451 A.D.

The Council of Chalcedon

The historical impact of the fourth ecumenical council of the Christian church and its implications in modernity

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Exploring the Council

In 451 AD, leaders of the early Christian Church gathered in Chalcedon (modern-day Turkey) to address one of the biggest questions in history: Who is Jesus Christ? Their decisions shaped Christian beliefs and started debates that are still applicable today, specifically between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Church.

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Understanding the Context

The Council of Chalcedon wasn’t the first council that the early Christians held. In fact, it was the fourth ecumenical council. Decades of debate over doctrine and political tension led to the culmination of this specific meeting. Understanding the state of the world in which this coucil arose is neccesary to see the entire picture.

Division of Church Doctrine

Chalcedon aimed to answer a question: How can Jesus Christ be both fully human and fully divine? The council’s debates focused on defining Christ’s nature, with key figures like Bishop Leo I and Dioscorus of Alexandria presenting differing views.

Lasting Impact

The Council of Chalcedon didn’t just end with a statement, but it left a lasting legacy of division in the Christian church. It caused a major schism between the Oriental Orthodox church and the rest of the Christian world that is still present to this day. Recently, however, some efforts have begun to reconcile their differences.

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Intro To Early Christian Schisms

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