
What were the historical and cultural processes by which Cyril of Alexandria was elevated to canonical status while his opponent, Nestorius, bishop of Constantinople, was made into a heretic? In contrast to previous scholarship, Susan Wessel concludes that Cyril's success in being elevated to orthodox status was not simply a political accomplishment based on political alliances he had fashioned as opportunity arose. Nor was it a dogmatic victory, based on the clarity and orthodoxy of Cyril's doctrinal claims. Instead, it was his strategy in identifying himself with the orthodoxy of the former bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius, in his victory over Arianism, in borrowing Athanasius' interpretive methods, and in skilfully using the tropes and figures of the second sophistic that made Cyril a saint in the Greek and Coptic Orthodox Churches.
This work investigates the historical and cultural mechanisms that facilitated the canonization of Cyril of Alexandria as a saint while simultaneously casting his rival, Nestorius, as a heretic. Susan Wessel, a scholar of early Christian history, challenges the traditional view that Cyril’s victory was purely a result of political maneuvering or superior doctrinal clarity. Instead, she argues that Cyril successfully leveraged the legacy of Athanasius and employed specific rhetorical strategies rooted in the second sophistic to secure his orthodox standing.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars frequently cite this work for its nuanced approach to the intersection of rhetoric and ecclesiastical power in the fifth century. It is regarded as a significant contribution to the study of how early Christian identity was constructed through textual and cultural performance.
Page Count:
308
Publication Date:
2004-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0191533270
ISBN-13:
9780191533273
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