HENOTICON

An epistolary decree of Emperor zeno, prepared in 482 under the inspiration of Acacius, Patriarch of Constantinople (471–489), to restore religious unity between the Monophysites (see monophysitism) and those who supported the Council of chalcedon (451). Chalcedon had solved the theological problem involved in the incarnation by defining the doctrine of two natures and one person in Christ; but its terminology was rejected by the Monophysites whose anti-imperial nationalism found an outlet in the Monophysite patriarchs of alexandria, antioch, and jerusalem. In an effort to placate the Monophysite leaders, the Henoticon cites the first three ecumenical councils and affirms the consubstantiality of Christ with God and with man, but skillfully avoids the Chalcedonian use of the terms "nature" and "person." The decree was sent to all the bishops of the East for their signature, but was rejected by the Egyptian Monophysites, and considered in Rome and the West as a denial of Chalcedonian orthodoxy. It occasioned the first official estrangement between Rome and the East, a disaffection known as the acacian schism (484–519).

Bibliography: Text in Abhandlungen der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (Münich 1835–) phil. u. hist. Klasse 32.6 (Munich 1927), also in Patrologia Graeca, ed. j. p. migne (Paris 1857–66) 86:2620–25. l. salaville, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, ed. a. vacant et al., (Paris 1903—50) 6.2: 2153–78. r. haacke, "Die kaiserliche Politik um Chalkedon," Das Konzil von Chalkedon, ed. a. grillmeier and h. bacht, 3 v. (Würzburg 1953) v.2. f. stephanou, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner (Freiberg 1957–65) 5:233–234.

[j. van paassen]