The Council of Chalcedon (Notes on Church History)

 

-The Antiochenes and the Alexandrians were two schools of theology and study who had different ways of understanding christology.

-The Antiochenes, due to their emphasis on a literal interpretation of Scripture, emphasized the humanity of Christ. Their big proponents were Theodore of Mopsuestia, Diodore of Tarsus, Ibas of Edessa, and Theodoret of Cyrus. The Antiochenes also emphasized the distinction between the two natures of Christ. 

-The Alexandrian school emphasized the divine nature of Christ:

 "instead of separating Christ’s human and divine natures, as the Antiochenes tended to do, the Alexandrians united them into as close a oneness as possible – but always at the expense of the human nature. They often made Christ’s humanity into just a tool or instrument which the divine Son took up and used. For the Alexandrians, Christ’s human nature had little or no real agency, activity or power of its own." (Nick Needham)

-After the Nestorian heresy was condemned by the Council of Ephesus in 431, there was still controversy which continued to rage on. 

-Many Syrian bishops, among whom was John of Antioch, continued to fight against Alexandrian christology. They were not happy with what Cyril of Alexandria and the council of Ephesus had done to Nestorius. 

-Theodosius II made Cyril and John sign a "Formula of Union" in 433 AD. This settled the peace for a brief period of time. 

-Controversy began to start up again with a new heresy, that of the monk Eutyches. Eutyches taught that the human nature of Christ was swallowed up in the divine nature, thus blurring the distinction between the two natures. It was an extreme form of the Alexandrian christology. 

-Eutyches was also friends with Barsumas, a monk who was extremely opposed to Theodoret of Cyrus. 

-Flavian, the patriarch of Constantinople condemned Eutyches as a heretic. He was more formally condemned by Eusebius of Dorylaeum in a synod at Constantinople.

-On the other hand, Dioscorus, the patriarch of Alexandria, supported Eutyches. 

-Eutyches wrote to Pope Leo the Great in order to gain support. Leo enlisted Prosper of Aquitaine to help deal with the controversy.

-To settle this controversy, Emperor Theodosius II summoned a second council at Ephesus in 449 AD. This council was led by Dioscorus of Alexandria, and it gave support to Eutyches and reinstated him and excommunicated Flavian of Constantinople. This council also refused to acknowledge the Tome of Pope Leo the Great. The council was so extreme, that some of its attendees caught Flavian of Constantinople and beat him up. Those injuries lead to Flavian's death a few days later. This synod is rightly referred to today as the "Robber synod". 

-Leo sent Renatus and Julius as his legates for the Robber Council in 449 AD. 

-Flavian was replaced by Anatolius as the new patriarch of Constantinople. 

-Pope Leo convened a synod at Rome in which he annulled the proceedings of the Robber Council, blaming Dioscorus for the majority of it. Leo refused to recognize Anatolius as the new patriarch of Constantinople, until he would express assent to Cyril of Alexandria's second letter to Nestorius and his own Tome to Flavian of Constantinople. 

-Theodosius II was killed in 450 in an accident. Marcian replaced him as the new emperor. Marcian was much more favourable to Rome and the Antiochenes. 

-Emperor Marcian summoned the council of Chalcedon in 451. There were about 400 bishops present at this council. 

-At first, most of the bishops (who were influenced by St. Cyril of Alexandria) agreed to a formula that Christ was incarnate from two natures (physis). However, even Eutyches and Dioscorus could agree to this, saying that the two natures united into one nature in Christ.

-At Chalcedon, Pope Leo's ambassadors intervened and stated that they had two options: they could reconsider the formula or Pope Leo would refuse to recognize the proceedings of the council. Eventually, they reached a compromise formula (which Eutyches could accept) which said that Christ was incarnate "in two natures" rather than "from two natures" (the earlier formula). 

-This formula was agreed upon by Leo and the majority of the Eastern bishops, including Anatolius of Constantinople. 

-The council further reversed the decisions of the Robber Council of Ephesus (449) and banished Dioscorus of Alexandria, and restored many of the deposed Antiochene bishops who were excommunicated by the Robber Council of Ephesus. 

-At the first session, lots of shouting and fighting ensued. One side shouted "Cast out the murderer, Dioscorus!". When Theodoret of Cyrus was introduced, one side greeted him as a brother, but the other side shouted "Cast out the Jew! The enemy of God and blasphemer of Christ!". In the end, Theodoret condemned his old friend Nestorius so that he could be accepted by the council. 

-At the fifth session, the imperial commissioner began urging the bishops of the council to make a confessional statement. Anatolius of Constantinople drew up a statement. However, this creedal statement of Anatolius did not incorporate the tome of Pope Leo. Many of the Eastern bishops accepted this, but the papal legates (among whom Paschasinus) and some Oriental bishops protested against it. In the end, the Chalcedonian Creed was produced, which did draw on the Tome of Leo.