Zabolotnyi Evgenii

The Christology of the Church of the East: the main trends of development from the fifth to early seventh centuries

Abstract

The article deals with the unsolved problem of the relationship between the Antiochene theology and the Christology of the Church of the East. Special attention was paid to the problem of the influence exercised by the theological systems of Theodore of Mopsuestia and Nestorius on the development of the East Syrian Church doctrine from the 5th to early 7th centuries, i.e. the most important age in the history of doctrine, and the problem of periodization. The author have studied the main writings of the East Syrian theologians of the period and decisions of the councils (from the council of 486 which officially adopted “Theodorian” Christological scheme to the reception of the “Nestorian” Christology of two hypostases at the assembly of bishops of 612). The study of the Syriac sources allowed of drawing an important conclusion about the heterogeneity of the development of the East Syrian Church doctrine and existence of the two main trends within the Christology of this Church, i.e. the “Theodorian” Christology accepted by Narsai and the “Nestorian” theology that Babai the Great and the bishops who participated in the asssembly of 612 followed.

Keywords

Antiochene School, Babai the Great, Сhristology, Church of the East, Narsai, Nestorius, Syriac Christianity, Theodore of Mopsuestia.

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Zabolotnyi Evgenii