Chalcedon in Context: Church Councils 400-700 (Translated Texts for Historians, Contexts)

The Council of Chalcedon in 451 was a defining moment in the Christological controversies that tore apart the churches of the Eastern Roman Empire in the fifth and sixth centuries, as theological division, political rivalry, and sectarian violence produced a schism that persists to this day between Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian churches. The Acts of the Councils are one of the largest collections of source materials relating to the Church of Late Antiquity and its state relations, and this volume places the acclaimed translation in context with the Council of Chalcedon of 451, ultimately informing historians on how to approach manifold aspects of these documents. This Collection Of Essays Has Its Origin In A Conference Held At Oxford In 2006 To Mark The Publication Of The First English Edition Of The Acts Of Chalcedon. Its Aim Is To Place Chalcedon In A Broader Context, And Bring Out The Importance Of The Acts Of The Early General Councils From The Fifth To The Seventh Century, Documents That Because Of Their Bulk And Relative Inaccessibility Have Received Only Limited Attention Till Recently. This Volume Is Evidence That This Situation Is Now Rapidly Changing, As Historians Of Late Antiquity As Well As Specialists In The History Of The Christian Church Discover The Richness Of This Material For The Exploration Of Common Concerns And Tensions Across The Provinces Of The Later Roman Empire, Language Use, Networks Of Influence And Cultural Exchange, And Political Manipulation At Many Different Levels Of Society. The Extent To Which The Acts Were Instruments Of Propaganda And Should Not Be Read As A Pure Verbatim Record Of Proceedings Is Brought Out In A Number Of The Essays, Which Illustrate The Fascinating Literary Problems Raised By These Texts. Introduction / Averil Cameron -- Council Of Chalcedon And The Definition Of Christian Traditiion / David M. Gwynn -- 'reading' The First Council Of Ephesus (431) / Thomas Graumann -- Syriac Acts Of The Second Council Of Ephesus (449) / Fergus Millar -- Council Of Chalcedon (451): A Narrative ; Truth, Omission, And Fiction In The Acts Of Chalcedon / Ricard Price -- Why Did The Syrians Reject The Council Of Chalcedon? / Andrew Louth -- Second Council Of Constantinople (553) And The Malleable Past / Richard Price -- Lateran Council Of 649 As An Ecumenical Council / Catherine Cubitt -- Quinisext Council (692) As A Continuation Of Chalcedon / Judith Herrin -- Acclamations At The Council Of Chalcedon / Charlotte Roueché -- Unholy Crew? Bishops Behaving Badly At Church Councils / Michael Whitby. Edited By Richard Price And Mary Whitby. The Papers In This Volume Have Their Origin In A One-day Conference Held At Corpus Christi College, Oxford On 18 November 2006--p. 6. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Half-title......Page 1 Title......Page 3 Copyright......Page 4 Table of contents......Page 5 Abbreviations......Page 6 List of contributors......Page 8 Introduction......Page 9 The Council of Chalcedon and the Definition of Christian Tradition......Page 15 ‘Reading’ the First Council of Ephesus (431)......Page 35 The Syriac Acts of the Second Council of Ephesus (449)......Page 53 The Council of Chalcedon (451): A Narrative......Page 78 Truth, Omission, and Fiction in the Acts of Chalcedon......Page 100 Why Did the Syrians reject the Council of Chalcedon?......Page 115 The Second Council of Constantinople (553) and the Malleable Past......Page 125 The Lateran Council of 649 as an Ecumenical Council......Page 141 The Quinisext Council (692) as a Continuation of Chalcedon......Page 156 Acclamations at the Council of Chalcedon......Page 177 An Unholy Crew? Bishops Behaving Badly at Church Councils......Page 186 Index......Page 205