CILICIAN BISHOPS AND FOURTH-CENTURY CHURCH POLITICS*

Abstract

CILICIAN BISHOPS AND FOURTH-CENTURY CHURCH POLITICS*

Abstract

The fourth century is the most vital turning point of ancient Christianity, because many changes took place at that period regarding the future fate of the Church. First of all, the century begins with the ‘Great Persecution’ of the Diocletianus, which intermittently continued for about a decade. Secondly, the end of this persecution brought not only the conversion of Constantinus but also the councils of bishops to heal the wounds of the persecution. In spite of the fact that there were very sharp differences in the western churches, the conversion of a Roman emperor naturally resulted in the integration of the church and state in the East, and this was mostly achieved at the church councils. Thirdly, it was also a period, in which the most serious theological dispute, the Arian controversy, broke out and consequently led to a traffic of church councils to establish a generally accepted doctrinal definition in the middle years of the century. The Arian controversy was a major problem that the emperors had to deal with. However, there were also localized ecclesiastical problems, emerged from ascetic, theological and political concerns, such as local interpretations of the Arianism, the Meletians in Egypt, the Anatolian asceticism of Eusebius of Sebaste, and the Monophysite teachings of the Syrian theologian Apollinarius, which was condemned at the second ecumenical council of Constantinopolis in 381. In fact, the first two ecumenical councils of the early church took place in the fourth century and their decisions and definitions of the Creed are still used by present day Christians to declare their own faith.

References

1. Barnard 1980 Barnard, L.W., “The Council of Serdica: Some problems re-assessed” Annuorum Historiorum Conciliorum 12, (1980), 1-25.
2. Barnes 1981 Barnes, T.D., Constantine and Eusebius, (Cambrdige & London 1981).
3. Barnes 1993 Barnes, T.D., Athanasius and Constantius, Theology and Politics in the Constantinian Empire, (Cambridge & London 1993).
4. Brennecke 1988 Brennecke, H.C., Studien zur Geschichte der Hom(er, Der Osten bis zum Ende der hom(ischen Reichkirche, (T(bingen 1988).
5. Chadwick 1948 Chadwick, H., “The Fall of Eustathius of Antioch” Journal of Theological Studies, 49, (1948), 27-35.
6. Elliott 1992 Elliott, T.G., “Constantine and ‘the Arian Reaction after Nicaea’” Journal of Ecclesiastical Studies 43, (1992), 169-194.
7. Geonakoplos 1989 Geonakoplos, D. J., Constantinople and the West. Essays on the Late Byzantine (Palaeologan) and Italian Renaissances and Byzantine and Roman Churches (Madison & London
8. 1989) 159-177, (The Second Ecumenical Council at Constantinople (381): Proceedings and Theology of the Holy Spirit).

9. Greer 1966 Greer, R. A., “The Antiochene Christology of Diodore of Tarsus”, Journal of Theological Studies, N.S. XVII/2, (1966) 327-341.
10. Grillmeier 1965 Grillmeier, A., Christ in Christian Tradition, From the Apostolic Age to Chalcedon (trans. J. Bowden) (London & Oxford 1965).
11. Hanson 1984 Hanson, R.C.P., “The Fate of Eustathius of Antioch” Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte 95, (1984), 171-79.
12. Hanson 1988 Hanson, R.C.P., The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God. The Arian Controversy 318-381, (Edinburgh 1988).
13. Harnack 1905 Harnack, A., The Expansion of Christianity in the First Three Centuries, (trans. J. Moffatt) (London & New York 1905).