Cyril of Alexandria

doi:10.1017/CHOL9780521460835.032

31 - Cyril of Alexandria

from A - LITERARY GUIDE

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 March 2008

Edited by

Lewis Ayres and

Assisted by

Frances Young: Affiliation:
University of Birmingham
Lewis Ayres: Affiliation:
Emory University, Atlanta
Andrew Louth: Affiliation:
University of Durham
Augustine Casiday: Affiliation:
University of Durham

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Summary

The patristic understanding of the Incarnation owes more to Cyril of Alexandria than to any other individual theologian. The classic picture of Christ the God-man, as it is delineated in the formulae of the Church from the Council of Chalcedon onwards, and as it has been presented to the heart in liturgies and hymns, is the picture Cyril persuaded Christians was the true, the only credible, Christ.

Despite this, Cyril has suffered such neglect in modern times that, apart from his conciliar letters, he is unrepresented in the standard late-Victorian English translation of the Fathers, the Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers. Part of the reason for this is doubtless his depiction in Charles Kingsley’s famous novel, Hypatia (1853), as a sinister figure, cruel and unscrupulous. All this, however, provides a poor basis for understanding one whom Christians from at least the seventh century onwards regarded as the ‘Seal of the Fathers’.

Cyril was born around 375–80 in Alexandria, where he probably received his education, and he may have spent some time as a monk, though this is disputed. He first appears on the scene of history accompanying his uncle Theophilus at the Synod of the Oak in 403. In 412 he was elected bishop to succeed his uncle: he was not the preferred choice of the civil authorities and the early years of his episcopate were uneasy.

Keywords

Glaphyra Cyril anti-Nestorian writings Alexandria Christianity Pentateuch

Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature , pp. 353 - 357

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521460835.032 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2004

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31 - Cyril of Alexandria

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