Alexandrian school of christology pdf

This antiochene school, which in general is characterized as more sober in its exegesis, more reflective of the various teaching, this. The catechetical school of alexandria is the oldest catechetical school in the world. The school of alexandria coptic orthodox diocese of the. As in the area of the doctrine of the trinity, the general development of christology has been characterized by a plurality of views and formulations. Christianity the christological controversies britannica. With the council of constantinople 381 the trinitarian controversy was settled.

Clement is known in the history of the church as the first christian scholar. Antiochene methods of interpretation in the development of the christian church, the period lasting from the council of nicaea until the council of chalcedon in 451 is considered by some scholars to be the golden age of patristic exegesis. Mark himself and the first manager appointed by saint mark was saint justus, who later became the sixth bishop of alexandria. Solutions intermediate between the positions of antioch and alexandria were constantly proposed. Preaching and researching an alexandrian christology 1834. Covering the period from the publication of arians to newmans first insights into the development of doctrine, the chapter focuses on the three summer vacations which he spent researching the christology of different greek patristic authors and the result on newman. Preaching and researching an alexandrian christology 183440. A timeline for the historical development of christology. The school of alexandria part i an introduction to the. The christological teaching of the council of chalcedon, a. Many scholars regard clement as the founder of the alexandrian school of theology, which emphasized the divine nature of christ. There he remains in a state of exaltation while his work is carried on amongst men through the holy spirit.

The alexandrian school of christology unites the human and the divine to such an extent that the distinction of the two gets blurred. A reconsideration of alexandrian christology volume 22 issue 2 frances m. The separation from the imperial church of the bishops who led the nestorian schism and the capture of antioch in 637 by the rising power of islam checked any further distinctive development of the school of antioch. Origen to athanasius volume 30 john anthony mcguckin. Origen was perhaps the greatest thinker the church has had, and his life as a christian has been an example to all. At the commencement of the christian era, alexandria possessed two splendid scientific institutions which cast into. Iv modern criticism of chalcedon orthodox chalcedonian christology has been assailed on various grounds. The school of alexandria coptic orthodox diocese of. The christological teaching of the council of chalcedon of a. Jul 24, 2007 i have read several times the christology of major alexandrian writers as athanasius and cyril, and i do not agree wholly with it, especially with their writings about of the hypostatic union. Introduction to historical theology the patristic period. The antiochian school, originating in antioch, syria, appeared to have been influenced by the jewish mentality where the humanity of jesus was overemphasised to the point of denying the divinity of jesus.

Kenneth kantzer, the christology of karl barth, bulletin of the evangelical theological society 1. While the alexandrian school adopted the hypostasis union or the nature union of the. This group was known by this name because the advocates of this tradition were based in the city of antioch, one of the major cities of the ancient roman empire. A less ontological view of the trinity distinguished the antiochene from the alexandrian theology. Alexandrian school argued that the incarnate son had but a single, divine nature see monophysitism, and in this view, again, jesus humanity was compromised. This brings us back to where we were last tuesday with the discussion of christology. Students either revel or tolerate the complexities of the development of the doctrine, but until quite recent years, the topic is one that largely remained as a historical study in the professional life of pastors and academics. A reconsideration of alexandrian christology the journal of. He has requested that we convey that any suggestions or amendments regarding. These issues were discussed and debated for years and the decision reached at chalcedon 451 ultimately split the empire into two religious groups which. At alexandria these teachers contributed to the understanding of the christian faith based on the greek. The most active center of christianity during the second to fourth centuries was alexandria. School of alexandria book one before origen preparatory edition 1995 fr. The christological function of divine impassibility.

On that issue, i am more antiochene, i am more like nestorius, when read in primary sources, or theodret in his responses to cyrils 12 anathemas. Besides the main alexandrian views on allegorism, philosophy, and knowledge gnosis, of which i prefer to speak in separate chapters, the school of alexandria had the following characteristics. These issues were discussed and debated for years and the decision reached at chalcedon 451 ultimately split the empire into two religious groups. The christology of cyril of alexandria in on the unity of christ. Jan 22, 2003 the alexandrian school of theology is best characterized by examining some of the teachings of its two best know representatives, clement and origen, and the overall shift in biblical exegesis they practiced. A closer look reveals that the fathers, culminating in cyril of alexandria, presupposed that the concept of divine impassibility. Introduction to christology larry fraher introduction to christology in the beginning was the word, and the word was with god and the word was god. Pdf the christology of cyril of alexandria in on the. Under its earliest known leaders pantaenus, clement, and origen, it became a leading centre of the allegorical method of biblical interpretation, espoused a. This chapter examines what newman had to say between the years of 1834 and 1840 about the doctrine of christs person and works. And with these kinds of hermeneutics we could draw out which one should be embraced by the church in relation to our. All things came into being through him, and without him, not one thing came into being. Early christological heresies introduction when a bible student reads some of the history of the early church regarding the theological debates about the trinity and the natures of christ, he can be easily overwhelmed with detail and thrown into complete confusion. Christology, rely for their proof texts heavily on the new testament scriptures.

The precise christological sense of a word in any patristic writer cannot be gained from a dictionary articles many nuances, rather it needs to be derived from the actual context of the ancient argument, in accordance with. I have read several times the christology of major alexandrian writers as athanasius and cyril, and i do not agree wholly with it, especially with their writings about of the hypostatic union. Today i want to talk about the theological traditions associated with alexandria and antioch. On the other hand, we have the antiochene school of christology. Early on, the catechetical school of alexandria was under the leadership of pantaenus c. In this paper, i do not aim to discuss the details of the council of chalcedon, but to refer to the main points of the. Christianity christianity the christological controversies. The christology of cyril of a lexandria in on the unity of christ. But first of all, just to bring together in your minds some of the information which i have given to you at various times but perhaps hasnt really sort of come together in. A reconsideration of alexandrian christology the journal. In addition, there were the serapeum and the sebastion. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light. Following his postresurrection ministry christ ascended to the right hand of the father.

