The Lateran Synod of 649 and the Council of Constantinople of 680/81: Concord and Divergence
The Roman Synod of 649 and the Council of Constantinople of 680-81 are a pair of councils, one western and the other eastern, which dealt with the monothelete controversy over wills and operations (one or two?) in Christ. There are utterly bizarre and unique features in the Acts of both. These I shall discuss, before proceeding to the doctrinal debate, where the Roman council distinguished itself (under the guidance of eastern monks, it should be added) and Byzantium produced a definition that represents, in my view, a low point in the history of early doctrinal definitions. The contrast between them allows no generalizations about the competence of Roman versus imperial councils, but illustrates the weaknesses in a debate where both sides misrepresented the other.
The lecture is a part of the conference From Ctesiphon to Toledo: A Comparative View on Early Church Councils in East and West.
Please note that external guests need to register for events. If you are an external guest, please send an email to guclu-menzee@ceu.edu by October 11 at the latest. We will request a visitor card for you, which you can pick up from the reception desk when you arrive for the event.