The Apollinarist Doctrine and Its Rejection by St. Gregory of Nyssa
The Apollinarist Doctrine and Its Rejection by St. Gregory of Nyssa

Summary/Abstract: From the misunderstanding of the unity of the person of Christ, Apollinaris of Laodicea came to the denial of the affirmation of the harmony between the two wills of Christ and at the same time to the denial of the rational soul of Christ. Apollinaris emphasizes the disunity in the person of Christ that is necessarily born in him because of the rational soul and, through it, in the human will as well. St. Gregory of Nyssa strongly criticized the Apollinaris’ doctrine. He based his argument pointing out the truth that Christ can only be called man if he consists of a rational body and soul. In his treatise Adversum Apollinarem, St. Gregory exegetically addresses the Christological aspects misunderstood by Apollinaris and combats them step by step. Apollinaris’ support of the pre-existence of the body of Christ ruins the teaching of the Incarnation and the Trinitarian teaching. St Gregory understands the two Pauline formulas “image of God” and “image of the servant” in Philippians 2, 6-12 as two distinct natures.

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