Apollinaris of Laodicea
Who was Apollinaris of Laodicea?
4th-century Syrian bishop
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Apollinaris of Laodicea (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Apollinaris of Laodicea, also known as Apollinaris the Younger, was a bishop, theologian, and well-known writer in the fourth century, born around 310 in Laodicea, Syria. He was the bishop of Laodicea and one of the most active church figures of his time, contributing to theology, biblical studies, and religious literature when Christianity was defining its doctrines across the Roman Empire. His father, Apollinaris the Elder, was a teacher and priest, and the younger Apollinaris followed in his footsteps both in scholarly pursuits and church life.
Apollinaris became well known for opposing Arianism, a belief linked to the Alexandrian priest Arius, which argued that the Son of God was created and less important than the Father. Apollinaris argued for the full divinity of Christ and was closely allied with Athanasius of Alexandria, the leading orthodox figure of that time. His support of Nicene Christianity earned him a lot of respect among orthodox believers, and he was known as an effective debater and interpreter whose intelligence was recognized throughout the eastern Mediterranean.
Despite his strong defense of Christ's divine nature, Apollinaris's legacy became complicated due to his beliefs. To preserve Christ's unity and divine nature, Apollinaris claimed that Christ didn't have a fully human rational soul. Instead, he argued that the divine Logos replaced the human mind or rational soul in Jesus. This idea, later known as Apollinarism, was meant to avoid splitting Christ into two persons, but critics said it denied the full humanity of Christ. Gregory of Nazianzus and other theologians from Cappadocia opposed the idea, arguing that what is not taken on by Christ cannot be saved, meaning if Christ lacked a human rational soul, human rationality wouldn't be saved. The First Council of Constantinople in 381 declared Apollinarism heretical.
Apollinaris also created a Greek verse paraphrase of the Old Testament, trying to present scriptural content in a style familiar to educated Romans and Greeks. He wrote a History of the Hebrews and worked across various genres in both prose and verse. These efforts partly responded to Emperor Julian's 362 edict that banned Christians from teaching classical literature, which led Apollinaris and his father to develop Christian versions of the pagan literary works. Although many of his works are fragmented or lost, they show his vast literary and theological goals.
Before Fame
Apollinaris was born in Laodicea around 310 into a well-educated clerical family. At this time, the Roman Empire under Constantine was starting to officially support Christianity. His father was a respected grammarian and a presbyter, making sure that young Apollinaris got thorough training in both classical rhetoric and Christian scripture from an early age. This background in Hellenistic literature and Christian theology greatly influenced his later writings and arguments.
The fourth century brought Christians a unique challenge: how to keep their intellectual credibility in a world filled with Greek and Latin classical knowledge while also asserting the truth of scripture and doctrine. Apollinaris grew up as these tensions were increasing, and his early education prepared him to engage with pagan and heterodox opponents using their own literary and philosophical methods. His friendship with Athanasius, whom he met during one of Athanasius's exiles, further strengthened his theological commitments and involved him in the most significant debates of the time.
Key Achievements
- Composed a verse paraphrase of the Old Testament designed to substitute for classical pagan texts in Christian education
- Authored a History of the Hebrews as part of a broader effort to create a Christian literary canon
- Served as a leading orthodox opponent of Arianism and supporter of Nicene Christology throughout the mid-fourth century
- Developed a fully articulated Christological theory, later called Apollinarism, which forced the broader church to define more precisely the nature of Christ's humanity
- Produced extensive theological and exegetical writings across prose and verse that influenced later patristic debate even after his condemnation
Did You Know?
- 01.When Emperor Julian issued his 362 edict forbidding Christians from teaching classical pagan texts, Apollinaris and his father responded by rapidly producing Christian rewrites of classical genres, including a Homeric-style epic based on Hebrew scriptures.
- 02.Apollinaris was temporarily excommunicated alongside his father for attending a reading by the rhetorician Epictetus, an association deemed inappropriate for clergy by the local bishop.
- 03.His theological opponent Gregory of Nazianzus coined the phrase 'what is not assumed is not healed' specifically to counter Apollinaris's claim that Christ lacked a human rational soul.
- 04.Despite being condemned as a heretic, Apollinaris had earlier been celebrated as a champion of Nicene orthodoxy and counted Athanasius of Alexandria among his close allies.
- 05.The sect of Apollinarists continued to exist for decades after his death and the formal condemnation of his doctrine, maintaining communities in parts of Syria and Egypt well into the fifth century.