The Doctrine of the Person of Christ in the Early ChurchThe Nestorian Controversy
Nestorius (d. ca. 451 A.D.) became the bishop of Constantinople in 428 A.D. Nestorius’ view of the person of Christ became known as Nestorianism, or the Logos-Anthropos model of Christology, the second major heresy that faced the theologians. Nestorius effectively taught that there were two Christs. Christ was both fully human and fully divine, but these two natures were in no way united, though they co-existed in a close moral union. He greatly objected to referring to Mary as “mother of God,” or theotokos, because humans must remain entirely separate from the divine. Nestorius had correctly affirmed the dual nature of Christ, but offered a disunited person that was unacceptable to orthodoxy.
Cyril of Alexandria was the primary opponent of Nestorius, though his reasons were a mix of the political and the theological. He was a faithful defender of the unity of Christ’s natures, with an emphasis on His divinity. A strong advocate of Alexandrine Christology, he was repulsed by the fragmented Christ of Nestorius. Additionally, a potential condemnation of Nestorius would reaffirm the authority of the Alexandrian church over Constantinople. Rome traditionally favored Alexandria over Constantinople (due to Constantinople claiming equal authority with Rome), and Nestorius treated the Pelagians lightly, a heresy of primary importance to Rome. If the support of Rome was not enough to have Nestorius condemned, Cyril was in control of a great deal of gold, and with it some other powerful authorities supported him.
Cyril and Nestorius exchanged heated letters pronouncing anathemas against one another, and though Nestorius was condemned at the Roman Synod of 430, the Emperor Valentinian III was forced to call a general council at Ephesus in 431 to resolve the matter. Celestine, the bishop of Rome, immediately condemned Nestorius, who was not present. Four days later Nestorius arrived with John, the bishop of Antioch, who convened their own council and condemned Cyril. But the emporer sided with Cyril and Celestine, and Nestorius was sent away to a monastery in Antioch.
| . | Ibid., 11.8. | | . | Gonzalez, Justo, A History of Christian Thought, Vol I, 355. |
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