The Council of Chalcedon's 451 definition that Christ is one person in two natures, fully God and fully human.
Tagged: Christology Creeds and Confessions
The Text
We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable soul and body; consubstantial with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten God, the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ; as the prophets from the beginning have declared concerning him, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us.
Historical Context
The Council of Chalcedon, meeting in 451, issued this Definition to settle disputes over how Christ's divinity and humanity are related, drawing on Cyril of Alexandria and the Tome of Pope Leo I. Its four adverbs — without confusion, without change, without division, without separation — set the boundaries of orthodox Christology for the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and most Protestant churches. Churches that rejected Chalcedon became the Oriental Orthodox communion.
Use and Practice
The Definition is not recited in worship like the Nicene Creed. It is studied and cited as the standard statement of Christology in theology, catechesis, and doctrinal examination.
References
- Creeds of Christendom, Vol. II (CCEL) Free / open access
- Oxford Bibliographies — Christology Subscription
Related Prayers and Creeds
- Nicene Creed — The creed of the councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), the central doctrinal confession shared by most Christians.
- Athanasian Creed — A Latin creed, traditionally ascribed to Athanasius, that states the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation in precise detail.
- Apostles' Creed — The ancient baptismal creed of the Western Church, summarizing belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Related Across the Site
- Apostles' Creed Prayer or Creed — The ancient baptismal creed of the Western Church, summarizing belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Athanasian Creed Prayer or Creed — A Latin creed, traditionally ascribed to Athanasius, that states the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation in precise detail.
- Augsburg Confession Prayer or Creed — The primary Lutheran confession of faith, presented to Emperor Charles V at Augsburg in 1530.
- Belgic Confession Prayer or Creed — A 37-article Reformed confession written in 1561 by Guido de Brès for the churches of the Low Countries.
- Heidelberg Catechism Prayer or Creed — A Reformed catechism of 129 questions and answers, published in 1563 and organized around guilt, grace, and gratitude.
- London Baptist Confession Prayer or Creed — The confession of Particular Baptist churches, first published in 1677 and formally adopted in London in 1689.
- Nicene Creed Prayer or Creed — The creed of the councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), the central doctrinal confession shared by most Christians.
- Westminster Confession and Catechisms Prayer or Creed — The Presbyterian standards produced by the Westminster Assembly in the 1640s: a confession of faith and a Larger and Shorter Catechism.