4.15 The Heresies—Nestorianism: Two People in One

Way of the Fathers

The pendulum swings again as Nestorius overreacts against Apollinarius, and emphasizes the distinction between the two natures in Christ, to the point of describing a radical separation of natures. It was as if Nestorius was saying that Christ is not one Person, but two - a divine Person and a human Person, united only as long as the human will submits to the divine will. This solution corrected Apollinarius’ diminished human nature, but it divided the life and actions of Christ into two, even to the point of claiming that Mary was not the Mother of his divine nature.

Links

To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 45 on John Cassian: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/045john-cassian-monk-on-move-solitary-in-city/

To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 46 on Cyril of Alexandria: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/46cyril-alexandria-fifth-century-man-from-uncle/

To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 2.4 on The Council of Ephesus: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/24-ephesus-mother-all-controversies/

To read John Casein’s On the Incarnation of the Lord Against Nestorius: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2097&repos=8&subrepos=0&searchid=2405100

To read Cyril of Alexandria’s On the Unity of Christ: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_christ_is_one_01_text.htm

For more on the christological controversies in context, see the book: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: https://sophiainstitute.com/product/reading-the-church-fathers/

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Dr. Papandrea’s Homepage: http://www.jimpapandrea.com

Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed: https://www.ccwatershed.org/