time 449
• Location Greece
• Main Characters
Second Council of Ephesus
• Flavin condemned Christ’s singe nature
• Dioscurous’ council met and condemned Flavius
• Issues: Church of Constantinople was deeply split
• Conclusions:
• The resulting mob beat Flavius to death
• The church rejected this council and called it the “Gangster Council”
Second Council of Ephesus Notable event
At a critical moment, a band of monks and soldiers took control of the meeting hall forcing
bishops to sign a blank paper on which the winning side later filled in its own favored statement.
This document targeted Flavian who was beaten to death.
Council of Chalcedon
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Time 451
Location Turkey
Main Characters: Pope Leo 1
Issues: Christ’s nature
Conclusions:
• Formulated a definition of Christ’s being that presented him as both fully divine and fully
human
• This historic Chalcedonian definition owed much to the thought of pope Leo 1
Second Council of Constantinople
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Time 553
Location: Constantinople
Main Characters: Justinian
Issues: Monophysite movement still active
Conclusions:
• Condemn writings of long dead Theologians but created new disagreements.
• After years in prison pope Vigilius was bullied into accepting councils decisions
Third Council of Constantinople
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Years 681 – 81
Location: Constantinople
Main characters: Byzantine emperors
Issues: They wanted to establish in spite of Christ’s physical nature that he had a
single will
• Conclusions: This pleased nobody and was attacked as heresy, They condemned
Monotheletism, proclaiming that Christ had two wills and two natures
Second Council of Nicea
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Year 787
Location Nicea
Main characters Byzantine empire
Issues: Split violently over icons and images calming they were idolatrous
Concusionss: Images were declared legitimate provided there were venerated
as opposed to being worshipped in their own right
The Shifting Religious Balance
in the Roman Empire 470 - 650
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470 – 518
Dominance of Monophysite imperial regimes
480 – 550 Emergence of separate Nestorian church
510 -- 600 Emergence of separate Monophysite churches
518 – 630 Strong imperial enforcement of Chaldedonian order
630 – 650 Collapse of Roman Christian Rule or Egypt and Near East
Result of the Split within Ancient Christianity
• The split within ancient Christianity prepared the way for outside powers who would
exploit intra-Christian divisions---first the Persians and eventually the Muslims.
Without the great split the rise of Islam would have been unthinkable.
Notably and Remarkably Absent
All discussion relative to salvation details, except for
the creed