| Third Council of Dvin | |
|---|---|
| Date | 607 or 609-610 |
| Accepted by | Armenian Apostolic Church |
Previous council | Second Council of Dvin |
| Location | Dvin |
| Chronological list of ecumenical councils | |
| Part of a series on |
| Oriental Orthodoxy |
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| Oriental Orthodox churches |
 Christianityportal |
The Third Council of Dvin was a church council held in 607 (or 609-610 [1] ) in the city of Dvin (then in Sasanian Armenia).
This council (or synod) was the culmination of a series of post-Chalcedon debates on the nature(s) of Christ. The schism within the Armenian Church which had erupted as a result of the second Chalcedonian Catholicosate in Armenia (591-610), was mended, and the conclusions of the Council of Chalcedon of 451 were explicitly condemned. [2] [3]
The Armenian Orthodox Church concluded that both “monophysitism” and the Chalcedonian Definition were to be condemned. Instead the church decided to follow the doctrine of Cyril of Alexandria, who described Christ as being of one incarnate nature, with both divine and human nature being united. [4]
The synod saw the election of an Armenian, Abraham I of Aghbatan , as Catholicos. Abraham condemned the Council of Chalcedon in accordance with the decision of the Second Council of Dvin. [5]
By the end of the council, the Armenians were fully opposed to the Christological definition given by the Chalcedonian Church. The Georgian Orthodox Church decided to join with Constantinople in upholding the Chalcedonian definition of the dual nature of Christ. [6] This Council established the distinct split between the Armenian and Georgian Churches.
Although a rift was established with the Georgian church, the Council led to mending of an internal rift within the Armenian Church itself. [7]
A Fourth Council of Dvin was held in 648 to discuss possible reunification with the Georgian church, but this idea was rejected. [8]
The council also established seven canon laws regarding the orthodoxy of bishops. In particular, the laws dealt with bishops who had deviated from the faith. [9]
The Chalcedonian Definition is a declaration of Christ's nature, adopted at the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451. Chalcedon was an early centre of Christianity located in Asia Minor. The council was the fourth of the ecumenical councils that are accepted by Chalcedonian churches which include the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican and Reformed churches.
Nestorianism is a term used in Christian theology and Church history to refer to several mutually related but doctrinally distinct sets of teachings. The first meaning of the term is related to the original teachings of Christian theologian Nestorius, who promoted specific doctrines in the fields of Christology and Mariology. The second meaning of the term is much wider, and relates to a set of later theological teachings, that were traditionally labeled as Nestorian, but differ from the teachings of Nestorius in origin, scope and terminology. The Oxford English Dictionary defines Nestorianism as "The doctrine of Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople, by which Christ is asserted to have had distinct human and divine persons."
Monophysitism or monophysism is a Christology that states that the person of the incarnated Word there was only one nature—the divine".
Monothelitism, or monotheletism, is a theological doctrine in Christianity, that holds Christ as having only one will. The doctrine is thus contrary to dyothelitism, a Christological doctrine that holds Christ as having two wills. Historically, monothelitism was closely related to monoenergism, a theological doctrine that holds Jesus Christ as having only one Energeia/Nature. Both doctrines were at the center of Christological disputes during the 7th century.
Eutyches or Eutyches of Constantinople was a presbyter and archimandrite at Constantinople. He first came to notice in 431 at the First Council of Ephesus, for his vehement opposition to the teachings of Nestorius. At the 448 Synod of Constantinople and the 451 Council of Chalcedon, Eutyches was condemned for having adopted an equally extreme, although opposite view. He himself, however, would reject this interpretation of his thought.
The Henotikon was a christological document issued by Byzantine emperor Zeno in 482, in an unsuccessful attempt to reconcile the differences between the supporters of the Council of Chalcedon and the council's opponents. It was followed by the Acacian schism.
