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Orthodox Religion study materials
Orthodox Religion study resources

Orthodox Religion: Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils: Trinity, Christology, Essence and Energies

Orthodox Religion · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

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Dogmatic Theology and the Ecumenical Councils: Trinity, Christology, Essence and Energies

This domain tests the doctrinal core: the triune God, the person of Christ, and the authority and content of the seven ecumenical councils, together with the Palamite distinction between essence and energies.

The Trinity

  • One ousia, three hypostaseis; the monarchy belongs to the Father, and the order (taxis) implies no subordination.
  • The persons are distinguished by relations of origin alone: unbegotten, begotten, proceeding. The Cappadocians (Basil, Gregory Nazianzen, Gregory of Nyssa) fix this vocabulary.
  • The filioque was inserted into the Creed in Spain (Toledo III, 589) and at Rome c. 1014; Photius' Mystagogia argues that it confuses the monarchy of the Father. Orthodox theology allows an "eternal manifestation" of the Spirit through the Son, not an eternal causation from the Son.

The councils

  • Nicaea I (325): homoousios against Arius. Constantinople I (381): the Spirit is Lord and giver of life; the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed. Ephesus (431): Theotokos against Nestorius. Chalcedon (451): one hypostasis in two natures. Constantinople II (553), Constantinople III (680–681, dyothelitism against Monothelitism, vindicating Maximus the Confessor), Nicaea II (787, icons).
  • Chalcedon's Definition uses four adverbs: without confusion, without change, without division, without separation. The communicatio idiomatum follows from the union.
  • The essence/energies distinction (Basil, Gregory of Nyssa) grounds real participation in God; Palamas develops it against Barlaam. The Constantinopolitan synods of 1341, 1351 and 1368 are local, not ecumenical, though the Second Sunday of Lent commemorates the doctrine.

Worked example

Was Cyril's "one incarnate nature of God the Word" condemned at Chalcedon? No. The formula is Cyrillian and orthodox when it means one hypostasis of the incarnate Word; what Chalcedon rejects is Eutyches' absorption of the humanity. The Oriental Orthodox rejected Chalcedon largely over terminology, and the 1990 Chambésy agreed statement confesses a common faith in the one incarnate Son, perfect in divinity and humanity. Marks go to the distinction between formula and meaning.

Traps

  • Speaking of more or fewer than seven ecumenical councils, or calling Palamas' doctrine conciliar in the ecumenical sense.
  • Confusing hypostasis with ousia, or person with nature.
  • Reducing the filioque to a disciplinary quibble; it is a doctrinal dispute about the monarchy.
  • Describing theosis as pantheism or as the loss of creaturely identity.