Theodorus van Mopsuestia in Het Kader van de Syrische Dialoog

Theodore of Mopsuestia and the Syriac Dialogue The Third Syriac Consultation of the Syriac Dialogue between the different Churches of the Syriac traditions took place at Mundelein near Chicago, Illinois, in July 1997. One of the main topics of the Consultation concerned the person and the teaching of Theodore of Mopsuestia, who died in 428, before the great Christological controversy between Alexandria and Antioch broke out. Cyril of Alexandria had succeeded in condemning his rival Nestorius at the Council of Ephesus in 431. Soon afterwards Cyril’s supporters in Syria and Egypt started a campaign against the Antiochene ‘forerunners’ of Nestorius. Especially Theodore of Mopsuestia was accused of being the ‘father of Nestorianism’, but Cyril decided not to condemn Theodore officially. In the meantime Theodore’s writings had begun to circulate in Syriac translations in the Church of the East in the Sasanian Empire. It would last until the reign of the Emperor Justinian (527-565) that the issue was reopened. Theodore Askidas, Justinian’s theological advisor, started a deadly attack on Theodore of Mopsuestia who in his eyes should by all means be condemned officially by the Church. Because of the inconsistent attitude of the Roman Pope Vigilius, Justinian convoked a council at Constantinople in 553. The programme of the Council had been carefully drawn up by Askidas and Justinian and the issue of the Council was clear from its start: Theodore of Mopsuestia was to be condemned as the ‘father of Nestorianism’, even given the fact that he had passed away 125 years ago. No real discussion took place about Theodore’s theological background and Theodore’s real vision on the person of Christ. In the Church of the East Theodore lives on as the great ‘interpreter’ of Scripture.