Miaphysitism is the Christological doctrine that holds Jesus, the "Incarnate Word, is fully divine and fully human, in one 'nature' (physis)." It is a position held by the Oriental Orthodox Churches and differs from the Chalcedonian position that Jesus is one "person" in two "natures", a divine nature and a human nature (Dyophysitism).
Non-Chalcedonian Christianity comprises the branches of Christianity that do not accept theological resolutions of the Council of Chalcedon, the Fourth Ecumenical Council, held in 451. Non-Chalcedonian denominations reject the Christological Definition of Chalcedon, for varying reasons. Non-Chalcedonian Christianity thus stands in contrast to Chalcedonian Christianity.
Dvin was a large commercial city and the capital of early medieval Armenia. It was situated north of the previous ancient capital of Armenia, the city of Artaxata, along the banks of the Metsamor River, 35 km to the south of modern Yerevan. The site of the ancient city is currently not much more than a large hill located between modern Hnaberd and Verin Dvin, Armenia. Systematic excavations at Dvin that have proceeded since 1937 have produced an abundance of materials, which have shed light into the Armenian culture of the 5th to the 13th centuries.
Christianity has been, historically, a Middle Eastern religion with its origin in Judaism. Eastern Christianity refers collectively to the Christian traditions and churches which developed in the Middle East, Egypt, Asia Minor, the Far East, Balkans, Eastern Europe, Northeastern Africa and southern India over several centuries of religious antiquity. It is contrasted with Western Christianity, which developed in Western Europe. As a historical definition the term relates to the earliest Christian communities and their long-standing traditions that still exist.
In the history of Christianity, the first seven ecumenical councils include the following: the First Council of Nicaea in 325, the First Council of Constantinople in 381, the Council of Ephesus in 431, the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the Second Council of Constantinople in 553, the Third Council of Constantinople from 680–681 and finally, the Second Council of Nicaea in 787. All of the seven councils were convened in modern-day Turkey.
Saint Ephraim of Antioch, also known as Saint Ephraim of Amida, was the Patriarch of Antioch, and head of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, from 527 until his death in 545. He is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches. His feast day is 8 June.
The Church of Albania or the Albanian Apostolic Church was an ancient, briefly autocephalous church established in the 5th century. In 705, It fell under the religious jurisdiction of the Armenian Apostolic Church as the Catholicosate of Aghvank centered in Caucasian Albania, a region spanning present-day northern Azerbaijan and southern Dagestan.
The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 60 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches are part of the Nicene Christian tradition, and represent one of its oldest branches.
The First Council of Dvin was a church council held in 506 in the city of Dvin. It convened to discuss the Henotikon, a christological document issued by Byzantine emperor Zeno in an attempt to resolve theological disputes that had arisen from the Council of Chalcedon.
The Second Council of Dvin was a church Synod or ecumenical Council held in 554 in the city of Dvin.
The Fourth Council of Dvin was a Church Council held in Dvin the ancient capital city of Armenia in 648. The council was presided over by Catholicos Nerses III of Ishkhantsi (641-661) and was attended by 17 participating bishops.
The Council of Thedosioupolis was a church synod held at Erzurum, in Armenia between February 631 and February 632 AD.
The Council of Partav was a church synod held in about 703 in Caucasian Albania. The Council condemned the Georgian Church's adherence to the decision of the Council of Chalcedon. and was an important step in the schism between the Armenian Church and the Byzantine and Georgian Churches.
The Narratio de rebus Armeniae is a history of relations between the Armenian and Greek churches written around AD 700. It is not exclusively focused on ecclesiastical affairs and also touches on Armenian relations with the Roman Empire. It was originally written in Armenian, but the complete text is known only from a Greek translation, entitled Diegesis, made before the eleventh century, possibly as early as the eighth. Although there are later Armenian writers who cite the Armenian version, it is now lost.
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| Traditions | ||
| Personalities | Apostles Saint Thaddeus and Saint Bartholomew (founders of the Armenian Apostolic Church) | |