Nestorianism
One Christ or two persons side by side — a fifth-century dispute still carefully parsed
Nestorianism, as condemned, names the teaching that Christ is two distinct persons, one divine and one human, rather than one. Associated with Nestorius, it was condemned at Ephesus in 431 and rejected by Chalcedonian and Oriental churches. Traditions differ on the label itself. The Church of the East rejects the name and holds a two-hypostases Christology it considers orthodox, and present-day Assyrian Christians should not be called "Nestorians."
How it traveled
- Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.)Alexandria · 373applies
- Select Orations of Saint Gregory NazianzenNazianzus · 390challenges
- Jerome and Gennadius. Lives of Illustrious MenBethlehem · 420applies
- The Third Ecumenical Council: The Council of EphesusEphesus · 431applies
- The Seven Books of John Cassian on the Incarnation of the Lord, Against NestoriusMarseille · 435challenges
- The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates ScholasticusConstantinople (Istanbul) · 439explains
- The Commonitory of Vincent of Lérins, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All HeresiesLérins · 445explains
- The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of TheodoretCyrrhus · 458applies
- The Letters and Sermons of Leo the GreatRome · 461challenges
- The Fifth Ecumenical Council. The Second Council of ConstantinopleConstantinople (Istanbul) · 553challenges
- The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the GreatRome · 604challenges
- Selected Epistles of Gregory the GreatRome · 604challenges
- John of Damascus: Exposition of the Orthodox FaithDamascus · 749challenges
- The Seventh Ecumenical Council. The Second Council of NiceNicaea · 787challenges
- Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59)Paris · 1274challenges
Key passages(20)
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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Selected Epistles of Gregory the Great · Pope Gregory the Great
Epistle LXVII. To Quiricus, Bishop, &c. Gregory to Quiricus, Bishop, and the other catholic bishops in Hiberia Or Iberia, corrected from Hibernia by the Benedictine Editors, with the support of som
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The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret · Theodoret of Cyrus
The Anathemas of Cyril in Opposition to Nestorius. ———————————— (Mansi T. IV. p. 1067–1082, Migne Cat. 76, col. 391. The anathemas of Nestorius against Cyril are to be found in Hardouin i. 1297.) I
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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 Seven Books of John Cassian on the Incarnation of the Lord, Against Nestorius · John Cassian
I appeal then to you, to you yourself, I say. Tell me, I pray, if any Jew or pagan denied the Creed of the Catholic faith, should you think that we ought to listen to him? Most certainly not. What if
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The Third Ecumenical Council: The Council of Ephesus · The Ecumenical Councils
Extracts from the Acts. Session I. (Continued). (Labbe and Cossart, Concilia, Tom. III., col. 462.) And after the letter was read, Cyril, the bishop of Alexandria, said: This holy and great Synod h
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The Third Ecumenical Council: The Council of Ephesus · The Ecumenical Councils
The XII. Anathematisms of St. Cyril Against Nestorius. (Found in St. Cyril’s Opera. Migne, Pat. Græc, Tom. LXXVII., Col. 119; and the Concilia.) I. If anyone will not confess that the Emmanuel is v
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The Third Ecumenical Council: The Council of Ephesus · The Ecumenical Councils
III. If anyone shall after the [hypostatic] union divide the hypostases in the one Christ, joining them by that connexion alone, which happens according to worthiness, or even authority and power, an
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The Seven Books of John Cassian on the Incarnation of the Lord, Against Nestorius · John Cassian
How the errors of later heretics have been condemned and refuted in the persons of their authors and originators. As we began by setting down in the first book some things by which we showed that our
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The Seven Books of John Cassian on the Incarnation of the Lord, Against Nestorius · John Cassian
But there follows in the Creed: “Very God of Very God; Being of one substance with the Father; by whom both the worlds were framed, and all things were made.” And when you said all this, remember that
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Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59) · Thomas Aquinas
I answer that, On this question there was a difference of opinion between Nestorians and Catholics. The Nestorians wished to divide words predicated of Christ, in this way, viz. that such as pertained
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Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59) · Thomas Aquinas
Objection 2: Further, Christ is called God in respect of His Divine Nature. But the Divine Nature did not first originate from the Virgin. Therefore the Blessed Virgin should not be called the Mother
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Jerome and Gennadius. Lives of Illustrious Men · Jerome
Chapter LV. Caelestinus, bishop of Rome, addressed a volume to the churches of the East and West, giving an account of the decree of the synod against the above mentioned Nestorius and maintaining th
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Jerome and Gennadius. Lives of Illustrious Men · Jerome
Chapter LVIII. Cyril, bishop of the church at Alexandria, published various treatises on various Questions, and also composed many homilies, which are recommended for preaching by the Greek bishops.
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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 Commonitory of Vincent of Lérins, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All Heresies · Vincent of Lérins
Examples from Church History, confirming the words of Moses,—Nestorius, Photinus, Apollinaris. [29.] Here, perhaps, some one will require us to illustrate the words of holy Moses by examples from Chu
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The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus · Socrates Scholasticus
Chapter XXIX.—Nestorius of Antioch promoted to the See of Constantinople. His Persecution of the Heretics. After the death of Sisinnius, on account of the spirit of ambitious rivalry displayed by the
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The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret · Theodoret of Cyrus
“The natures which have been brought together in the true unity are distinct, and of both there is one God and Son, but the difference of the natures has not been removed in consequence of the union.”
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The Fifth Ecumenical Council. The Second Council of Constantinople · The Ecumenical Councils
Extracts from the Acts. Session I. (Labbe and Cossart, Concilia, Tom. V., col. 419.) [The Emperor’s Letter which was read to the Fathers.] In the Name of our Lord God Jesus Christ. The Emperor Fla
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The Fifth Ecumenical Council. The Second Council of Constantinople · The Ecumenical Councils
If anyone defends the impious Theodore of Mopsuestia, who has said that the Word of God is one person, but that another person is Christ, vexed by the sufferings of the soul and the desires of the fle
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