Tewahedo Christology

What it is: The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church belongs to the christological family of non-Chalcedonian Eastern Orthodoxy.

How the tradition understands it: The term Tewahedo highlights the unity of the incarnate Christ, preserving full divinity and full humanity without division of the subject of the Word.

Basis and context: The formulation is in continuity with the heritage received from other Eastern Orthodox churches.

Debates and variations: As in other traditions of the family, the theme requires care to avoid simplistic caricatures of Monophysitism.

Supportive

Documents of the Tewahedo tradition and Christology

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The Tewahedo tradition expresses the unity of the incarnate Christ.

Reference: Christological and catechetical formulas of the Tewahedo tradition in Eritrean reception.
Content: The material preserves the language of unity of the incarnate Christ typical of the Eastern Orthodox family.
Use in debate: Important for the Tewahedo Christology of the Eritrean church.

Contrary

Definition of Chalcedon

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Central text of Chalcedonian churches, not received by the Tewahedo tradition.

Reference: Council of Chalcedon, Christological definition of 451.
Content: The text formulates Christ in two natures in the language adopted by Chalcedonian traditions.
Use in debate: Central historical source of tension with the Tewahedo tradition.

Leo the Great, Tome to Flavian

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Important document in Chalcedonian Christology.

Reference: Leo the Great, Tome to Flavian.
Content: The text strongly influenced the Chalcedonian reception of Christology.
Use in debate: Classic source of contrast with the Tewahedo tradition.

Neutral

Modern ecumenical Christological declarations

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Modern documents help read ancient divergences with greater precision.

Reference: Ecumenical declarations between Eastern Orthodox churches and other Christian partners.
Content: The texts show important convergences in faith in Christ despite old terminological and historical divisions.
Use in debate: Useful for compared context of Tewahedo Christology.