Diodorus of Tarsus
Encyclopedia
Diodore of Tarsus was a Christian
bishop
, a monastic reformer, and a theologian. A strong supporter of the orthodoxy of Nicaea
, Diodore played a pivotal role in the Council of Constantinople
and opposed the anti-Christian policies of Julian the Apostate
. Diodore founded one of the most influential centers of Christian thought in the early church, and many of his students became notable theologians in their own right.
. He received a classic philosophical education at the school of Athens, and very quickly after his education entered into the monastic life. During this period, Diodore's work focused on philosophical treatises and opposing Emperor Julian's attempts to restore paganism in the empire. When an Arian named Leontius was made bishop of Antioch, Diodore and his friend Flavian
(who later was himself appointed as bishop of Antioch) organized those who followed the Nicene orthodoxy outside the walls of the city for worship. Those services are seen as the beginning of antiphonal singing
in the church, a practice that became widespread among Christians.
During his time at the monastery in Antioch, Diodore came under the tutelage of Meletius
, a theologian opposed to the Arian
tendencies of the era and a strong support of the Nicene factions of the church. In 360, the church in Antioch split into factions, having two Nicene and two Arian bishops. Meletius was one of the Nicene bishops of Antioch in 360, and it was he that ordained Diodore as a priest
. Diodore, in turn, was a strong supporter not only of the Nicene cause but of Meletius.
, but also of the legendary homileticist John Chrysostom
. This school would give rise to the unique Antiochene perspectives on both biblical interpretation and Christology known as the Antiochene School
. Ultimately, taken to the extreme, the perspective set out for this school by Diodore led to the teachings of Nestorius
, which were first condemned at the First Council of Ephesus in 431.
It was his role as the head of the Antiochene School which led to Diodore's exile in 372
. Banished to Armenia
by Emperor Valens
, Diodore encountered a fellow supporter of the Nicene faction, Basil of Caesarea
, during his exile. When Diodore returned from exile following the death of the emperor in 378, Basil was serving as the archbishop (or patriarch) of Caesarea, and he appointed Diodore as the bishop of Tarsus.
taught that Jesus Christ was not fully divine, Apollinaris of Laodicea
that he was not fully human).
Diodore played key roles in both the local Council of Antioch
in 379 and the ecumenical First Council of Constantinople
in 381. When their mentor Meletius died in 381, Diodore recommended his friend Flavian as his successor, thus prolonging the division in the Antiochene church.
of Diodore was condemned as heretical by later generations, most explicitely at a local synod in Constantinople in 499 which described Diodore's views as Nestorian
. Certainly a similarly negative view of Diodore was held by Cyril of Alexandria
. However, in his own generation Diodore was seen as someone who supported the orthodoxy of Nicaea, and in his official decree ratifying the actions of the First Council of Constantinople, Emperor Theodosius I
described Diodore as a "champion of the faith."
The specifics of Diodore's theology are difficult to reconstruct, as all that remains of his works are fragments of uncertain provenance. Much of Diodore's theology has been inferred from the later statements of his students and the intellectual heirs of the Antiochene School.
Like many other theologians affiliated with the Antiochene School, Diodore appears to have been a Christian universalist
. Under the concept of Apocatastasis
, which is to believe that all people would eventually receive salvation. Saloman, Bishop of Bassorah, clearly proclaimed the salvation of all men and cited the opinions of both Diodore and Theodore of Mopsuestia
in support of the view. Regarding divine punishment Diodore wrote:
According to J. W. Hanson Diodore believed that God's mercy would punish the wicked less than their sins deserved, inasmuch as his mercy gave the good more than they deserved and he denied that God would bestow immortality for the purpose of prolonging or perpetuating suffering.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
, a monastic reformer, and a theologian. A strong supporter of the orthodoxy of Nicaea
First Council of Nicaea
The First Council of Nicaea was a council of Christian bishops convened in Nicaea in Bithynia by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325...
, Diodore played a pivotal role in the Council of Constantinople
First Council of Constantinople
The First Council of Constantinople is recognized as the Second Ecumenical Council by the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox, the Eastern Orthodox, the Roman Catholics, the Old Catholics, and a number of other Western Christian groups. It was the first Ecumenical Council held in...
and opposed the anti-Christian policies of Julian the Apostate
Julian the Apostate
Julian "the Apostate" , commonly known as Julian, or also Julian the Philosopher, was Roman Emperor from 361 to 363 and a noted philosopher and Greek writer....
. Diodore founded one of the most influential centers of Christian thought in the early church, and many of his students became notable theologians in their own right.
