The fifth century flap among the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Syrians I
find to be extremely interesting and, though I have done some reading on
the subject, I am very confused. Short version ---
Nestorius of Antioch (the two-nature - some say two-person - guy) was
roundly condemned by Cyril of Alexandria (the one-nature guy).
Nestorius
was declared anathema at Ephesus, much to Cyril's gratification. Then
Nestorius, suffering in his desert exile, felt vindicated by the Council
of Chalcedon - what with Leo's Tome and all. The Egyptians must have
agreed; they split with the Chalcedon crowd - too Nestorian for the
one-nature guys. But so did the Syrians, who one would think should
have welcomed Chalcedon, what with its definition - the Man growing in
wisdom and the God walking on water. What happened between Ephesus and
Chalcedon that turned the two-nature Syrians into one-nature
monophysites (miaphysites - whatever)? And how is it that Cyril is a
saint among the Greeks - after all, "One nature of the incarnate Word".
OK - I am sure the above is filled with inaccuracies - but, hey, it's
short.
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