TRS 727B Survey of Greek Patristics and the Ecumenical Councils
A history of the councils from Nicaea I to Nicaea II in the light of the relationship between church and state; the role of the emperor in ecclesiastical decision-making; the extent to which ecclesiastical politics shapes the formation of heresy and orthodoxy; the making of text and tradition; and the strategies by which compliance with orthodox belief is secured. The acts of the councils, including letters, doctrinal treatises, homilies, and minutes of conciliar meetings, as well as church histories, Vitae, and imperial documents will be studied.