Early life
Diodore was born into a noble family in the area of AntiochAntioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
. He received a classic philosophical education at the school of Athens, and very quickly after his education entered into the monastic life. During this period, Diodore's work focused on philosophical treatises and opposing Emperor Julian's attempts to restore paganism in the empire. When an Arian named Leontius was made bishop of Antioch, Diodore and his friend Flavian
Flavian I of Antioch
Flavian I of Antioch was a bishop or Patriarch of Antioch from 381 until his death.He was born about 320, most probably in Antioch. He inherited great wealth, but resolved to devote his riches and his talents to the service of the church...
(who later was himself appointed as bishop of Antioch) organized those who followed the Nicene orthodoxy outside the walls of the city for worship. Those services are seen as the beginning of antiphonal singing
Antiphon
An antiphon in Christian music and ritual, is a "responsory" by a choir or congregation, usually in Gregorian chant, to a psalm or other text in a religious service or musical work....
in the church, a practice that became widespread among Christians.
During his time at the monastery in Antioch, Diodore came under the tutelage of Meletius
Meletius of Antioch
Saint Meletius of Antioch was a Christian bishop, or Patriarch of Antioch, from 360 until his death. There were contrasting view about his theological position: on the one hand, he was exiled three times under Arian emperors; on the other, he was strongly opposed by those faithful to the memory...
, a theologian opposed to the Arian
Arianism
Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father...
tendencies of the era and a strong support of the Nicene factions of the church. In 360, the church in Antioch split into factions, having two Nicene and two Arian bishops. Meletius was one of the Nicene bishops of Antioch in 360, and it was he that ordained Diodore as a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
. Diodore, in turn, was a strong supporter not only of the Nicene cause but of Meletius.
Priesthood
During his priesthood, Diodore founded a monastery and catechetical school near the city of Antioch. It was through this school that Diodore became the mentor of the controversial theologian and liturgist Theodore of MopsuestiaTheodore of Mopsuestia
Theodore the Interpreter was bishop of Mopsuestia from 392 to 428 AD. He is also known as Theodore of Antioch, from the place of his birth and presbyterate...
, but also of the legendary homileticist John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom , Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his ascetic...
. This school would give rise to the unique Antiochene perspectives on both biblical interpretation and Christology known as the Antiochene School
School of Antioch
The School of Antioch was one of the two major centers of the study of biblical exegesis and theology during Late Antiquity; the other was the catechetical school of Alexandria...
. Ultimately, taken to the extreme, the perspective set out for this school by Diodore led to the teachings of Nestorius
Nestorius
Nestorius was Archbishop of Constantinople from 10 April 428 to 22 June 431.Drawing on his studies at the School of Antioch, his teachings, which included a rejection of the long-used title of Theotokos for the Virgin Mary, brought him into conflict with other prominent churchmen of the time,...
, which were first condemned at the First Council of Ephesus in 431.
It was his role as the head of the Antiochene School which led to Diodore's exile in 372
372
Year 372 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Modestus and Arintheus...
. Banished to Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
by Emperor Valens
Valens
Valens was the Eastern Roman Emperor from 364 to 378. He was given the eastern half of the empire by his brother Valentinian I after the latter's accession to the throne...
, Diodore encountered a fellow supporter of the Nicene faction, Basil of Caesarea
Basil of Caesarea
Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great, was the bishop of Caesarea Mazaca in Cappadocia, Asia Minor . He was an influential 4th century Christian theologian...
, during his exile. When Diodore returned from exile following the death of the emperor in 378, Basil was serving as the archbishop (or patriarch) of Caesarea, and he appointed Diodore as the bishop of Tarsus.
Episcopate
As bishop of the see of Tarsus, Diodore continued to speak out for the Nicene understanding of the relationship between the human and the divine in the person of Jesus Christ. He actively opposed both the Arianism and the Apollinarianism of his day (AriusArius
Arius was a Christian presbyter in Alexandria, Egypt of Libyan origins. His teachings about the nature of the Godhead, which emphasized the Father's divinity over the Son , and his opposition to the Athanasian or Trinitarian Christology, made him a controversial figure in the First Council of...
taught that Jesus Christ was not fully divine, Apollinaris of Laodicea
Apollinaris of Laodicea
Apollinaris "the Younger" was a bishop of Laodicea in Syria. He collaborated with his father Apollinaris the Elder in reproducing the Old Testament in the form of Homeric and Pindaric poetry, and the New Testament after the fashion of Platonic dialogues, when the emperor Julian had forbidden...
that he was not fully human).
