Neo-Chalcedonism (also neo-Chalcedonianism) was a sixth-century theological movement in the
Byzantine empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
.
[Karl-Heinz Uthemann, ''Christus, Kosmos, Diatribe: Themen der frühen Kirche als Beitrag zu einer historischen Theologie'', De Gruyter, 2005] The term however is quite recent, first appearing in a 1909 work by
J. Lebon.
Overview
The main preoccupation of neo-Chalcedonians was specifying the nature of the
hypostatic union
''Hypostatic union'' (from the Greek: ''hypóstasis'', "sediment, foundation, substance, subsistence") is a technical term in Christian theology employed in mainstream Christology to describe the union of Christ's humanity and divinity in one h ...
of two natures in Christ, which was left vague in the
definition of Chalcedon. The dyophysite neo-chaldeconians were chiefly opposed by the
monophysites, who increasingly labelled them
Nestorians, that is, deniers of the deity of Christ.
[ Alexander Kazhdan, "Neo-chalcedonism", ''The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium'', ed. Alexander Kazhdan (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005).]
Major neo-Chalcedonians include Nephalios,
John of Caesarea
John (died 1238–41) was the Lord of Caesarea from 1229 and an important figure in the kingdoms of Cyprus and Jerusalem. He was the only son of Walter III of Caesarea and Marguerite d'Ibelin, daughter of Balian of Ibelin. He was often called "th ...
and
Leontios of Jerusalem Leontius of Jerusalem was a Byzantine Christian theologian of the sixth century (and perhaps seventh century), long conflated with the more notable author of the same name, Leontius of Byzantium.
Historically, there has been a problem of misidentif ...
. They sought a middle ground with the so-called "verbal" (moderate) monophysites. They emphasised the synthesis of natures in Christ, employing a word favoured by the verbal monophysites, and the hypostatic as opposed to natural union of the natures. They continued to accept the proposition that only "one of the Trinity has suffered" and the twelve anathemas of
Cyril of Alexandria
Cyril of Alexandria ( grc, Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας; cop, Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ Ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲗⲗⲟⲩ ⲁ̅ also ⲡⲓ̀ⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ Ⲕⲓⲣⲓⲗⲗⲟⲥ; 376 – 444) was the Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444 ...
.
[
The movement achieved supremacy in ]Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
during the pontificates of Anastasius I (559–69, 593–99) and Gregory (569–93) of Antioch. Emperor Justinian I
Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565.
His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovat ...
accepted the neo-Chalcedonian interpretation, and it was approved officially at the Second Council of Constantinople
The Second Council of Constantinople is the fifth of the first seven ecumenical councils recognized by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. It is also recognized by the Old Catholics and others. Protestant opinions and rec ...
in 553. This provoked the Schism of the Three Chapters, which lasted over a century.[
]
References
Further reading
*Allen, Pauline
Pauline Allen, (born 23 February 1948) is an Australian scholar of early Christianity. She is Research Professor of Early Christian Studies and the Director of the Centre for Early Christian Studies at the Australian Catholic University.
Honour ...
. "Neo-Chalcedonism and the Patriarchs of the Late Sixth Century". ''Byzantion'' 50 (1980): 5–17.
*Gray, P. "Neo-Chalcedonianism and the Tradition: From Patristic to Byzantine Theology". ''Byzantinische Forschungen'' 8 (1982): 61–70.
*Helmer, S. ''Der Neuchalkedonismus''. Bonn, 1962.
*Lebon, J. "Le monophysisme sevérien". Louvain, 1909.
*Moeller, C. "Un représentant de la christologie néochalcédonienne au début du VIe siècle en Orient: Nephalius d'Alexandrie". ''Revue d'histoire ecclésiastique'' 40 (1944–45): 73–140.
*Moeller, C. "Le chalcédonisme et le néo-chalcédonisme en Orient de 451 à la fin du VIe siècle". ''Das Konzil von Chalkedon'', vol. 1 (Würzburg, 1951): 666–96.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Neo-chalcedonism
Christianity in the Byzantine Empire
Nature of Jesus Christ