Schmeling the christology of the seven ecumenical councils page 2 was especially true when eutyches, an aged abbot in constantinople associated with the alexandrian school, was rehabilitated by the robber synod of 449, even though he confessed. Long before the establishment of christianity in alexandria, the city was famous for its many schools. The school of antioch versus the school of alexandria. The alexandrian and antiochian christological thoughts1. The alexandrian school on the other hand, did not restrict itself to a literal interpretation of scripture, but favored allegorical or spiritual methods of interpretation in their christology in order to supposedly discover concealed truth in the literal gospel narratives and the rest of the biblical texts.

School of alexandria long before the establishment of christianity in alexandria, the city was famous for its many schools. In 449, second council of ephesus, also named robber synod, declared that. School of alexandria, the first christian institution of higher learning, founded in the mid2nd century ad in alexandria, egypt. Paul, of the catholic epistles, of the fourth gospel, and the synoptics.

By far, the largest school was the museum, which was founded by ptolemy and became the most famous school in the east. Alexandrian christology, however, originating in alexandria, a center of. Define alexandrian christology baptist christian forums. The chalcedonian formula of 451 provided no point of agreement for those entrenched in prior commitments to the divergent doctrines of alexandrian and antiochene christology. Thus we shall give the reader a complete christology of the new testament and at the same time the data necessary to control the contentions of the modernists. The christology of saint cyril of alexandria in the. The catechetical school in alexandria has delivered a number of prolific scholars and writers during the first centuries of the common era, up to its demise by the end of the 4th century. The christology of saint cyril of alexandria in the context. Pdf the christology of cyril of alexandria in on the unity. Jerome records that the christian school of alexandria was founded by st. And thus, alexandria became the birthplace of the hermetic and alchemical arts and was a unique flowering. Introduction to historical theology the patristic period c. The alexandrian school is a collective designation for certain tendencies in literature, philosophy, medicine, and the sciences that developed in the hellenistic cultural center of alexandria, egypt during the hellenistic and roman periods.

Alexandrian school of christology and nestorius is a representative of the antiochene school of. Mcdonald, development and christology, vox evangelica 9 1975. Alexandrian school of christology wanted to hold the union of human and divine in the incarnation so close that this school of christology fell into the danger of losing the human in the divine or at least mixing it with the divine. The school of alexandria was probably the most important centre of christian learning in the early church under such teachers as clement, origen, dionysius and didymus. The trinity has long been a standard topic in theological education. The christology of saint cyril of alexandria in the context of theological disputes in the fifth. Biblical and theological studies on the trinity on jstor. Two particular solutions became so controversial as to be deemed heretical. Jul 19, 2011 hermeneutics is a discipline that deals with biblical interpretation. The precise christological sense of a word in any patristic writer cannot be gained from a dictionary articles many nuances, rather it needs to be derived from the actual context of the ancient argument, in accordance with the tradition paradosis of that writers school. Deification the grace of renewal many scholars see the core of alexandrian theology as deification or the grace of renewal. Hermeneutics is a discipline that deals with biblical interpretation.

In christology the divergence between antioch and alexandria is sharpest. During the patristic era, the alexandrian and antiochene hermeneutics seem to have laid the history of the hermeneutics that we are using today. The tendency was toward sabellianism, due to its recoil from the tritheistic drift of the alexandrian trinitarianism but the charge of modalism was strongly repudiated. The ancient church ch501 the ancient church lesson 18 of 24. Answering that question is the task of what we call christology, a word that means the study of christ and that refers to the. Origen believed in an inferior semiarian son rather than a coequal trinitarian son. Full text views reflects the number of pdf downloads, pdfs sent. Indeed, the mixing of christianity with stoicism and platonism in alexandrian was performed to a degree not realized anywhere else in orthodox circles and, according to some, resulted in a christian gnosticism. The alexandrian and antiochian christological thoughts1 many scholars attribute the problem of the christological formula concerning the nature of christ miaphysis and dyophyses to the controversy between the alexandrian and the antiochian theology. Christology and apatheia in cyril of alexandria when the alexandrian fathers employed the language of apatheia, they were not simply paying homage to hellenisms apophatic tradition. The school of antioch was one of the two major centers of the study of biblical exegesis and theology during late antiquity.

The ancient church ch501 the ancient church lesson 18 of. Malaty has kindly permitted that his books be published in the coerl. Alexandria was a remarkable center of learning due to the blending of greek and oriental influences, its. Answering that question is the task of what we call christology, a word that means the study of christ and that refers to the branch of christian theology dealing with the person of christ. Jun 10, 2008 these search terms have been highlighted. There are four undeniable historical facts from the writings of origen. The antiochene school had had its day of contributing to the great theological debates and teaching of the early church. In the school of alexandria, egyptian priests, jewish rabbis, magi from persia, brahmins and buddhist monks from india, gnostic christians, druids and shamans, met in an atmosphere of inclusiveness and mutual respect. There he remains in a state of exaltation while his. School of alexandria institution, alexandria, egypt. However, questions regarding the nature of christ remained. Little is known of pantaenus other than his status as a converted stoic philosopher and the teacher of clement of alexandria. Support cyril and condemn nestorious, who advocates two natures and two persons in christ. An introduction to christology surely the most important question in the world is the one that forms the title for this article.