View the chart for this period here.

During the late fall and winter of 429-430, Cyril, now convinced that the controversy with Nestorius had become the major threat to the church, delved into Scripture and other writings and in the process took his own understanding of Christology to a new level. This led to an enormous literary output of both short and long tracts, that he produced in the first half of the new year. The first of these, Cyril’s second letter to Nestorius (CPG 5304/8629), was finished in late January or early February of 430.1 This letter would later be oft quoted for its excellent summary of the important theological points at issue. It boldly defended the use of theotokos against the accusation that it opened the door to Apollinarianism.

The longest of these new works became known as the Five Books against the Blasphemies of Nestorius (CPG 5217/8647). Here the fruit of his intense study was put on full display, and this writing would join his second letter to Nestorius as a standard repository of anti-Nestorian Christology. 

At the same time as he was composing his Five Books, Cyril was aware that he also needed to bring his viewpoint—and theology—directly to the ears of Emperor Theodosius II. Without imperial involvement, there was little chance that the perspective of the Alexandrian see would be able to stand against Constantinople and its bishop, or even get a fair hearing. So in the spring of 430, Cyril composed and sent an Oration on the True Faith (Oratio de recte fide) to Theodosius (CPG 5218/8648). This tract covers some 30 pages in the ACO. Wishing to make sure his message permeated the royal household, Cyril at the same time composed both a second Oratio addressed to the emperor’s sisters Arcadia and Marina (CPG 5219/8650, of some 55 pages), and a third 35-page Oratio (CPG 5220/8649) addressed to the dowager empress Pulcheria and the emperor’s wife Eudocia.

One more base had to be covered by Cyril, so in the late spring he composed a letter to Celestine, the bishop of Rome (CPG 5310/8636; Letter 11 in editions of Cyril’s letters). Until now, Cyril says, he has remained silent; but Satan was “even now throwing everything into disarray” due to the “thoroughly depraved beast and instigator of impiety” who is “managing the church” in Constantinople (1). Never mentioning Nestorius by name, Cyril nevertheless sketches the history of the controversy in the eastern capitol (2) and how the church’s leaders there publicly called down anathemas on anyone who confessed Mary to be theotokos (3). This man’s sermons also disrupted the church in Egypt where they were circulating (4), and yet “all the bishops in the East agree with what I am saying, and all feel disgust and grief, especially the pious bishops of Macedonia (5). Cyril concludes, “We are not publicly withdrawing from communion with him before communicating these things to your religiousness” and asks Celestine to pronounce his judgment as well in letters to the bishops in the East. This letter was entrusted to the deacon Posidonius for delivery, and Cyril composed a document for Posidonius’s use, detailing Nestorius’s main teachings and the troubling events that necessitated the letter to Celestine (CPG 5311/8637). At the end Cyril reminds Posidonius to take along the books which outlined Nestorius’s teaching, probably his Five Books against Nestorius.

By early summer, Nestorius had composed a fiery reply (CPG 5669/8632) to Cyril’s letter, which he describes as full of insolence (hubris). Nestorius argues that the fathers agree with his own assessment, that Christ in his divinity cannot participate in suffering, and that talk of any such “appropriation” by the divine nature is misguided. He also implies that the emperor shares Nestorius’s position and that some supporters of Cyril have been condemned at a council (at Constantinople), and by the emperor.

Cyril also tried to gain some support in Syria by reaching out to the highly-respected and elderly monastic and bishop Acacius. Acacius had been active in regional church politics since his elevation to bishop of Beroea (i.e. Aleppo) in the late 370s, and twice had been sent to Rome during the schism that had resulted in multiple bishops claiming the see of Antioch. In the letter Cyril wrote to Acacius (CPG 5314/8625) in the summer of 430, he claimed Athanasius and his successor Theophilos of Alexandria, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory (without specifying which one), and Atticos of Constantinople as supporters of the term theotokos. He also noted the support of many monks for the term. But the elderly bishop refused to enter the fray. In his reply (CPG 6479/8626), he sympathizes with Cyril’s zeal for the truth. Yet, after consulting John, the recently elected bishop of Antioch, the men advise caution, patience, and moderation, and urge Cyril to seek an amicable mediation to the issue.

