Re: Orthodox: split east from west
Submitted by Jules on August 28 2001 14:42:27
In reply to Orthodox: split east from west submitted by F.O.D. on August 27 2001 09:12:39
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Hi FOD, The word you're looking for is theotokos, which means "bearer of God". But it's not related to the split you're talking about. It was used in a debate in the fifth century, over whether Jesus' divine and human natures could be thought of separately or not. The word was actually applied to Mary. Those who said his natures could not be separated (in Alexandria) called Mary "theotokos", bearer of God, to indicate that she was the mother of Jesus in his single divine/human nature. Those who said his natures could be separated (in Constantinople) objected, insisting that Mary was only the mother of his human nature, not his divine. In the end the Alexandrian (western) view, supported by Rome, won the day. The split over whether the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son or only from the Father came much later, in the 11th century. The Western church changed the creed to add "and the Son" ("filioque" in Latin), and the Eastern church objected. It was the first disagreement that wasn't resolved, and so the split. It's interesting that many western theologians are now thinking the Eastern position was actually more correct! Hope that makes some sense! With Christian love, Jules |
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