TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHRISTOLOGY OF THE NON-CHALCEDONIAN CHURCHES
TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHRISTOLOGY OF THE NON-CHALCEDONIAN CHURCHES

Summary/Abstract: In modern dialogue, what is important is that each side should come to understand and appreciate the position of the other side as being acceptable, once it is rightly understood, rather than one side requiring that the other actually accept as authoritative (as opposed to: seeing as acceptable) its own preferred formulation. In the late thirteenth century, the great Syrian Orthodox polymath and author of a Summa Theologica, Bar Hebraeus, made towards the end of his life the following wise observation: When I had given much thought and pondered on the matter, I became convinced that these disputes of Christians are not a matter of factual substance, but rather, one of words and terms. For they all confess Christ our Lord to be perfect God and perfect human, without any commingling, mixing or confusion of the natures. This bipinnate likeness is termed by one party [the Oriental Orthodox] a „nature‟, by another [the Eastern Orthodox] a „hypostasis‟. By yet another [the Church of the East] a „prosopon”. Thus I saw all the Christian communities, with their different Christological positions, as possessing a single common ground that is without any difference. Accordingly, I totally eradicated any hatred from the depths of my heart, and I completely renounced disputing with anyone over confessional matters.

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