Lecture 28: The Great Divorce between East and West
o Ambrose of Milan (339–397) was educated in both Greek and
Latin, corresponded with theological writers from the East, and
was comfortable in the Eastern theological idiom.o Augustine of Hippo (354–430) knew little if any Greek; he
worked with the Latin text of Scripture entirely and was trained
completely in Latin literature and rhetoric. His theological
work is, therefore, marked by his own genius more than a prior
tradition (see his On the Trinity).Trinitarian and Christological Controversies
• As we have already seen, serious divisions arose in the discrete
parts of the church from the 4th through the 6th centuries.• In the Trinitarian controversy of the 4th century (the battle with
Arianism), the emperors of the East and West adopted different
positions, and although the orthodox parties in both areas were
united, counter-councils were held (Tyre, 335; Sardica, 343;
Antioch, 379) that bishops of one area or another boycotted or from
which they were excluded.• In the Christological controversies of the 5th and 6th centuries, the
West, especially in the person of the popes, represented the position
finally defined as doctrine at Chalcedon in 451; both before and after
that date, the Eastern emperors and patriarchs characteristically
favored a monophysite or monothelite position.• Twice in these centuries, indeed, there were periods of actual
broken communion between East and West.
o From 404 to 415, relations between East and West were severed
after the emperor Theophilus deposed John Chrysostom. Rome
objected to the deposition and withdrew from communion for
eight years.o From 484 to 519, Pope Felix III excommunicated the
patriarch Acacius of Constantinople because of his support of
monophysitism, leading to a state of schism for 35 years.