Analyze the Formula of Chalcedon
Step One: Reading the Text (up to 10 points)
Read the following text carefully. Look for key words and phrases, recurring themes, structural relationships, confusing claims, etc. Take thorough notes on the next page. Or, if you prefer, you may print this page off, mark it up and then scan it for submission. Either way, part of the professor’s evaluation will be the
physical evidence of your engagement with the text.
The Formula of Chalcedon (451):
We, then, following the holy fathers, all with one consent, teach
men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
the same complete in deity
and also complete in humanity;
truly God and truly man,
of a rational soul and body;
of one substance with the Father according to deity,
and of one substance with us according to humanity;
in all things like us, yet without sin;
begotten before all ages of the Father according to deity,
and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the
virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to humanity;
one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten,
to be acknowledged in two natures,
without confusion, without change, without division, without
separation;
the distinction of the natures being by no means taken away by the
union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved,
and concurring in one Person and one Hypostasis, not parted or
divided into two persons,
but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the
Lord Jesus Christ,
as the prophets from the beginning have declared concerning him,
and the Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught us,
and the Creed of the holy fathers has handed down to us.
Step Two: Asking Questions of the Text (up to 20 points)
List here five theological questions concerning this text. Some of these may be questions of clarification (e.g., what does this word or phrase mean?), but make sure the majority are substantive questions related to the topic(s) of the day (e.g., How does this statement function to highlight the saving significance of Jesus?) Try to avoid asking questions to which the answer is already obvious to you. To get you started, the first two have already been supplied.
- Which of these statements appear to be merely adopted or adapted from the Nicene Creed, and which appear to be new ideas?
- What does Christ’s “true humanity” imply for how we understand Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness and prayer at Gethsemane?
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