Editing Christology (section)

===First Council of Ephesus (431)===
In 431, the [[First Council of Ephesus]] was initially called to address the views of [[Nestorius]] on [[Mariology]], but the problems soon extended to Christology, and schisms followed. The 431 council was called because in defense of his loyal priest Anastasius, Nestorius had denied the ''[[Theotokos]]'' title for [[Virgin Mary|Mary]] and later contradicted [[Proclus]] during a sermon in [[Constantinople]]. Pope [[Celestine I]] (who was already upset with Nestorius due to other matters) wrote about this to [[Cyril of Alexandria]], who orchestrated the council. During the council, Nestorius defended his position by arguing there must be two persons of Christ, one human, the other divine, and Mary had given birth only to a human, hence could not be called the ''Theotokos'', i.e. "the one who gives birth to God". The debate about the single or dual nature of Christ ensued in Ephesus.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Marthaler |first=Berard L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TY3-aZIo9HEC&dq=council+ephesus+nestorius+theotokos&pg=PA114 |title=The Creed: The Apostolic Faith in Contemporary Theology |date=1993 |publisher=Twenty-Third Publications |isbn=978-0-89622-537-4 |pages=114 |language=en |access-date=14 March 2023 |archive-date=14 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231214055528/https://books.google.com/books?id=TY3-aZIo9HEC&dq=council+ephesus+nestorius+theotokos&pg=PA114#v=onepage&q=council%20ephesus%20nestorius%20theotokos&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=uDZaZJkkWgQC&dq=council+ephesus+nestorius+theotokos&pg=PA18| title = ''Mary and the Saints'' by James P. Campbell, 2005, pp. 17–20| isbn = 978-0829430301| last1 = Campbell| first1 = James P.| date = June 2010| publisher = Loyola Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=González |first=Justo L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DU6RNDrfd-0C&dq=council+ephesus+nestorius+theotokos&pg=PA120 |title=Essential Theological Terms |date=2005-01-01 |publisher=Westminster John Knox Press |isbn=978-0-664-22810-1 |pages=120 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Hall |first=Stuart George |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TLyjrU3LPlUC&dq=council+ephesus+nestorius+theotokos&pg=PP7 |title=Doctrine and Practice in the Early Church |date=1992 |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |isbn=978-0-8028-0629-1 |pages=211–218 |language=en}}</ref>

The First Council of Ephesus debated [[miaphysitism]] (two natures united as one after the [[hypostatic union]]) versus [[dyophysitism]] (coexisting natures after the hypostatic union) versus [[monophysitism]] (only one nature) versus [[Nestorianism]] (two hypostases). From the Christological viewpoint, the council adopted {{transliteration|grc|Mia Physis}} ('but being made one', {{lang|grc|κατὰ φύσιν}}) – Council of Ephesus, Epistle of Cyril to Nestorius, i.e. 'one nature of the Word of God incarnate' ({{lang|grc|μία φύσις τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου σεσαρκωμένη}}, {{transliteration|grc|mía phýsis toû theoû lógou sesarkōménē}}). In 451, the Council of Chalcedon affirmed [[dyophysitism]]. The [[Oriental Orthodox]] rejected this and subsequent councils and continued to consider themselves as ''miaphysite'' according to the faith put forth at the Councils of [[First Council of Nicaea|Nicaea]] and [[Council of Ephesus|Ephesus]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chafer |first=Lewis Sperry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZFCoSSKTffcC&dq=Hypostatic+union&pg=PA382 |title=Systematic Theology |date=1993-01-01 |publisher=Kregel Academic |isbn=978-0-8254-2340-6 |pages=382–384 |language=en |access-date=14 March 2023 |archive-date=14 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231214060056/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZFCoSSKTffcC&dq=Hypostatic+union&pg=PA382 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="parry">{{Cite book |last=Parry |first=Ken |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fWp9JA3aBvcC&dq=Miaphysitism&pg=PA88 |title=The Blackwell Companion to Eastern Christianity |date=2010-05-10 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-4443-3361-9 |pages=88 |language=en |access-date=14 March 2023 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326164816/https://books.google.com/books?id=fWp9JA3aBvcC&dq=Miaphysitism&pg=PA88 |url-status=live }}</ref> The council also confirmed the ''Theotokos'' title and excommunicated Nestorius.<ref name="KBaker">{{Cite book |last=Baker |first=Kenneth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yBW8l1opH-oC&dq=Hypostatic+union&pg=PA228 |title=Fundamentals of Catholicism: God, Trinity, Creation, Christ, Mary |date=1982 |publisher=Ignatius Press |isbn=978-0-89870-019-0 |pages=228–231 |language=en |access-date=14 March 2023 |archive-date=14 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231214060149/https://books.google.com/books?id=yBW8l1opH-oC&dq=Hypostatic+union&pg=PA228#v=onepage&q=Hypostatic%20union&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Ephesus >''Mary, Mother of God'' by Carl E. Braaten and Robert W. Jenson 2004 {{ISBN|0802822665}} p. 84</ref>