Editing Chalcedonian Definition

{{Short description|Theological resolution adopted at the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451)}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2011}}{{Christology|expanded=Doctrines}}

The '''Chalcedonian Definition''' (also called the '''Chalcedonian Creed''' or the '''Definition of Chalcedon''') is the declaration of the [[dyophysitism]] of [[Hypostatic union|Christ's nature]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-03-05 |title=Chalcedonian Christianity |url=https://slife.org/chalcedonian-christianity/ |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=The Spiritual Life |language=en-US}}</ref> adopted at the [[Council of Chalcedon]] in AD 451. [[Chalcedon]] was an [[Early centres of Christianity#Western Anatolia|early centre]] of Christianity located in [[Asia Minor]]. The council was the fourth of the [[First seven Ecumenical Councils|ecumenical councils]] that are accepted by [[Chalcedonian]] churches which include the [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] and [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Orthodox]] churches.<ref name="Olson1999">{{cite book |last1=Olson |first1=Roger E. |title=The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries of Tradition Reform |date=1 April 1999 |publisher=InterVarsity Press |isbn=978-0-8308-1505-0 |page=158 |language=English}}</ref>
 
It was the first council not to be recognised by any [[Oriental Orthodoxy|Oriental Orthodox]] church; for this reason these churches may be classified as [[Non-Chalcedonianism|Non-Chalcedonian]].

==Context==
The Council of Chalcedon was summoned to consider the Christological question in light of the "one-nature" view of Christ proposed by [[Eutyches]], [[archimandrite]] at Constantinople, which prevailed at the [[Second Council of Ephesus]] in 449, sometimes referred to as the "Robber Synod".<ref name="episcopalchurch.org" />

The Council first solemnly ratified the [[Nicene Creed]] adopted in 325 and that creed as amended by the [[First Council of Constantinople]] in 381. It also confirmed the authority of two synodical letters of [[Cyril of Alexandria]] and the [[Leo's Tome|letter of Pope Leo I to Flavian of Constantinople]].{{sfn|Bindley|1899|p=225}}

==Content==
The full text of the definition reaffirms the decisions of the [[Council of Ephesus]], the pre-eminence of the [[Nicene Creed|Creed of Nicaea]] (325) and the further definitions of the [[First Council of Constantinople|Council of Constantinople]] (381).{{sfn|Schaff|1885}}

In one of the translations into English, the key section, emphasizing the double nature of Christ (human and divine), runs:
{{Blockquote|Following, then, the holy Fathers, we all unanimously teach that our Lord Jesus Christ is to us One and the same Son, the Self-same Perfect in Godhead, the Self-same Perfect in Manhood; ''truly God and truly Man''; the Self-same of a rational soul and body; co-essential with the Father according to the Godhead, the Self-same co-essential with us according to the Manhood; like us in all things, sin apart; before the ages begotten of the Father as to the Godhead, but in the last days, the Self-same, for us and for our salvation (born) of Mary the Virgin [[Theotokos]] as to the Manhood; One and the Same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten; acknowledged in Two Natures unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the difference of the Natures being in no way removed because of the Union, but rather the properties of each Nature being preserved, and (both) concurring into One Person and One Hypostasis; not as though He was parted or divided into Two Persons, but One and the Self-same Son and Only-begotten God, Word, Lord, Jesus Christ; even as from the beginning the prophets have taught concerning Him, and as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself hath taught us, and as the Symbol of the Fathers hath handed down to us.|source={{harvnb|Bindley|1899|p=297}} }}

The Definition implicitly addressed a number of popular heretical beliefs. The reference to "co-essential with the Father" was directed at [[Arianism]]; "co-essential with us" is directed at [[Apollinarianism]]; "Two Natures unconfusedly, unchangeably" refutes [[Eutychianism]]; and "indivisibly, inseparably" and "[[Theotokos]]" are against [[Nestorianism]].<ref name="episcopalchurch.org" />

==Oriental Orthodox dissent==
The Chalcedonian Definition was written amid controversy between the [[Latin Church|Western]] and [[Eastern Christianity|Eastern churches]] over the meaning of the [[Incarnation (Christianity)|Incarnation]] (see [[Christology]]). The Western church readily accepted the creed, but some Eastern churches did not. Political disturbances prevented the Armenian bishops from attending. Even though Chalcedon reaffirmed the Third Council's condemnation of [[Nestorius]], the Non-Chalcedonians always suspected that the Chalcedonian Definition tended towards Nestorianism. This was in part because of the restoration of a number of bishops deposed at the Second Council of Ephesus, bishops who had previously indicated what appeared to be support of Nestorian positions.

The [[Coptic Church of Alexandria]] dissented, holding to [[Cyril of Alexandria]]'s preferred formula for the oneness of Christ's nature in the incarnation of God the Word as "out of two natures".{{sfn|Bindley|1899|pp=91–92}} Cyril's language is not consistent and he may have countenanced the view that it is possible to contemplate in theory two natures after the incarnation,{{sfn|Bindley|1899|pp=91–92}} but the Church of Alexandria felt that the Definition should have stated that Christ be acknowledged "out of two natures" rather than "in two natures".

The definition defines that Christ is "acknowledged in two natures", which "come together into one person and one [[hypostatic union|hypostasis]]". The formal definition of "two natures" in Christ was understood by the critics of the council at the time, and is understood by many historians and theologians today, to side with western and Antiochene [[Christology]] and to diverge from the teaching of [[Cyril of Alexandria]], who always stressed that Christ is "one". However, a modern analysis of the sources of the creed (by A. de Halleux, in ''Revue Theologique de Louvain'' 7, 1976) and a reading of the acts, or proceedings, of the council show that the bishops considered Cyril the great authority and that even the language of "two natures" derives from him.

