Council of Chalcedon

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Council of Chalcedon
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Council of Chalcedon

• 451 (another important date!)
• Concludes debate started at Nicea (325)
• Definitive teaching about Christ
• Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox christologies
  today work with the formula of Chalcedon
• Yet, theres still a lot of room for thinking
  about Christ
• Negative, not positive, formula allows this
• rule for Christological language (p. 30)
  doesnt totally explain who Jesus is, but sets
  language for talking about Christ

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Pope Leo I

• Rise of papal authority
• first few centuries bishop of Rome is first
  among equals
• Honor for apostle Peter, head of the apostles
• 5 prominent patriarchs
• 5th century Pope steps in to help resolve
  disputes
• But council actually resolves it pope just helps
• East and West split 1054
• In West, only patriarch is bishop of Rome
• East does not accept his authority over other
  patriarchs
• High point of papal authority 1070s to 1300s
• Pope is head spiritual authority AND all
  political authorities must submit to him

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Chalcedon, 451

• Strikes a middle ground
• Condemns Nestorius (divides two natures)
• Condemns Eutyches (confuses two natures into one)
• Not every word is equally important!
• Formula of Chalcedon
• Jesus Christ is one person, two natures
• Natures cannot be confused or separated

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So what? What does this mean?

• Contemporary images of Jesus
• Churches
• Art
• Film, TV, music
• What might Chalcedon mean for these?
• divide human and divine natures in Christ?
• confuse human and divine natures in Christ?
• Unspoken rule cannot overemphasize one nature to
  the exclusion of the other

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For next time

• Read background on Augustine in Chidester
• Teaching Christianity, book 1
• How does he define use and enjoyment?
• How are human problems related to mixing up these
  two forms of love?
• How should Christians love other people (read
  carefully!)?