Already in 429, the letters addressed to Celestine in Rome by Nestorius and Cyril had caused Rome to take the Christological subject seriously. The bishop, through his deacon Leo, asked the noted bilingual and bicultural monastic theologian John Cassian to study the subject and report on it. The result was his seven volume On the Incarnation of the Lord against Nestorius (De incarnatione Domini contra Nestorium; CPL 514).2 Although the “against Nestorius” may have been added later, the work clearly comes down against him. The writing was available to Celestine when he opened a council in Rome in early August of 430.

Four letters of Celestine, all dated August 10, detail the council’s condemnation of Nestorius’s position. The first was addressed to Nestorius himself. (CPG 8639). In it Celestine recalls the orthodoxy of previous bishops of Constantinople before decrying his disappointment with Nestorius. He was disappointed both by Nestorius’s own letters which “covered up the truth with obscurities” (4), and by the equally disturbing reports sent by Cyril and others. Since Nestorius had already been warned twice by previous letters of Cyril, this third warning would result in a complete separation from the church “unless you quickly retract those wicked things your said and return to the way which Christ testifies is himself.” (9) The letter concludes with a sentence of excommunication that will be enforced if Nestorius does not give a public, written confession condemning his previous teaching within ten days of the receipt of the letter (18).

In a second letter, this one to Cyril (CPG 8638), Celestine praises the Alexandrian bishop for unmasking the snares of Nestorius (although the latter is never named) who “deserted his office and title, and turned himself into a vicious wolf desiring to destroy the flock which he ought to have protected” (5). In his conclusion, Celestine states “Therefore, we assign the authority of our see to you, acting in our place (auctoritate igitur tecum nostrae sedis adscita, uice nostra usus) to enforce the condemnation and excommunication if Nestorius does not publicly repent.

A third letter was sent by Celestine to the clergy of Constantinople (CPG 8640). In it he warns them that their “Bishop Nestorius is preaching impious things about the virgin birth and about the divinity of Christ our Savior God, as if he has forgotten his reverence and the common salvation of all and instead is arguing for things that should properly be avoided” (2). A lengthy explanation follows, ending with the normal greeting and date, and then appending the decree of condemnation if Nestorius does not repent within ten days of receiving Celestine’s letter.

A final shorter letter was composed for distribution to the most important metropolitan sees in the eastern church, areas where Nestorius had supporters and influence. The surviving copies are addressed specifically to John of Antioch (CPG 8641), but there is also mentioning of copies being sent to Juvenal (of Jerusalem), Rufus (of Thessalonica), and Flavian (of Philippi). The Roman bishop repeats how saddened he has been by the bishop of Constantinople’s “perverse attacks” upon the reverence shown to the virgin birth, confirming that Nestorius’s own books and signature confirm that these are his teachings (3). All bishops stripped of their office by Nestorius were to be rehabilitated (4).

Cyril’s emissary, Posidonius, is mentioned as the bearer of all of these letters and it seems that he first went to Alexandria to deliver the letter addressed to Cyril, and then left from there to deliver the others. Two letters of Cyril, one to John of Antioch (CPG 5313/8642) and the other to Juvenal of Jerusalem (CPG 5316/8643), appear to have been hastily composed by Cyril to be sent along with Posidonius when he left to finish delivery of Celestine’s missives. These letters both tell of Cyril’s efforts to correct Nestorius in a brotherly way, their rejection, the involvement of Celestine, and the final ultimatum now being sent to Nestorius. He tells Juvenal in his conclusion that “we” must urge the emperor to also accept this verdict so as to “confirm the world in the orthodox faith and rescue the sheep from their evil shepherd.”

Back to Documents and Events Leading up to the Council of Ephesus (431)

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Last updated 9/18/24 by JSW

  1. In the proceedings of Chalcedon, the letter is recorded as having been written in the Egyptian month of Mechir which ran from Jan 26 to Feb. 24 in 430 (ACO 2.1:4).
  2. Ed. By M. Petschenig in 1888 as CSEL 17:235-391.

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