RE 113

• The Development of Catholic Trinitarian Theology was discussed in Jesus Christ Course Document #: TX001188.
• The salvation of humankind proceeds from a true human will, freely acting.
• Trinitarian theology developed over time through God’s Revelation and guidance.
• The Church clarified the truth of the doctrine through ecumenical councils.
• Ecumenical councils are gatherings of the Church’s bishops from around the world, convened by the Pope, to discuss and resolve pressing issues in the Church.
• Early Church communities were widespread around the Roman Empire.
• Communication between the early Church communities was limited and challenging.
• Many people had their own theories about who Jesus was and what his time on earth achieved.
• In some cases, it took years for theological issues to be raised and clarified.
• Early ecumenical councils developed the vocabulary and the process to express the depth, breadth, and meaning of sacred truths.
• During the first several centuries of the Church, some Christological heresies, or incorrect beliefs about Jesus, developed.
• Docetism, Gnosticism, Arianism, Nestorianism, and Monophysitism are examples of Christological heresies.
• A heresy is an opinion or doctrine not in line with the accepted teaching of the church; the opposite of orthodoxy.
• The term heresy derives from the Greek hairesis meaning “choice” or “thing chosen”.
• The founder of a heretical group is called a heresiarch.
• One who espouses heresy is called a heretic.
• To espouse means to adopt or support.
• Heresy and heretics were often declared anathema.
• Anathema is something or someone that is cursed/damned, or that one vehemently dislikes; or a formal curse, or ban, by a pope or a council of the Church, excommunicating a person or denouncing a doctrine.
• Studying heresy helps us better know our own faith.
• Although many heresies died out 100’s, even 1000’s, of years ago, they sometimes pop up in popular culture or in “New Age” religions that claim to be compatible with Orthodox Christianity.
• For example, consider Star Trek V: The Final Frontier: “McCoy: We were speculating if God really is out there, Kirk: Maybe he's not out there, Bones”.
• Eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God.
• The Council of Chalcedon focused on God the Son, was attended by 350 bishops, and declared that Jesus has two natures: human and divine, undivided and inseparable.
• The Council of Chalcedon teaches that the incarnate Word of God is only one individual but has two “things”, His Divine and Human natures.
• The Council of Ephesus, in AD 431, affirms that Jesus is the personal bridge, the personal Mediator between God and Humanity.
• The distinction of natures endures and that the properties of each are maintained.
• The Nicene Creed, written in AD 325, speaks about the “INTEGRAL HUMANITY OF JESUS CHRIST” versus Apollinarius of Laodicea who denied the human soul of Jesus.
• Eutyches, a monk of Constantinople, teaches that there is only one nature in Jesus Christ.
• According to St. Maximus, the Confessor, the Two Natural Wills, the divine and the human, work in full concordance (work in communion, unity, harmony, agreement) if Christ has two natures, He has also two wills and modes of actions, belonging respectively to each nature, both of which are intimately united on one and the same Christ God.
• There are Human and Divine nature in one person, Jesus Christ.
• The Council of Chalcedon, in AD 451, affirms that Jesus is truly God, Jesus is truly human, Jesus is one person in whom both divine and human exist without division, without confusion.
• According to the Nicene Creed, Jesus is God humanized, not man divinized.
• The two natures in Jesus Christ exist without division or separation.
• Monoimus, a 3rd century heretic, stated that God is located in the human heart.
• Docetism, a heretical doctrine, stated that Jesus only appeared to have a human body, so his suffering and death were not real.
• Monophysitism was rejected by the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451.
• The two most important, Nicaea and Chalcedon, took place in what is now modern-day Turkey.
• The Council of Nicaea countered Arianism.
• Between AD 325 and 787, seven ecumenical councils were held to define Christological and Trinitarian doctrines: First Council of Nicaea (AD 325), First Council of Constantinople (AD 381), Council of Ephesus (AD 431), Council of Chalcedon (AD 451), Second Council of Constantinople (AD 553), Third Council of Constantinople (AD 680), Second Council of Nicaea (AD 787).