Diodore played key roles in both the local Council of Antioch
Synods of Antioch
Beginning with three synods convened between 264 and 269 in the matter of Paul of Samosata, more than thirty councils were held in Antioch in ancient times. Most of these dealt with phases of the Arian and of the Christological controversies...
in 379 and the ecumenical First Council of Constantinople
First Council of Constantinople
The First Council of Constantinople is recognized as the Second Ecumenical Council by the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox, the Eastern Orthodox, the Roman Catholics, the Old Catholics, and a number of other Western Christian groups. It was the first Ecumenical Council held in...
in 381. When their mentor Meletius died in 381, Diodore recommended his friend Flavian as his successor, thus prolonging the division in the Antiochene church.
Theology
The ChristologyChristology
Christology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature...
of Diodore was condemned as heretical by later generations, most explicitely at a local synod in Constantinople in 499 which described Diodore's views as Nestorian
Nestorianism
Nestorianism is a Christological doctrine advanced by Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople from 428–431. The doctrine, which was informed by Nestorius's studies under Theodore of Mopsuestia at the School of Antioch, emphasizes the disunion between the human and divine natures of Jesus...
. Certainly a similarly negative view of Diodore was held by Cyril of Alexandria
Cyril of Alexandria
Cyril of Alexandria was the Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444. He came to power when the city was at its height of influence and power within the Roman Empire. Cyril wrote extensively and was a leading protagonist in the Christological controversies of the later 4th and 5th centuries...
. However, in his own generation Diodore was seen as someone who supported the orthodoxy of Nicaea, and in his official decree ratifying the actions of the First Council of Constantinople, Emperor Theodosius I
Theodosius I
Theodosius I , also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman Emperor from 379 to 395. Theodosius was the last emperor to rule over both the eastern and the western halves of the Roman Empire. During his reign, the Goths secured control of Illyricum after the Gothic War, establishing their homeland...
described Diodore as a "champion of the faith."
The specifics of Diodore's theology are difficult to reconstruct, as all that remains of his works are fragments of uncertain provenance. Much of Diodore's theology has been inferred from the later statements of his students and the intellectual heirs of the Antiochene School.
Like many other theologians affiliated with the Antiochene School, Diodore appears to have been a Christian universalist
Universal reconciliation
In Christian theology, universal reconciliation is the doctrine that all sinful and alienated human souls—because of divine love and mercy—will ultimately be reconciled to God.Universal salvation may be related to the perception of a problem of Hell, standing opposed to ideas...
. Under the concept of Apocatastasis
Apocatastasis
Apocatastasis is reconstitution, restitution, or restoration to the original or primordial condition.-Etymology and definition:The Liddell and Scott Lexicon entry, gives the following examples of usage:* “τοῦ ἐνδεοῦς” Aristotle MM, 1205a4; into its nature εἰς φύσιν id...
, which is to believe that all people would eventually receive salvation. Saloman, Bishop of Bassorah, clearly proclaimed the salvation of all men and cited the opinions of both Diodore and Theodore of Mopsuestia
Theodore of Mopsuestia
Theodore the Interpreter was bishop of Mopsuestia from 392 to 428 AD. He is also known as Theodore of Antioch, from the place of his birth and presbyterate...
in support of the view. Regarding divine punishment Diodore wrote:
For the wicked there are punishments, not perpetual, however, lest the immortality prepared for them should be a disadvantage, but they are to be purified for a brief period according to the amount of malice in their works. They shall therefore suffer punishment for a short space, but immortal blessedness having no end awaits them, the penalties to be inflicted for their many and grave sins are very far surpassed by the magnitude of the mercy to be showed them. The resurrection, therefore, is regarded as a blessing not only to the good, but also to the evil.
According to J. W. Hanson Diodore believed that God's mercy would punish the wicked less than their sins deserved, inasmuch as his mercy gave the good more than they deserved and he denied that God would bestow immortality for the purpose of prolonging or perpetuating suffering.
See also
- Christian UniversalismChristian UniversalismChristian Universalism is a school of Christian theology which includes the belief in the doctrine of universal reconciliation, the view that all human beings or all fallen creatures will ultimately be restored to right relationship with God....
- Early ChristianityEarly ChristianityEarly Christianity is generally considered as Christianity before 325. The New Testament's Book of Acts and Epistle to the Galatians records that the first Christian community was centered in Jerusalem and its leaders included James, Peter and John....
- Eastern ChristianityEastern ChristianityEastern Christianity comprises the Christian traditions and churches that developed in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Northeastern Africa, India and parts of the Far East over several centuries of religious antiquity. The term is generally used in Western Christianity to...
- TheoriaTheoriaFor other uses of the term "contemplation", see Contemplation Theoria is Greek for contemplation. It corresponds to the Latin word contemplatio, "looking at", "gazing at", "being aware of".- Introduction :...