Cyril of Alexandria

Life

Cyril was born in Egypt in the late fourth century. He is said to have been the nephew of Theophilus, bishop of Alexandria, whom he succeeded as bishop of Alexandria in 412. At that time Alexandria, together with Rome, Constantinople, and Antioch, was one of the principal centers of the Eastern church. During his episcopate he came into conflict successively with the Novatianists, the Jewish community, and Orestes, the prefect sent by the emperor. In 415 the philosopher Hypatia was killed by a Christian mob. The ancient sources already disagree about the extent of Cyril's responsibility for her death, and the debate continues today. He died in Alexandria in 444.

Ministry and Work

Cyril is best remembered for his role in the controversy over Christology (the doctrine concerning the relationship between Christ's divinity and humanity). Nestorius, who became bishop of Constantinople in 428, objected to calling Mary the "God-bearer" (Theotokos). Cyril criticized this position as dividing Christ into two subjects, the divine Son and the man Jesus. He stressed the unity of the Incarnation, in which the Son of God, the eternal Word, himself became man. In the course of the controversy he also drew up and dispatched twelve anathemas.

In 431 the council that met at Ephesus under Cyril's leadership condemned and deposed Nestorius. However, John of Antioch and his supporters, who arrived late, met separately and deposed Cyril, leaving the two sides in open conflict. In 433 Cyril and John were reconciled by agreeing to the Formula of Reunion. Cyril used the expression "one nature of God the Word incarnate." He believed the phrase came from Athanasius, but it is now recognized as deriving from Apollinarian writings. He also left many biblical commentaries, including a commentary on the Gospel of John, as well as works on the Trinity and against Arianism.

Influence on the Korean Church

Most Protestant churches in Korea accept the ancient Christology articulated by the Council of Ephesus and the Council of Chalcedon (451) as the foundation of orthodox faith. Cyril is introduced chiefly in seminary courses on church history and systematic theology in connection with the Nestorian controversy. The title "Mother of God" is widely used in the Catholic Church, but Korean Protestants rarely use it in worship or devotional life. Protestants generally understand the title less as a way of honoring Mary than as a christological expression intended to safeguard the divinity of Christ.

Assessment

The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church venerate Cyril as a saint, and the Catholic Church has proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church. The Oriental Orthodox churches, such as the Coptic Church, which did not accept the Council of Chalcedon, regard him as the foremost Church Father of their Christology. Churches that follow Chalcedonian orthodoxy, by contrast, hold that the Chalcedonian Definition is consistent with Cyril's teaching. That such different traditions all appeal to him attests to his stature.

He has also been criticized. Some historians and theologians hold that he convened the council hastily and relied on political power to drive out his opponents. They also argue that he interpreted Nestorius's actual views in an overly extreme way. The Hypatia affair and the expulsion of the Jews likewise remain points of controversy in assessments of his legacy.