Introductory Matters:

· First schism healed at the beginning of the 6th century

· Emperors interjecting into ecclesiastical affairs

· Papal authority continues to grow in the West throughout the 6th century

· Patriarchal authority continues to grow in the East

I. The First Healing

A. Emperor Justin (d. 527)

1. In 518 (some dates 519), Justin restored the unity between the East and the West by restoring the Chalcedonian Definition

2. Justine overturned Emperor Zeno and Bishop Acacius’s work in Henoticon

3. Sought to unite Chalcedonians and Monophysites

4. South to unite eastern and western understandings of Chalcedon

B. Manlius Severinus Boethius (c. 480–534)

1. Wealthy, wise, related to two previous emperors

2. “He was probably one of the most learned men in human history.”[1]

3. Helped popularize the trivium and quadrivium

4. Disagreed with Arianism, charged with treason, imprisoned in 522

5. The Consolations of Philosophy—one of the most well-known books in Christian history

6. Executed by Theodoric who commanded “his soldiers…to batter Boethius’s head to a pulp with clubs”[2]

II. Emperor Justinian (482–565)

A. Nephew of Emperor Justin

B. Called “Justinian the Sleepless” because of his tireless efforts to advance and promote the welfare of the Empire[3]

C. Very devout man of prayer, study, and contemplation

D. “…eagerly sought to revive the universal Christian empire of old”[4]

E. Outlawed paganism

F. Required baptism of all unbelievers

G. Violently persecuted the Samaritans and Jews (excluded Jews from public offices)[5]

H. Outlawed Manicheanism, Arianism, Montanism, and other heresies

I. Hagia Sophia (“Church of the Holy Wisdom” 532–538)

J. Faced difficulties in these theological debates

1. Theodora (wife, 508–548) was a secrete Monophysite and influenced Justinian

III. The Three Chapters

A. Edict issues in 543 condemning the writings (chapters) of three Nestorian individuals

1. Recap of Nestorianism: Mary, Bearer of Man

a. Christokos—Χριστοκος (Anthropotokos)

b. Nestorius, Bishop of Antioch

c. Antiochene School of thought

d. Emphasized humanity of Christ

e. Nestorianism—“there were two separate Persons in the Incarnate Christ, the one Divine and the other human

2. Theodore of Mopsuestia (c. 350–c. 428)

3. Ibas of Edessa (?–457)

4. Theodoret of Cyrrhus (c. 393–c. 457)

B. The Eastern Church accepted the Edict gladly, while the Western Church was furious

1. According to Pope Vigilius, the Edict betrayed the Chalcedonian Definition (or, Creed)

C. Justinian kidnapped Pope Vigilius and brought him to Constantinople, forced him to produce a written acceptance of the Edict against the Three Chapters

D. Later, Pope Vigilius changed his mind, and Justinian was forced to convene the second ecumenical council in Constantinople

IV. Council of Constantinople 553

A. Although Pope Vigilius was offered the opportunity to lead the Council, he refused

B. 165 bishops attended, but only 12 were from the West

C. The Council affirmed the Creed of Chalcedon, but added an important distinction.

D. “It affirmed that the single person of the incarnate Lord was none other than the divine Logos, a point not made explicit by the Creed of Chalcedon.”[6]

E. It also affirmed the title aeiparthenos (“ever-virgin”) for Mary[7]

F. This is the doctrine called perpetual virginity

V. The First Ecumenical Patriarch

A. Patriarch of Constantinople, John the Faster (?-595) “assumed the title ‘Ecumenical Patriarch’ in 588”[8]

B. Little formal education, but known for his ascetical life

C. This title was a challenge to the authority of the patriarch of Rome, or Papal authority

D. “First among equals”—it denotes the equivalent of Papal Authority in the Eastern Orthodox Church

E. Pope Pelagius II challenged this title

VI. Gregory the Great (c. 540–604)

A. Came from a “prominent senatorial family” in Rome[9]

B. Gave away his family’s vast wealth to become a monk

C. Was a spiritually devout man and prolific writer

1. We have 838 letters

2. Gregory’s Dialogues—covering the lives of various saints

3. Works of biblical exposition—his commentary on Job is over 1,000 pages!

4. Pastoral Care—the “standard textbook on the ministry throughout the Middle Ages in the west”[10]

D. Politically astute, Gregory achieved peace with several Germanic tribes where political servants had failed

E. Gregory was missionary-minded—helping spread the Gospel to Spain and England (Augustine (?–c. 609) as the “first archbishop of Canterbury in 596)”[11]

VII. Ethiopia

A. Monophysitism flourished in Ethiopia after the Council of Chalcedon in 451 through the efforts of Syrian and Egyptian missionaries

B. Cosmas Indicopleustes described Ethiopia as “a thoroughly Christian country”[12]

C. During the reign of King Kaleb (?–c. 540), key patristic writings were translated into Ethiopic (Ge’ez) including the Shepherd of Hermes and texts attributed to Cyril of Alexandria

VIII. Armenia

IX. Ireland

A. Iona

X. The Rise of Monastic Orders

A. Benedict

1. The Rule of Benedict

B. Columbanus