CHRISTOLOGICAL CONTROVERSIES TIMELIME

HERESY

• A teaching or belief that is contrary to the belief of the Church.
• Material heresy: When a person believes something is a Church teaching but it actually isn't.
• Formal heresy: When someone believes in something incompatible with the Church teachings.

ECUMENICAL COUNCILS

• A gathering of all the bishops in the world to pray about, discuss and clarify important Christian beliefs.
• Nicea 325 AD (Arianism)
• Constantinople 381 AD
• Ephesus 449 AD (Nestorianism)
• Chalcedon 451 AD

COUNCIL OF NICEA

• 325 AD
• Discussion about Arianism (Athanasius's belief)
• Used homoousios to reaffirm Christ's divinity
• Homoousios: The same individual substance shared by particular subjects.

Arianism

• Comes from the bishop Arius who said, "There was a time when the Son was not."
• Arius believed the Son was created by the Father.
• The bishop Athanasius showed the Church that Arianism did not fit with the teachings from Scripture and Tradition.
• Discussed at Council of Nicea
• "Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began," (John 17: 5).

Council of Constantinople

• 381 AD
• Affirmed Christ's full humanity, His existence before all ages, His double-generation, and His oneness with the Father.

COUNCIL OF EPHESUS

• 449 AD
• Discussion about Nestorianism (Nestorius's belief)
• Affirmed that Christ's two natures (human & divine) are not separated.
• Proclaimed Mary as "Theotokos," which means Mother of God.

NESTORIANISM

• Bishop Nestorius taught Jesus's natures (human & divine) were not united with each other.
• Believed Mary should be called the Mother or Christ "Christokos," not Mother of God "Theotokos."
• Bishop Saint Cyril of Alexandria showed the Church that Nestorianism did not flow with what we are taught from Scripture and Tradition.
• Discussed at Council of Ephesus

The Church thus confesses that Jesus is inseparably true God and true man. He is truly the Son of God who, without ceasing to be God and Lord, became a man and our brother:
"What he was, he remained and what he was not, he assumed", sings the Roman Liturgy. And the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom proclaims and sings: "O only-begotten Son and Word of God, immortal being, you who deigned for our salvation to become incarnate of the holy Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, you who without change became man and were crucified, O Christ our God, you who by your death have crushed death, you who are one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us!" (CCC469).

Arianism

Nestorianism

Council of Nicea video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JHi3RbtF7Zk