Catechesis – Page 2 – Faith Unto Ages

The Early Church Fathers: Were they Miaphysite?

A common misconception about the Oriental Orthodox Church is that it’s Christology is ‘Monophysite’, meaning, that She followers the erroneous teachings of Eutyches of Constantinople that Jesus’ humanity had disappeared into His Divinity.

On the contrary, the Church teaches that Jesus Christ is Fully God and Fully Man; but One Concrete and Composite Nature from Two. This form of Christology is known as ‘Miaphysitism’, which has its basis in the teachings of the Early Church Fathers.

Below is an explanation of our Church’s Christology is more detail by His Holiness Pope Shenouda the Third, followed by a Florilegium on this dogmatic teaching.

St. Athanasius’ Apologia For the Incarnation, Pt. 2 – Refutation of the Jews and Gentiles

Introduction:

Throughout the work “On the Incarnation”, St. Athanasius had diligently made efforts to refute the skepticism of both the Jews and Gentiles alike; who found the dogmas of the Orthodox Church regarding Jesus’ Incarnation to be irrational. In response, the saint had appealed to scripture, reason, philosophy, and common sense to show that the skeptics had a position which was without any solid foundation. Throughout this essay, I will be demonstrating how St. Athanasius has argued against both camps; showing that he, just like St. Paul, was indeed by the Grace of God “appointed for the defense of the Gospel” (Philippians 1:17).

St. Athanasius’ Apologia For the Incarnation, Pt. 1 – Against the Gnostics.

Since we are heading into Nativity Season, I believe that it is relevant to discuss St. Athanasius’ Apologia against the Gnostics who challenged the Orthodox dogma of Christ’s Incarnation. Below is an essay that I have written for one of my theology classes some time ago. To God be the Glory, Amen.

[Please do not copy without permission].

Introduction

To understand the arguments used by St. Athanasius on the subject of the Incarnation of the Eternal Logos, we must first have a crystal-clear understanding of who the Word is. The Word according to St. John the Apostle is God Himself: “In the beginning was The Word, The Word was with God, and The Word was God.” 1 He continues: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” 2 Throughout St. Athanasius’ treatise ‘On the Incarnation’ we will see him address a variety of subjects for his newly converted friend Macarius, who Athanasius calls a “true lover of Christ”. 3

After proving the foolishness of the Epicureans, Platonists, and Gnostics; he briefly touches upon points regarding God creating man in His image, man’s fall through disobedience to the single prohibition , man’s expulsion from the Paradise of Joy, and the creation of news sins which began to further corrupt man – all to which he believed to be relevant to the topic of the Incarnation.4 In this essay, I will present the tactics and arguments used by St. Athanasius to prove the necessity of the Incarnation by predominately referencing chapters 2 and 3.