Christotokos

theology

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June 24, 2026

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The term Christotokos (Greek for "Christ-Bearer") was used by the Nestorians to refer to the Virgin Mary. They preferred this term over Theotokos ("God-Bearer") because they emphasized the distinctness of Christ's divine and human natures. The Second Council of Ephesus in 431 CE affirmed that Mary was truly the mother of God, asserting the unity of Christ's person. The Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE further used the concept in defining the hypostatic union, which describes the union of Christ's human and divine natures. This theological debate centers on understanding the relationship between Jesus' human and divine natures.12

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Theotokos
…proper term for Mary was Christotokos (“Christ-Bearer”). The Second Council of Ephesus (431), basing its arguments on the unity of the person of Christ, anathematized all who denied that Christ was truly divine, and asserted that Mary was truly the mother of God. The Council of Chalcedon (451) used the…
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…proper term for Mary was Christotokos (“Christ-Bearer”). The Second Council of Ephesus (431), basing its arguments on the unity of the person of Christ, anathematized all who denied that Christ was truly divine, and asserted that Mary was truly the mother of God. The Council of Chalcedon (451) used the…
Read More

Mary
Dogmatic titles
…preferring the less explicit title Christotokos, meaning “Christ-bearer” or “mother of Christ.” Along with other aspects of his teaching, Nestorius’s objections were condemned at the Council of Ephesus in 431.
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…preferring the less explicit title Christotokos, meaning “Christ-bearer” or “mother of Christ.” Along with other aspects of his teaching, Nestorius’s objections were condemned at the Council of Ephesus in 431.
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