This distinction corresponds in some degree to his distinction between letter and spirit, and it is only the ceremonial law as letter that Origen rejects. i.e, word became flesh. Theodore of Mopsuestia prefers to speak of the perfect union of Christs natures rather than synthesis. (LogOut/ Externally, the schools are not as distinct as they have been made out to be: the Alexandrians do not allegorize away the OT as much as has been thought, and the Antiochenes are not necessarily more literal in their methods than the Alexandrians. This led him to a rather syncretistic blend of Hellenistic cosmology and Logos christology, with the result that later interpreters would fault Clement for some of his Gnostic tendencies. [23] But the reason for this is historical rather than anthropological. 3:6). The literal sense is thus reduced to a mere receptacle, playing only an instrumental or subordinate role. Origen, Contra Celsum, 1.4-5; 5.37. WebANTIOCHENE THEOLOGY The dominant theology of the early Church in Antioch. The goal of this paper will be to evaluate the life and work of one representative of the Alexandrian tradition, Origen of Alexandria. Two interpretive traditions emerged: the Alexandrian and the Antiochene. This method is set forth most explicitly in his work De Principiis (On First Principles), and is also evident in his numerous commentaries. Christology Alexandria and Antioch had developed very different views on the matter: The Alexandrian school leaned towards Christs humanity and divinity being absorbed into each other while Antioch leaned towards maintaining the human and divine in Christ as two separate beings. [1] The Alexandrian tradition thus placed a heavier emphasis on the trans-historical, spiritual meaning of Scripture, while the Antiochene tradition stressed the primacy of the literal, historically situated meaning of Scripture. [11] Jews insisted on the total application of Mosaic Law, while Gnostics repudiated Mosaic Law altogether, but both camps were guilty of carnal exegesis. That is, the impossibility to keep the letter of the law is not due to human sin, as later Protestant interpreters would argue. First, it is a mistake to simply say that for Origen, ceremonial laws are literal, and moral laws are spiritual. As a result, the Alexandrians tended to see Mosaic Law in terms of continuity, and the Antiochenes tended to see it in terms of discontinuity. THE ALEXANDRIAN AND ANTIOCHENE SCHOOLS Rather than being a prison house, our bodies give us the opportunity to exercise virtue and grow into the likeness of God. In fact, Philo goes so far as to say that Greek philosophers must have appropriated their thought from Moses himself. [14] Origen was persuaded that all rational creatures, excepting young children,[15] were accountable to some law or another. [20] In this respect, one sees a clear overlap with the content of Mosaic Law, and especially the Ten Commandments. [19] This supports Origens insistence that there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile. In other words, of the Alexandrian-Antiochene Schools of WebThe Antiochenes looked at Scripture for moral improvement; the Alexandrians sought theosis through contemplative reading. [7], Such was the heritage of Origens forbears. Early Church Battle Royale: Alexandria vs. Antioch Emerge as a leading e learning system of international repute where global students can find courses and learn online the popular future education. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. We follow a systematic approach to the process of learning, examining and certifying. WebAntiochene exegetes tended to insist more than their Alexandrian counterparts on the importance of seeing each biblical passage in its context within the longer narrative of Israels history, and to search for practical, moral applications, while Alexandrian interpreters tended to be more interested in the theological and spiritual meaning. WebFrom 3rd to 4th century, Tertullian and Origen give a more complete doctrine of Christology. As mentioned above, Origen does not dismiss the literal meaning of Scripture. Alexandrian Origen (ca. of the Alexandrian-Antiochene Schools of Due to the papers original length, I will split it into two parts (Part 2 can be read here). Clement (d. ca. Philo affirmed its authority, but unlike the rabbis of his day, he believed that this authority was found in the realm of ideas which transcended the wording of the text itself. Against this backdrop, it would be tempting to claim that Origen himself must have imbibed too much of Platonic thought. For Nestorius, the language of the exchange of properties was generally suspect, and often odious. The goal of this paper will be to evaluate the life and work of one representative of the Alexandrian tradition, Origen of Alexandria. 0000005651 00000 n John Anthony McGuckin (Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004), 139. Philo, a wealthy first-century Jew, was well known for his efforts to integrate Greek philosophy and Jewish theology. trailer << /Size 68 /Info 40 0 R /Root 43 0 R /Prev 25978 /ID[<3b600cd983abb0cf4f9f19502a618cce><3b600cd983abb0cf4f9f19502a618cce>] >> startxref 0 %%EOF 43 0 obj << /Pages 41 0 R /Type /Catalog /Outlines 14 0 R >> endobj 66 0 obj << /S 85 /T 149 /O 195 /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 67 0 R >> stream THE TRIAL OF EUTYCHES: A NEW INTERPRETATION, Catholicity and Heresy in the Early Church - Mark J. Edwards, Compare and contrast the theological schools of Alexandria and Antioch. On the other hand, Gnostic interpreters often denigrated Mosaic Law by ascribing it to an inferior deity, compelling Christians to defend the inspiration and authority of the Old Testament. Nestorius was enthroned as archbishop on April 10th 428. As a result, the Alexandrians tended to see Mosaic Law in terms of continuity, and the Antiochenes tended to see it in terms of discontinuity. Perfect