Eranistēs

work by Theodoret of Cyrrhus

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 26, 2026

Quick Summary

Eranistēs is a significant work by Theodoret of Cyrrhus, a 5th-century Syrian theologian and bishop. Written around 446, this treatise was part of the complex Christological debates of the era.12

Theodoret, influenced by the Antiochene school of biblical interpretation, emphasized Christ's integral human consciousness. He distinguished between nature and person to harmonize this with traditional orthodoxy, asserting Christ as one person in two natures. This work was a response to theological views that stressed Christ's divinity over his humanity, a position Theodoret found more perilous than the opposing Nestorian views. Theodoret's writings aimed to moderate extreme positions and contributed to the development of Christian theological vocabulary.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

5 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Theodoret Of Cyrrhus
…works, On The Incarnation and Eranistēs (“The Beggar”), written about 431 and 446, respectively, attributed to Christ an integral human consciousness with a distinct psychological ego. To harmonize this view with the traditional orthodoxy of the earliest church writers, he distinguished the concepts of nature (i.e., the principle of action,…
Read More
…works, On The Incarnation and Eranistēs (“The Beggar”), written about 431 and 446, respectively, attributed to Christ an integral human consciousness with a distinct psychological ego. To harmonize this view with the traditional orthodoxy of the earliest church writers, he distinguished the concepts of nature (i.e., the principle of action,…
Read More