Digital Logos Edition
Cyril of Alexandria famously took up the debate against Nestorius on the theological interpretation of the deity of Christ, a number of which are addressed in these volumes. This fifth-century Christological controversey comprises most of the teaching of these letters, notably even letters not addressed to Nestorius. The conflict with Nestorius eventually brought Nestorius to condemnation after the Council of Ephesus in 431, in which Cyril presides at the request of Pope Celestine. Almost the entire collection here has to do with the controversey surrounding the Council of Ephesus and the schism of bishops on either side of the theological controversey.
“By means of a riddle through these the chorus of the holy apostles is clearly signified being, as it were, in a circle around Emmanuel, who is manifestation and truth, for he manifested the truth by having taken away the worship of God in shadows and in types.” (Page 26)
“‘he who discloses the recesses of the darkness’8 sends the light of truth to those who wish to gain a knowledge concerning him rightly. It is necessary therefore that we prostrate ourselves before God saying, ‘Give light to my eyes that I may not sleep in death,’9 for to slip away from the rightness of holy doctrines would be nothing else except to sleep in death and we depart from this rightness when we do not follow the divinely inspired Scriptures.” (Page 16)