Theodoret of Cyrrhus

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THEODORET OF CYRRHUS

THEODORET OF CYRRHUS (c. 393–c. 458), bishop, theologian, and church historian. Theodoret was born in Antioch to wealthy Christian parents. From early childhood he devoted himself to learning and study. After the death of his parents, he entered the monastery at Apamea. In 423, against his will, he was elected bishop of Cyrrhus, east of Antioch. The young, successful bishop was imbued with an apostolic zeal for christianization. In an attempt to show the superiority of Christianity, he wrote at this time The Healing of the Greek Passions, which was directed toward pagan intellectuals.

As an Antiochene, at the outbreak of the Nestorian dispute, Theodoret sided with Nestorius (who accepted two distinct natures in Christ) and refused to condemn him at the Council of Ephesus (431). Theodoret's Pentalagion and A Refutation of Twelve Chapters of Cyril, neither of which is fully extant, reflect his criticisms of Cyril of Alexandria's attack on Nestorius. Theodoret contributed decisively to the compromise of 443 and probably wrote the declaration of faith of that union, but the peace move did not last long. Theodoret wrote his Eranistes in 447 in opposition to Eutyches (who taught one nature in Christ). The Robber Synod of 449, which affirmed Eutyches' position, deposed Theodoret, who retreated from his see until the new rulers, Marcian and Pulcheria, restored him in 450.

Theodoret's condemnation of Nestorianism before the Council of Chalcedon (451) prompted the council to acknowledge him as orthodox. Theodoret, like the council, rejected both those who sought to distinguish the existence of two persons in Christ and those who maintained, as Eutyches did, that the divinity and humanity of Christ became one nature (see Theodoret's Epistle 119). Theodoret's activities after 451 are unknown, and it is likely that he died around 458. The Second Council of Constantinople (553), convened to settle the dispute that became known as the Three Chapters Controversy, condemned Theodoret's writings against Cyril, but Theodoret himself was not condemned as a heretic.

Theodoret's literary output covers important areas of the life and activity of the church. In addition to the works already mentioned, Theodoret wrote the apologetic On Providence (c. 436), ten discourses delivered at Antioch, and On Chrysostom (incomplete). Along with the several dogmatic writings referred to above, On the Holy and Undivided Trinity and On the Incarnation of the Lord —which have been falsely attributed to Cyril of Alexandria—were actually composed by Theodoret, as were An Exposition of the True Faith and Questions and Answers for the Orthodox, both wrongly attributed to Justin Martyr. Libellus against Nestorius is falsely attributed to Theodoret.

Along with Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodoret is regarded as the principal exegete of the theological school of Antioch and as one of the most important interpreters of scripture. His Ecclesiastical History (449–450) continues Eusebius's work of the same title and covers the period from 323 to 428. History of Divine Love (or Ascetic Citizenship ) presents the lives of male and female ascetics in Syria. Summary of Heretical Slander (c. 453) presents in its first four discourses all the heresies up to the time of Eutyches, and, in the second part, the exceptional Summary of Divine Dogmas. Some 230 letters written by Theodoret are preserved, and they are an important source of the history and dogma of Christianity in the fifth century.

Bibliography

The collected works of Theodoret, edited by J. L. Schulze and J. A. Noesselt, are available in Patrologia Graeca, edited by J.-P. Migne, vols. 80–84 (Paris, 1859–1864). Available in English is Theodoret's A History of the Monks of Syria, translated by R. M. Price (Kalamazoo, 1985). See also M. Richard's "L'activité littéraire de Théodoret avant le Concile d'Éphèse" and "Notes sur l'evolution doctrinale de Theodoret," Revue des sciences philosophiques et théologiques 24 (1935): 83–106 and 25 (1936): 459–481. G. Bardy's article on Theodoret in the Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, edited by A. Vacant et al. (Paris, 1946), is a valuable secondary source.