E Learn is committed to impart quality education through online mode of learning the future of education across the globe in an international perspective. It is indeed a good and necessary step in the hermeneutical process. For example, his refutation of Gnostic ideas like the permanent, intrinsic goodness or wickedness of souls led him to infer the possibility of final salvation for all people, even perhaps the devil. WebAlexandrian and Antiochian approaches to hermeneutics as deployed by John Chrysostom and Gregory of Nyssa as they work with the Beatitudes Typically, the view of Alexandrian and Antiochian hermeneutics has been one of dichotomy: Alexandrians were allegorical, and Antiochians were literal-historical. A term paper written on the prompt: "With reference to the dispute between Cyril and Nestorius evaluate the assessment that Antiochene and Alexandrian Christologies are ultimately incompatible." In particular, I will focus on his Commentary on Romans and show how his hermeneutical distinction between letter and spirit favors the continuity of Mosaic Law in Christian ethics. In large measure, Origen inherited this de-historicizing and allegorizing approach to Scripture from two earlier Alexandrians: Philo and Clement. Ever since its inception, the church has struggled to understand the proper place of Mosaic Law in Christian ethics. WebAlexandrian and Antiochene theologians were expedient hermeneuts, meaning they utilized whichever exegetical practice (allegory, typology, literal, historical) that would supply them with their desired theology or interpretive conclusion. However, church historians have long since recognized that this distinction is neither wholly accurate nor helpful in exegetical studies. "The Council of Chalcedon 451: In Search of a Balanced and Nuanced Christology," in Seven Icons of Christ: Introduction to the Oecumenical Councils. [9] Mark Edwards, Origen against Plato (Hampshire, England: Ashgate, 2002), 160-1. WebThe theology of the Alexandrian school was influenced by the Platonic traditions of Philosophy. Hb```5x(1a.@qgUn+870p005x@g2b)(| OL Nestorius argued that Theotokos did not do justice to the fact that, strictly speaking, Mary was not the mother of God but rather the mother of the man whom Christian faith recognizes as divine and thus calls God. [] Note: this is the second part of a paper originally written for a class on the History of Biblical Interpretation at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Christ had two natures. [4] Elizabeth Lauro, Reconsidering Origens Two Higher Senses of Scriptural Meaning: Identifying the Psychic and Pneumatic Senses, in Studia Patristica 34, ed. WebAlexandrian and Antiochene theologians were expedient hermeneuts, meaning they utilized whichever exegetical practice (allegory, typology, literal, historical) that would supply them with their desired theology or interpretive conclusion. Alexandrian Our Degree programs are offered by UGC approved Indian universities and recognized by competent authorities, thus successful learners are eligible for higher studies in regular mode and attempting PSC/UPSC exams. successful learners are eligible for higher studies and to attempt competitive Angels were bound to natural law,[16] Gentiles to natural and civil laws, Jews to natural and ceremonial laws, and Christians to the law of Christ. Cirilo insiste en que Mara, la madre de Dios, debe ser llamada Theotokos. 0000007081 00000 n A term paper written on the prompt: "With reference to the dispute between Cyril and Nestorius evaluate the assessment that Antiochene and Alexandrian Christologies are ultimately incompatible." Digital Forensics. Then, there were many different viewpoints of the doctrine proposed by Alexandrian School (ex: Arius, Athansius, and Apollinarius) and Antiochene School (ex: Alexandria WebThe notion that there existed a distinction between so-called Alexandrian and Antiochene exegesis in the ancient church has become a common assumption among theologians. Christology WebThe Alexandrian and Antiochian Christological Thoughts1 Many scholars attribute the problem of the Christological formula concerning the nature of Christ "Mia-physis and Dyophyses" to the controversy between the Alexandrian and the Antiochian theology. Make note of their respective leaders and methodologies, The Christology of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Conditioning Christology in the Early Church, Church History Lesson 17 -Christological Controversies to Chalcedon (451, The Result of the Christological Debate in the Council of Chalcedon, Christological Heresies Related to the Person and Natures of Jesus -Hammons.docx, Appealing to Creed: Theodore of Mopsuestia and Cyril of Alexandria, LOGOS-SARX CHRISTOLOGY AND THE SIXTH-CENTURY MIAENERGISM, The Mystery of the Incarnation: Towards a Reconciliation of Cyril and Nestorius, Divine Suffering & the Christological Vocabularies of St Cyril. [8] Wai-Shing Chau. Antioch, School of For himself, he says, he has chosen to be on the. One of his favorite phrases is: The Logos suffered impassibly. [6] But such truth was often expressed in the form of enigmas, symbols, and allegories. Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses 78 (2002), 57-78. Nestorius was enthroned as archbishop on April 10th 428. exams to Degree and Post graduation level. WebCompatibility of Antiochene and Alexandrian Christology - Read online for free. Cyrils Single Subjectivity and the Prosopic Union., Nestorius and Cyril: 5th Century Christological Division and Re, The Volition of Christ: A Contextual and Philosophical Christology Study, THE CHRISTIAN PARADIGM OF A UNITED EUROPE Theologie and Mystique in the Work of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, CHRISTOLOGICAL THOUGHT OF THE SYRIAC FATHERS. Where Presbyterian faith meets postmodern culture. Alexandrian and Antiochian approaches to hermeneutics as Alexandria