Chalcedon (451) and the Miaphysite split
448–6th c. (lasting to today)
attested. Attested. The pre-451 history of the Ethiopian church's position is largely traditional.
Eutyches, a Constantinopolitan archimandrite, taught one nature after the union. Leo's Tome and the Chalcedonian definition affirmed Christ 'in two natures'. Cyril's heirs in Egypt and Syria held that 'one incarnate nature of God the Word' (miaphysis) was the true orthodoxy and rejected Chalcedon as Nestorian. Emperors' compromise attempts (the Henotikon of 482, Justinian) failed.
Sides
Miaphysite (non-Chalcedonian)
Leaders: Dioscorus I, Timothy Aelurus, Philoxenus of Mabbug, Severus of Antioch, Jacob Baradaeus, Theodora (empress, patron)
One united divine-human nature of Christ, without mixture. Chalcedon's "in two natures" is rejected.
Chalcedonian
Leaders: Leo I, Flavian, Marcian, Pulcheria, Justinian I, Leontius of Byzantium
One person (hypostasis) in two natures.
Councils and places
- Second Council of Ephesus ("Robber Synod") (449) · Ephesus 5th
- Council of Chalcedon (451) · Chalcedon 5th
- First and Second Councils of Dvin (506; 554) 6th
- Alexandria (Coptic Orthodox patriarchate) 5th–present
- Qenneshre monastery (Euphrates) 6th–9th
- Mabbug (Hierapolis Bambyce): see of Philoxenus 5th–6th
- Tikrit (seat of the Syriac Orthodox Maphrian) 7th–11th
- Mar Mattai monastery (Dayro d-Mor Mattai) 4th–present
- Mor Gabriel monastery (Dayro d-Mor Gabriel), Tur Abdin 4th–present
- Vagharshapat / Etchmiadzin 4th–present
Outcome
Chalcedon became imperial orthodoxy. Persecution and parallel hierarchies followed. Jacob Baradaeus ordained an independent Syriac hierarchy (c. 540s), and the Armenian church broke formally at Dvin (554).
What happened to the losers
The 'losers' became the Oriental Orthodox churches: Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Ethiopian/Eritrean (Aksum is in the Africa batch) and Malankara. They endured centuries of Byzantine pressure and then Islamic rule. Joint Christological statements in 1984–1990 largely recognized the dispute as terminological.