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H e r e s y o f t h e M o n t h
NESTORIANISM
By Mark Wheeler
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This Rock
Volume 5, Number 9
 September 1994 
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Dates
428-800s, with remnants to today
Founder
Nestorius, Bishop of Constantinople
Principal errors
Nestorius rejected the traditional doctrine of the
Incarnation by implicitly denying the hypostatic union of human and
divine natures in the one divine person of Jesus. This denial was
characterized notably by the rejection of the title "Theotokos"
("God bearer" or "Mother of God") for the mother
of Jesus. He claimed that Mary was the mother of Christ's human nature
but not the mother of God and concluded that only Jesus the man suffered
and died on the cross.
History
From the definitions and condemnations of the Arian
heresy of the fourth century several things resulted. The divinity
of Christ and the reality of his Incarnation were clearly established
in the minds of the faithful. Consequently, the exaltation and veneration
of Mary by the faithful became more widespread. Since Jesus was truly
God and Mary was his mother, she was venerated with the title of Theotokos.
This veneration was especially popular in the East.
Controversy erupted in 428 when Nestorius, the newly installed bishop
of Constantinople, attacked the title Theotokos from the pulpit
in the cathedral on Christmas day, claiming that Mary was the mother
of Christ but not the mother of God. He stated that to call Mary the
Mother of God implied that the divine nature was born of a woman,
thus making her a goddess.
Immediately his teaching was attacked by the laity and the clergy
of Constantinople. When word spread of this new doctrine, neighboring
bishops condemned him outright. Chief among his critics was bishop
Cyril of Alexandria who responded, "I am astonished that the
question should ever have been raised as to whether the Holy Virgin
should be called Mother of God, for it really amounts to asking, is
her Son God or is he not?" He wrote to Nestorius condemning the
heretical aspects of his doctrine and asking him to explain and defend
himself. The reply betrayed even further the depth of his heresy.
Cyril sent his personal correspondence with Nestorius as well his
own five-book response titled Against Nestorius to Pope Celestine
in Rome for the pontiff's decision. The Holy Father gave a general
condemnation of the teaching of Nestorius regarding Mary's divine
maternity and commanded him to recant within ten days. Cyril was to
receive the recantation or depose Nestorius. Far from submitting,
Nestorius demanded an ecumenical council and proclaimed his beliefs
more loudly than ever.
While claiming to believe in one Christ in two natures, his explanation
described the union of two distinct persons: "He who was formed
in the womb of Mary was not God himself, but God assumed him. Through
him that bears I worship him who is born." A mother cannot bear
a son older than herself, he contended. Therefore, Mary did not give
birth to the incarnate Word of God, only to Jesus, the temple or vessel
of God. Rejecting the orthodox sense of Theotokos, he opted
instead for Christokos ("Mother of Christ"), saying
that he could never bring himself to call the Christ-child God. Nestorius
concluded that it was not God who suffered and died on the cross,
but only the man Jesus.
Orthodox Response
Besides St. Cyril, many other clergy and laymen rose
to defend the divine maternity of Mary against the attack of Nestorius.
Among these were Philip of Side, Proclus, Leo of Rome, and the layman
Eusebius, later to become a bishop. Eusebius, while still a lawyer,
is said to have risen from the congregation after Nestorius' initial
Christmas homily and to have indignantly responded, "The eternal
Word begotten before the ages had submitted also to be born a second
time."
With Nestorius holding firm to his position, the emperor proposed
to have a council meet in Ephesus to decide the matter once and for
all. The council opened in the name of Pope Celestine I on June 22,
431.
Nestorius, who refused to attend, had his teachings anathematized,
along with all who held communion with him, and he was deposed as
bishop of Constantinople. Mary was officially proclaimed Mother of
God to the delight of the faithful of Ephesus.
The controversy created by Nestorius made it obvious that a clearer
terminology was needed to define the doctrine of the Incarnation which
protected the divinity as well as the humanity of Christ. The solution,
arrived at by Pope St. Leo the Great, was the use of the word "person,"
for which there was no well-defined concept before that time. Leo
summed it up in his Tome 20 years after the Council of Ephesus:
Each nature performs the actions proper to it, but every action is
performed by the one person, Jesus the Word of God.
Modern Parallels
Today most Protestant denominations display an element
of Nestorianism. Protestants typically reject the title "Mother
of God" while echoing Nestorius' contention that a son cannot
be older than his mother. They find it difficult to say that God was
born in Bethlehem, that God suffered and died on the cross at Calvary.
Many Protestant theologians, on the other hand, recognize this element
of Nestorianism and assent to the title "Mother of God,"
though they use it only infrequently.
Mark Wheeler is a contributing editor to This Rock.
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