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© Eileen McGuckin www.saintmarymagdalen.com		An Introduction to St Cyril of Alexandria This course is the fourth in a series of short courses aiming to introduce some of the major figures from Early Church history to a wider audience, especially to those with no previous background in the subject. The young St Cyril (c. 378-444 AD) enjoyed the patronage of his uncle Theophilus (archbishop of the powerful see of Alexandria) and received an excellent education in this important ancient cultural and intellectual centre. On his uncle's death, Cyril succeeded him as archbishop, becoming embroiled from the start in tensions between the Christian and Jewish/pagan factions in the city. Other tensions were to mark his career, specifically the bitter debate with the archbishop of Constantinople (Nestorius) over Christology (the "God-man" makeup of the person of Christ). This crisis came to a head at the Council of Ephesus (431 AD) at which Cyril appointed himself both judge & jury. Rather unsurprisingly, the council saw Cyril's christological perspective triumph against an alternative view put forward by Nestorius.
However, this was far from the end of the matter, and Cyril's views continued to provide a focus at the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD). The results of this council caused divisions in the Eastern Church which persist to the present day. Course Outline This course will provide an overview of Cyril's life & works, his perspective on the person of Christ and his clash with Nestorius, as well as a little insight into the fascinating world of international ecclesiastical politics in the 5th century! Most importantly, we will examine the reasons why Cyril advocated his position so vehemently. The course will be divided into several sessions, with breaks for refreshments, each session consisting of a period of teaching with time for questions. The longer day at Ditchingham allows for a lunch break and time for reflection in the convent grounds. Excerpts from St Cyril’s writings will be provided as handouts on the day, the intention being not merely to provide stock quotations, but rather inspirational texts - “catalysts” for your own spiritual journey. Please note: Tea & coffee (and nice biscuits) will be provided during the breaks, but you will need to make your own arrangements for lunch. Who is the course aimed at? Anyone who’s read this far and is still interested! Do I need to know any history/theology? Absolutely not! The course assumes a complete lack of previous knowledge, experience or study. Although naturally this wouldn’t do any harm. However, clergy, lay readers or others with some knowledge will still find much of interest. Speaker Russell Jefford has been fascinated with the Early Church period for a number of years - an interest which led to him recently taking an MA in Patristics (Early Church history & theology) at King’s College London. He sees much in the writings of the Early Church Fathers (especially the Eastern Fathers) which is inspirational and of relevance to contemporary Christianity. This course is one of a series attempting to spread that inspiration further afield.

This course is currently scheduled for the following dates/locations:
None! Sorry, this course is not in the calendar for the immediate future. If you'd like to lobby for it to be repeated, please use the Get in Touch form.

Suggestions for further reading
See the Reading Room section of the website for:

• Inspirational extracts from some of St Cyril's works
• Books about St Cyril of Alexandria
• Books containing his work in English translation

© Russell Jefford @ EarlyChurch.co.uk 2003-2010