Severus of Antioch as Theologian and Ideologist
Towards His More Ecumenical Evaluation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/rst.21314Keywords:
Christology, Incarnation, schism, Chalcedon, neo-Chalcedonianism, Oriental ChristianityAbstract
This paper explores the figure and theological legacy of Severus of Antioch, a founding father of the Oriental theological tradition. It delves into logical categories, which helped him rationalize Christ’s composition. The study focuses on the categories of common and particular natures, properties, and activities. Severus was engaged in polemics on many fronts: against real and imagined “Nestorianism,” Pope Leo, the council of Chalcedon, neo-Chalcedonians, and opponents from his own anti-Chalcedonian party. Some of his motives for such polemics were theological, and his ideological conservatism underpinned others. Severus seems to be one of the causes of the first great schism in the history of Christianity. Yet many of his own fights and fights against him were against shadows because he, in fact, often believed in the same things as those who fought him believed. His figure can be seen not only as divisive but as containing a potential for ecumenical reconciliation. The study concludes with suggestions about how Severan theological points and policies could contribute to the ongoing dialogue with the Oriental churches.
References
Acta Conciliorum Oecumenicorum (ACO). 1984 ff. Edited by Rudolf Riedinger et al. Berlin: De Gruyter.
Anaphorae Syriacae. 1939. Rome: Pontificium Institutum Orientalium Studiorum.
Allen, Pauline. 1981. “Greek Citations from Severus of Antioch in Eustathius Monachus.” Orientalia Louaniensia Periodica no. 12: 261–4.
Allen, Pauline and C.T.R. Hayward. 2004. Severus of Antioch. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203338049
Amirav, Hagit. 2015. Authority and Performance: Sociological Perspectives on the Council of Chalcedon (AD 415). Gottingen: Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht. https://doi.org/10.13109/9783666208683
Binns, John. 1994. Ascetics and Ambassadors of Christ: The Monasteries of Palestine, 314–631. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Brière, Maurice. 1960. Introduction générale aux homélies de Sévère d’Antioche. Patrologia Orientalis 29. Turnhout: Brepols.
Brooks, E. W. 1903. The Sixth Book of the Select Letters of Severus Patriarch of Antioch. Oxford: Williams and Norgate.
———. 1915. A Collection of Letters of Severus of Antioch. Patrologia Orientalis 12. Turnhout: Brepols.
Chaillot, Christine and Alexander Belopopsky. 1988. Towards Unity: The Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches. Geneva: Inter-Orthodox Dialogue.
Chesnut, Roberta C. 1976. Three Monophysite Christologies: Severus of Antioch, Philoxenus of Mabbug and Jacob of Sarug. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Diekamp, Franz. 1938. Analecta Patristica. Rome: Pontificum Institutum Orienatlium Studiorum.
———. 1981. Doctrina Patrum de Incarnatione Verbi: ein griechisches Florilegium aus der Wende des 7. und 8. Jahrhunderts. Münster: Aschendorff.
Draguet, René. 1924. “Julien d’Halicarnasse et sa controverse avec Sévère d’Antioche sur l’incorruptibilité du corps du Christ; étude d’histoire littéraire et doctrinale; suivie des fragments dogmatiques de Julien.” Universitas Catholica Lovaniensis. Dissertationes ad gradum magistri in Facultate theologica consequendum conscriptae. Louvain: P. Smeesters.
Durand, G. M. de. 1964. “Cyrille d’Alexandrie. Deux dialogues christologiques. Introduction, texte critique, traduction et notes.” L’antiquité classique 33(2): 508–511.
Ebied, Rifaat Y., Albert Van Roey and Lionel R. Wickham. 2003. Petri Callinicensis Patriarchae Antiocheni Tractatus contra Damianum. Turnhout: Leuven University Press.
Grillmeier, Aloys, and Theresia Hainthaler. 1995. Christ in Christian Tradition. London: Mowbray.
Heil, G. and A. M. Ritter. 1991. Corpus Dionysiacum II. Berlin: De Gruyter.
