Apollinaris of Laodicea

Apollinaris of Laodicea, also known as Apollinaris the Younger, was a significant figure in 4th-century Christian theology, serving as the bishop of Laodicea in Syria. He died around 382 AD. Apollinaris is most renowned for his vigorous opposition to Arianism, a Christological doctrine that challenged the full divinity of Jesus. His theological efforts were driven by a fervent desire to emphasize the deity of Jesus and the absolute unity of his person.

Life and Historical Context

During a period when Emperor Julian had prohibited Christians from teaching classical literature, Apollinaris, alongside his father Apollinaris the Elder, engaged in a creative endeavor to reproduce the Old Testament in the form of Homeric and Pindaric poetry and the New Testament in the style of Platonic dialogues. While this literary adaptation is noted, his primary historical significance stems from his theological contributions and controversies.

Major Theological Contributions and Controversy

Apollinaris's theological system, termed Apollinarism, arose from his attempt to safeguard the unity and divinity of Christ. He proposed that in Christ's human nature, the rational soul (νοῦς, nous) was absent, being replaced by the divine Logos. This meant that Christ's body was a glorified and spiritualized form of humanity. This view, while intended to preserve Christ's divine integrity, was seen by many as undermining the completeness of Christ's humanity and his role as a perfect redeemer. The orthodox position, maintained by major Christian traditions, asserts that God the Logos assumed human nature in its entirety, including the rational soul, to fully represent and redeem humanity.

Condemnation and Legacy

Apollinarism was met with significant opposition and was formally condemned by several synods, most notably by the First Council of Constantinople in 381. Despite this condemnation, the doctrine found a considerable following. After Apollinaris's death, his followers divided into two sects, the Vitalians and the Polemeans, with the latter even asserting that Christ's body was an object of adoration. The emphasis Apollinaris placed on the unity of the human and divine in Christ, and the preeminence of the divine element within that unity, was later echoed in the theological positions of Eutychianism and persisted within the anti-Nestorian monophysite schools.

Writings and Relationships

Though Apollinaris was a prolific writer, very little of his work survives under his own name. Some of his writings have been mistakenly attributed to other orthodox Fathers, such as the treatise 'ἡ κατὰ μέρος πίστις' (Faith in Parts), which was long ascribed to Gregory Thaumaturgus. His correspondence with Basil of Caesarea exists, though its authenticity is debated by scholars due to Basil seeking theological advice from Apollinaris on the term 'homoousios'. However, before his doctrines were viewed as heretical, Apollinaris was a respected bishop and a friend to prominent figures like Athanasius and Basil.