“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1: 14. The verse that has inspired and bewildered Christians for centuries. Since its occurrence, church members and theologians have marveled at the principle of the Incarnation. How could God, perfect, sinless, unable to suffer, become sinful, corruptible flesh, and suffer ultimate punishment for the sins of man? This is the same question that puzzled many early church fathers, and the one that most potently effected Cyril, bishop of Alexandria. It led to intense church controversy, leaving Cyril a legacy and a reputation still impressed upon him today, and leaving another church leader disgraced in the depths of heresy. But before studying Cyril’s main theological conflict, one must first understand the circumstances and experiences that lead him to that point.
When Cyril was born in 376 AD, he would not be the first member of his family to become a significant leader in the early church. His own uncle, Theophilus, was the Pope of Alexandria at the time, predecessor to Cyril. Cyril finally did take over leadership, despite the opinions of some area politicians (Litfin, 2007), at a turbulent time in Christianity, both in Alexandria and around the Christian world. Growing dissention and violence were rearing their heads between Christian and pagan leaders, and amongst different groups within the church itself. In a sad blemish on his legacy, Cyril did not end this tradition. Soon after coming to power, he proceeded to drive out the Jewish population from Alexandria. Not much later, his followers murdered a popular Neo-Platonist philosopher named Hypatia, stirring up intense controversy between opposing religious sects of the city (Butler, 2003). These controversies would sev...
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...e from Cyril is not limited to his writings and theology, however. A careful look at the cause and effect of some of his actions can also yield useful knowledge that pertains to carrying out the Christian life.
Bibliography
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Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition Bible. Eds. Dom Bernand Orchard, Rev. R. V. Fuller. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1966. Print.
I invite you to consider the life of an interesting human being with me in this paper. Let us investigate together the man known as Irenaeus of Lyons. We will endeavor to gain an overall verbal portrait of the man who is considered the most significant ecclesiastical witness before Eusebius and the leading theologian in the second century A. D. The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church both consider Irenaeus to be one of their “holy saints“. The name Irenaeus means a “‘man of peace,’ and the early Christian historian Eusebius honored Irenaeus as a peacemaker in keeping with his name.”
Unlike the Eastern Orthodox Church, the “truly Trinitarian framework [of] our worship and life has rarely been found” in the Western Church (pg. 6). Possibly due to the early church’s Hellenistic influence, emphasis has always been placed on worshiping the ONE high God. So much focus on one God created an irrelevance to the requirement of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in the Trinity. Similarly, when the doctrine was attacked by reason in the enlightenment period, Christians st...
Robert M. Grant was an early church historian and professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School, he was an also an Episcopalian minister. Grant tells the reader in his preface that his work is not so much a history of the early church as it is a “venture into the reconstruction of early Christian practicality. ” According to the author, the book was written to contrast the mythical and romanticize vision of the early church which, too often is associated with accounts of the early church. Grant believes that this is caused by a great divide in study between the sacred and the secular and is a serious mistake , and that, much like issues which concern religious liberty in our world today, the church must be understood and studied in relation to society. His first three studies mirror this conviction; he focuses on topics which bridge the gap between church and state. In this book review I will summarize sections I-III and then evaluate these three sections .
"EXPLORING THEOLOGY 1 & 2." EXPLORING THEOLOGY 1 2. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.
Schaff, Philip, and Henry Wace. A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church. 5 vols. The Christian literature company, 1890.
Francis of Assisi is one of the most influential personalities in the entire world. In the book ‘Francis of Assisi: Performing the Gospel Life,’ Cunningham recounts the life of this humble monk who lived in the medieval times, and shaped the Christian life, which spread in Western culture throughout the rest of history. I believe Cunningham accurately accounts for the life of Francis of Assisi, and in doing so; he provides a trajectory of the Christian faith from its early and historical proponents through its fusion with western culture, and its subsequent spread throughout the world.
...s distributed in Theology 101 at the University of Notre Dame, Fremantle on 22 April 2008.
White, L. Michael. "Paul: His Life and Significance." White, L. Michael. From Jesus to Christianity. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. 143-168. Print.
Hall, Christopher A. (1998) Reading Scripture With The Church Fathers: InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove, Illinois ISBN 0-8308-1500-7
This paper will expose what controversies he was involved in throughout his theological career; why and how he is considered to be a key figure in the development of Christianity; and what insights
Church History in Plain Language is written by Bruce L. Shelley. This work focuses on the history of Christianity from 6 B.C. to the current period. It covers some of Christianity’s greatest events, theologians, and the various subsection of Christianity. Other than the events leading up to the death of Jesus, I had very little knowledge of Christianity’s history. After reading through the book, I have gained understanding on the Christian Councils, scholasticism, Christendom, and modern trends of Christianity.
...r’s opinion of how all clergymen should live and behave. And because he was not willing to conform to corruptness like the others, he and the true teachings of Christianity remained on the outskirts of the medieval church.
Vogelpoel, Neroth Van. "The Context Surrounding the Nestorian Controversy." The Church of the First Five Centuries. 23 Nov. 2006. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. .
Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity. 2nd ed. New York City, NY: HarperOne, 2010.