Hespel, Robert. 1964. Sévère d’Antioche, La polémique antijulianiste I. (CSCO 244) Louvain (textus); (CSCO 245) Louvain (translatio).
———. 1968. Sévère d’Antioche, La polémique antijulianiste II A. (CSCO 295) Louvain (textus); (CSCO 296) Louvain (translatio).
———. 1969. Sévère d’Antioche, La polémique antijulianiste II B. (CSCO 301) Louvain (textus); (CSCO 302) Louvain (translatio).
———. 1971. Sévère d’Antioche, La polémique antijulianiste III. (CSCO 318) Louvain (textus); (CSCO 319) Louvain (translatio).
———. 1952. Sévère d’Antioche, Le Philalèthe. (CSCO 133) Louvain (textus); (CSCO 134) Louvain (translatio).
Hovorun, Cyril. 2008. Will, Action and Freedom. Christological Controversies in the Seventh Century. Leiden: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/ej.9789004166660.i-203
———. 2017. “Is the Byzantine ‘Symphony’ Possible in Our Days?” Journal of Church and State 59, no. 2: 280–296.
Horn, Cornelia B. 2006. Asceticism and Christological Controversy in Fifth-Century Palestine: The Career of Peter the Iberian. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/0199277532.001.0001
Kavvadas, Nestor. 2016. “Severus of Antioch and Changing Miaphysite Attitudes toward Byzantium.” Dalton, John, and Youhanna Youssef. Severus of Antioch: His Life and Times. Leiden: Brill.
Kugener, M.-A. 1907. Vie de Sévère par Zacharie le Scholastique. Patrologia Orientalis II 1. Paris, 1907.
———. 1904. Vie de Sévère par Jean de Beith-Aphtonia. Patrologia Orientalis II 3. Paris, 1904.
Lebon, Joseph. 1949. Seueri Antiocheni orationes ad Nephalium, eiusdem ac Sergii Grammatici epistulae mutuae. (CSCO 119) Louvain (textus); CSCO 120, Louvain (translatio).
———. Seueri Antiocheni liber contra impium Grammaticum, (CSCO 111) Louvain 1938, 19522 (textus orationis primae et orationis secundae quae supersunt); (CSCO 112) Louvain, 1938, 19522 (translatio); (CSCO 93) Louvain, 1929, 19522 (textus orationis tertiae partis prioris); (CSCO 94) Louvain, 1929, 19522 (translatio); (CSCO 101) Louvain, 1933, 19522 (textus orationis tertiae partis posterioris); (CSCO 102) Louvain, 1933, 19522 (translatio).
McKinion, Steven A. 2000. Words, Imagery, and the Mystery of Christ. Leiden: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004313217
Meyendorff, John. 1975. Christ in Eastern Christian thought. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press.
Michelson, David A. 2014. The Practical Christology of Philoxenos of Mabbug. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198722960.001.0001
Miller, David, and Peter Sarris. 2018. The Novels of Justinian: a Complete Annotated English Translation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Norris, R.A. 1980. Christological Controversy. Philadelphia: Fortress Press.
Petit, Françoise. 1992. La Chaîne sur la Genèse. Édition intégrale. Leuven: Peeters.
Pusey, P.E. 1872. Sancti patris nostri Cyrilli archiepiscopi Alexandrini in D. Joannis evangelium. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Schwartz, Edward. 1973. Drei dogmatische Schriften Iustinians. Milan: A. Giuffre.
Torrance, Iain. 1988. Christology After Chalcedon: Severus of Antioch and Sergius the Monophysite. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock.
Torrance, Iain. 2011. Correspondence of Severus and Sergius. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. https://doi.org/10.31826/9781463214838
Witakowski, Witold. 1996. Pseudo-Dionysius of Tel-Mahre: Chronicle. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. https://doi.org/10.3828/978-0-85323-760-0
Youssef, Youhanna. 2006. A Homily on Severus of Antioch by a Bishop of Assiut (XV Century). Patrologia Orientalis 50. Turnhout: Brepols.