This [[Miaphysitism|miaphysite]] position, historically characterised by Chalcedonian followers as "[[monophysitism]]", though this is denied by the dissenters, formed the basis for the distinction of the [[Coptic Church]] of Egypt and [[Ethiopian Orthodox Church|Ethiopia]] and the "[[Syriac Orthodox Church|Jacobite]]" churches of [[Syriac Orthodox Church|Syria]], and the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]] (see [[Oriental Orthodoxy]]) from other churches.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lynch |first=Joseph H. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/276274630 |title=Early Christianity: a brief history |date=2010 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-513803-0 |location=New York |pages=174–176 |oclc=276274630}}</ref>

==References==
{{Portal|Christianity}}
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="episcopalchurch.org">{{Cite web |title=Chalcedonian Definition |work=Episcopal Church |access-date=27 February 2020 |url= https://episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/chalcedonian-definition }}</ref>
}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin|2}}
*{{cite book|editor-last=Bindley|editor-first= T. Herbert |title=The Oecumenical Documents of the Faith|publisher= Methuen |location=London|date=1899|url=https://archive.org/details/MN41552ucmf_1/page/n241}}
* {{Cite book|last=Edwards|first=Mark J.|title=Catholicity and Heresy in the Early Church|year=2009|location=Farnham|publisher=Ashgate|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z9acTl-jAkAC|isbn=9780754662914}}
* {{Cite book|last=Grillmeier|first=Aloys|author-link=Aloys Grillmeier|title=Christ in Christian Tradition: From the Apostolic Age to Chalcedon (451)|year=1975|orig-year=1965|edition=2nd revised|location=Louisville|publisher=Westminster John Knox Press|isbn=9780664223014|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LH-cBwmmY2cC}}
* {{Cite book|last=Gwynn|first=David M.|chapter=The Council of Chalcedon and the Definition of Christian Tradition|title=Chalcedon in Context: Church Councils 400–700|year=2009|location=Liverpool|publisher=Liverpool University Press|pages=7–26|isbn=9781846316487|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C121DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA7}}
*{{cite wikisource|editor-last=Schaff|editor-first=Philip| wslink=Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume XIV/The Fourth Ecumenical Council/The Definition of Faith|title=The Definition of Faith of the Council of Chalcedon|work=Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers|series= Series II  |date=1885|volume=Vil. XIV|publisher=T. & T. Clark|location=Edinburgh }}
* {{Cite book|last=Kelly|first=John N. D.|author-link=John Norman Davidson Kelly|title=Early Christian Creeds|year=2006|orig-year=1972|edition=3rd|location=London-New York|publisher=Continuum|isbn=9780826492166|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Titk-TEYqD4C}}
* {{Cite book|last=Meyendorff|first=John|author-link=John Meyendorff|title=Imperial unity and Christian divisions: The Church 450–680 A.D.|year=1989|location=Crestwood, NY|publisher=St. Vladimir's Seminary Press|isbn=9780881410563|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6J_YAAAAMAAJ}}
* {{Cite book|editor-last1=Price|editor-first1=Richard|editor-last2=Gaddis|editor-first2=Michael|title=The Acts of the Council of Chalcedon|year=2005a|volume=1|location=Liverpool|publisher=Liverpool University Press|isbn=9780853230397|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6IUaOOT1G3UC&pg=PR3}}
* {{Cite book|editor-last1=Price|editor-first1=Richard|editor-last2=Gaddis|editor-first2=Michael|title=The Acts of the Council of Chalcedon|year=2005b|volume=2|location=Liverpool|publisher=Liverpool University Press|isbn=9780853230397|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6IUaOOT1G3UC&pg=PP9}}
* {{Cite book|editor-last1=Price|editor-first1=Richard|editor-last2=Gaddis|editor-first2=Michael|title=The Acts of the Council of Chalcedon|year=2005c|volume=3|location=Liverpool|publisher=Liverpool University Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F9Q6swEACAAJ}}
* {{Cite book|last=Price|first=Richard|chapter=The Council of Chalcedon (451): A Narrative|title=Chalcedon in Context: Church Councils 400–700|year=2009a|location=Liverpool|publisher=Liverpool University Press|pages=70–91|isbn=9781846316487|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C121DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA70}}
* {{Cite book|last=Price|first=Richard|chapter=Truth, Omission, and Fiction in the Acts of Chalcedon|title=Chalcedon in Context: Church Councils 400–700|year=2009b|location=Liverpool|publisher=Liverpool University Press|pages=92–106|isbn=9781846316487|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C121DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA92}}
* {{Cite book|last=Roueché|first=Charlotte|chapter=Acclamations at the Council of Chalcedon|title=Chalcedon in Context: Church Councils 400–700|year=2009|location=Liverpool|publisher=Liverpool University Press|pages=169–177|isbn=9781846316487|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C121DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA169}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*[http://www.earlychurchtexts.com/main/chalcedon/chalcedonian_definition.shtml The Chalcedonian Creed in Greek at www.earlychurchtexts.com.] (with dictionary lookup links)
*[https://www.theopedia.com/chalcedonian-creed Definition of Chalcedon]

[[Category:5th-century Christian texts]]
[[Category:Christian statements of faith]]
[[Category:Christology]]
[[Category:Christian terminology]]
[[Category:Nature of Jesus Christ]]