Eutychianism
A heresy that dissolved Christ's humanity into his divinity, condemned at Chalcedon
Named for Eutyches, this teaching held that Christ's human nature was absorbed into his divinity, leaving only a single nature. The Council of Chalcedon in 451 condemned it, affirming that Christ is one person in two natures, fully God and fully human. It should not be confused with the miaphysitism of the Oriental Orthodox churches, which is a distinct position; the Oriental Orthodox themselves reject Eutyches' error.
How it traveled
- Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.)Alexandria · 373challenges
- Jerome and Gennadius. Lives of Illustrious MenBethlehem · 420challenges
- The Fourth Ecumenical Council. The Council of ChalcedonChalcedon · 451challenges
- The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of TheodoretCyrrhus · 458explains
- The Letters and Sermons of Leo the GreatRome · 461explains
- The Fifth Ecumenical Council. The Second Council of ConstantinopleConstantinople (Istanbul) · 553challenges
- The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the GreatRome · 604applies
- Selected Epistles of Gregory the GreatRome · 604applies
- The Canons of the Council in Trullo; Often Called The Quinisext CouncilConstantinople (Istanbul) · 692applies
- The Seventh Ecumenical Council. The Second Council of NiceNicaea · 787challenges
- Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59)Paris · 1274challenges
- Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the GospelGeneva · 1564challenges
Key passages(20)
The Fifth Ecumenical Council. The Second Council of Constantinople · The Ecumenical Councils
The Capitula of the Council. (Labbe and Cossart, Concilia, Tom. V., col. 568.) I. If anyone shall not confess that the nature or essence of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is one, as
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
S. Luke xxiv. 27. Ibid. 39. i.e. not to fall into the Charybdis of Nestorianism in avoiding the Scylla of Eutychianism. Fidei sacramento. John iv. 2, 3: the Lat. for “destroys” (or “dissolves,” Br
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Letter XXXV. To Julian, Bishop of Cos See Lett. XXXIV., chap. ii. n. 5. Leo, bishop of the city of Rome to his well-beloved brother, Julian the bishop. I. Eutyches’ heresy involves many other here
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Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59) · Thomas Aquinas
But some more recent masters, thinking to avoid these heresies, through ignorance fell into them. For some conceded one person in Christ, but maintained two hypostases, or two supposita, saying that a
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The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret · Theodoret of Cyrus
Eran.—And where is this taught in the divine Scripture? Orth.—It is all full of this teaching. Eran.—Give proof of what you assert. Orth.—Do you not acknowledge the properties of each nature? Eran
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The Fourth Ecumenical Council. The Council of Chalcedon · The Ecumenical Councils
The Tome of St. Leo. (Labbe and Cossart, Concilia, Tom. IV., col. 343; also Migne, Pat. Lat., Tom. LIV. [Leo. M. Opera, Tom. I.] col. 756.) The translation here given is that of Rev. Wm. Bright. D.D
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Jerome and Gennadius. Lives of Illustrious Men · Jerome
Chapter LXXI. Leo, bishopFlavianus, bishop of the church at Constantinople, against Eutyches the presbyter, who at that time, on account of his ambition for the episcopate was trying to introduce nov
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Jerome and Gennadius. Lives of Illustrious Men · Jerome
Chapter LXXXIII. Samuel, presbyter of the church at Edessa, is said to have written many things in Syriac against the enemies of the church, especially against the Nestorians, the Eutychians and the
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Letter XXVI In reading the Tome (Lett. XXVIII.) the reader is warned to remember that he must take no account of this letter, which did not reach Leo until later, and which is acknowledged in Lett. X
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Letter XXII There are two Latin versions of the original Gk. of this letter, an older and a later: the later, as being more accurate, is here translated, though Canon Bright would seem to be right (n
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Letter LXXV. To Faustus and Martinus Together. (Condemning the Latrocinium and maintaining that Eutyches equally with Nestorius promotes the cause of Antichrist.)
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Letter XXIII. To Flavian, Bishop of Constantinople. To his well-beloved brother Flavian the bishop, Leo the bishop. I. He complains that Flavian has not sent him a full account of Eutyches’ case.
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Letter XXXIV. To Julian, Bishop of Cos. Leo, the bishop, to Julian, the bishop, his well-beloved brother. I. Eutyches is now clearly seen to have deviated from the Faith. Your letter, beloved, whi
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Letter CXXXIX. To Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem. Leo, bishop of the city of Rome, to Juvenal, bishop of Jerusalem. I. He rejoices over Juvenal’s return to orthodoxy, though chiding him for having go
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Letter CXIX. To Maximus, Bishop of Antioch, by the hand of Marian the Presbyter, and Olympius the Deacon. Leo to Maximus of Antioch. I. The Faith is the mean between the two extremes of Eutyches an
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Letter LXXXVIII. To Paschasinus, Bishop of Lilybæum. Leo, the bishop, to Paschasinus, bishop of Lilybæum. I. He sends a copy of the Tome and still further explains the heterodoxy of Eutyches. Alth
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Letter LXXIX. To Pulcheria Augusta. Leo, bishop of the city of Rome to Pulcheria Augusta. I. He rejoices at Pulcheria’s zeal both against Nestorius and Eutyches. That which we have always anticipa
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Letter CXX. To Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus, on Perseverance in the Faith. Leo, the bishop, to his beloved brother Theodoret, the bishop. I. He congratulates Theodoret on their joint victory, and exp
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Letter CLXXI. To Timothy, Bishop of Alexandria. Leo, the bishop, to Timothy, catholic bishop of the church of Alexandria. I. He congratulates him on his election, and bids him win back wanderers to
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Letter XXXII. To the Archimandrites of Constantinople It will be remembered that 23 abbots signed the condemnation of Eutyches: cf. Lett. XXI. chap. 2. To his well-beloved sons Faustus, Martinus, a
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