Luke Chrysoberges
Encyclopedia
Luke Chrysoberges was Patriarch of Constantinople
between 1156 and 1169.
During Luke's patriarchate several other major theological controversies occurred. In 1156–1157 the question was raised, whether Christ
had offered himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world to the Father
and to the Holy Spirit
only, or also to the Logos
(i.e., to himself). In the end a synod
held at Constantinople in 1157 adopted a compromise formula, that the Word
made flesh offered a double sacrifice to the Holy Trinity, despite the dissidence of Patriarch of Antioch-elect Soterichus Panteugenus. During his term first appeared the theological issue of the relation between the Son
and the Father
in the Holy Trinity. The issue was created due to the explanation that one Demetrius of Lampi (in Phrygia
) gave to the phrase of the Gospel of John
, which means my Father is bigger than me (John, XIV.29). Chrysoberges, at the behest of the EmperorManuel I, convened several meetings of the synod in 1166 to solve the problem, which condemned as heretical the explanations of Demetrius and the laity that followed him.. Those who refused to submit to the synod's decisions had their property confiscated or were exiled. The political dimensions of this controversy are apparent from the fact that a leading dissenter from the Emperor's doctrine was his nephew Alexios Kontostephanos.
Other heresies continued to flourish in Byzantine possessions in Europe, including Bogomils, Paulicians, and Monophysites which Luke and his successors had difficulty in suppressing.
Luke was also involved in a process of the Church trying to extract itself from too close an association with the secular life of the state. In 1115, the patriarch John IX Agapetos had sought to prevent clerics acting as advocates in lay courts. In December 1157, Chrysoberges extended this prohibition to all "worldly" occupations. In a still-extant cannon, he wrote: "we have observed that some of those enrolled in the clergy have uncanonically involved themselves in worldy affairs. Some have taken on posts as curators or overseers of aristocratic houses and estates; others have undertaken the collection of public taxes... others have accepted dignities and magistracies assigned to the civil establishment.... we enjoin such people to desist from now on from all the aforesaid occupations, and to devote themselves to ecclesiastical exigencies...." Such a separation of church and state was key to preserve the church from undue secular influence over matters it considered strictly clerical. This was especially key at the time as the rule of the Emperor Manuel I Comnenos was noted for its autocratic style and caesaropapism
, and though idiosyncratic, generally made the patriarchate subservient directly to the needs of the state.
Patriarch of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarch is the Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome – ranking as primus inter pares in the Eastern Orthodox communion, which is seen by followers as the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church....
between 1156 and 1169.
During Luke's patriarchate several other major theological controversies occurred. In 1156–1157 the question was raised, whether Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
had offered himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world to the Father
God the Father
God the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
and to the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
only, or also to the Logos
Jesus Christ the Logos
In Christology, the conception that the Christ is the Logos has been important in establishing the doctrine of the divinity of Jesus Christ and his position as God the Son in the Trinity as set forth in the Chalcedonian Creed.The conception derives from the opening of the Gospel of John, commonly...
(i.e., to himself). In the end a synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
held at Constantinople in 1157 adopted a compromise formula, that the Word
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
made flesh offered a double sacrifice to the Holy Trinity, despite the dissidence of Patriarch of Antioch-elect Soterichus Panteugenus. During his term first appeared the theological issue of the relation between the Son
God the Son
God the Son is the second person of the Trinity in Christian theology. The doctrine of the Trinity identifies Jesus of Nazareth as God the Son, united in essence but distinct in person with regard to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit...
and the Father
God the Father
God the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
in the Holy Trinity. The issue was created due to the explanation that one Demetrius of Lampi (in Phrygia
Phrygia
In antiquity, Phrygia was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. The Phrygians initially lived in the southern Balkans; according to Herodotus, under the name of Bryges , changing it to Phruges after their final migration to Anatolia, via the...
) gave to the phrase of the Gospel of John
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
, which means my Father is bigger than me (John, XIV.29). Chrysoberges, at the behest of the EmperorManuel I, convened several meetings of the synod in 1166 to solve the problem, which condemned as heretical the explanations of Demetrius and the laity that followed him.. Those who refused to submit to the synod's decisions had their property confiscated or were exiled. The political dimensions of this controversy are apparent from the fact that a leading dissenter from the Emperor's doctrine was his nephew Alexios Kontostephanos.
Other heresies continued to flourish in Byzantine possessions in Europe, including Bogomils, Paulicians, and Monophysites which Luke and his successors had difficulty in suppressing.
Caesaropapism
Caesaropapism is the idea of combining the power of secular government with, or making it superior to, the spiritual authority of the Church; especially concerning the connection of the Church with government. The term caesaropapism was coined by Max Weber, who defined it as follows: “a secular,...
, and though idiosyncratic, generally made the patriarchate subservient directly to the needs of the state.
Sources
- Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο
- J.M. Hussey. The Orthodoox Church in the Byzantine Empire. Oxford: University Press, 1986.
- Paul Magdalino. The Empire of Manuel Komnenos. Cambridge: University Press, 1993.