Christological controversies of the Early Church WT-SST-KCK
- http://6zemgap (term 2021/22_Z)
The first eight centuries were a key period in the development of Christology. The Councils held then formulated the most important Christological dogmas (one person having two natures) and their further implications. The Church’s Fathers also developed an appropriate terminology to link biblical data with Greek philosophy. The development of the dogmas developed in polemics with heterodox and heretical views, which provide an important context for the development of Christology.
The course will present the following topics:
1. The Christology of the New Testament. Christological titles.
2. The Christology in the writings of the Post-apostolic Fathers. Tensions between Judeo-Christian and Ethno-Christian theological categories. The first heresies: ebionism and doketism.
3. The Apologists and Logos theology (Irenaeus, Justin). Models: Logos-sarx and Logos-anthropos. Polemic with Gnosticism.
4. The 2nd-3rd Century heresies: subordinationism, monarchianism, modalism (Sabellianism).
5. The Christology of Origen.
6. The subordinationism of Arius.
7. The Council of Nicaea (325) and the formula homoousios.
8. The homoousians, homoiousians, homei, anomei. Christology of the Cappadocian Fathers.
9. Apollinaris of Laodicea and the formula mia physis (one nature).
10. The Antiochian Christology (Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodoret of Cyr) versus Alexandrian Christology (Cyril of Alexandria).
11 The Nestorian Controversy. The settlement of Ephesus (431-433).
12. The Council of Chalcedon and its formulations (451) towards the problem of Monophysitism.
13. The monothelitism and the monoenergism.
14. The consequences of the theology of the Incarnation towards the problem of the Iconoclasm.
(in Polish) Dyscyplina naukowa, do której odnoszą się efekty uczenia się
(in Polish) E-Learning
(in Polish) Grupa przedmiotów ogólnouczenianych
Subject level
(in Polish) Punkty ECTS
Learning outcome code/codes
Type of subject
Preliminary Requirements
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Students will be able to:
- present the Catholic understanding of the person and mission of Jesus Christ
- explain the meaning of the New Testament view
- explain the theological errors of christological heresies
- identify the dogmatic rulings of the Councils on Christ
- explain Christological terminology
Assessment criteria
Active participation in lectures (two absences possible) - 25%
Mid-semester written work (25%)
Final exam (oral) - 50%
Final Exam Theses:
1. The origin and meaning of Christological titles in the New Testament and the writings of the post-apostolic period.
2. The theology of the Logos and His Incarnation in the writings of Justin and Irenaeus of Lyons against the background of Gnostic concepts.
3. The Christology of Origen in the context of the heresies of Monarchianism, Modalism, and Subordinationism.
4. Similarities and differences of the Christological concepts of Arius and Apolinarius of Laodicea.
5. The Christology of the Alexandrian school versus Monophysitism.
6. Christology of the Antiochian school versus Nestorianism.
7. Analysis of the Christological concepts and terminologies clashing at the Councils of Ephesus (431), Chalcedon (451) and Constantinople III (680).
8. The history of the Iconoclastic controversy and the theology of Icon’s veneration.
Bibliography
Artykuły w „Vox Patrum” nr 38-39 (2001)
Calore G., Teologiczne znaczenie osoby i natury w świetle chrystologii Soboru Chalcedońskiego, „Warszawskie Studia Teologiczne” XXXI/4/2018, s. 146-165, http://cejsh.icm.edu.pl/cejsh/element/bwmeta1.element.ojs-doi-10_30439_WST_2018_4_9/c/16-12.pdf
Grillmeier A., Christ in Christian Tradition, vol. I: From the Apostolic Age to Chalcedon (451); vol. II: From the Council of Chalcedon (451) to Gregory the Great (590-604), Westminster John Knox Press 1965.
Jankowski A., Rozwój chrystologii Nowego Testamentu, Kraków: WAM, 2005.
O’Collins G., Chrystologia. Jezus Chrystus w ujęciu biblijnym historycznym i systematycznym, Kraków 2008
Ratzinger J., Tajemnica Jezusa Chrystusa, Kielce 1994
Sesboue B., Wolinski J., Historia dogmatów, tom 1: Bóg Zbawienia, Kraków: Wydawnictwo M, 1999.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: