Cyril of Alexandria was one of the most powerful and influential theologians of the early Church — the patriarch of Alexandria who, in the year 431, came to our own Ephesus to lead the great council that would define how Christians speak of Christ and of his mother.
At the Council of Ephesus, Cyril was the driving force behind the condemnation of Nestorius and the triumph of the title Theotokos — “Mother of God” — for the Virgin Mary. He argued, fiercely and brilliantly, that Christ is one single person, truly God and truly man, and that Mary is therefore rightly called the Mother of God. His theology shaped Christian belief for centuries, and he is honoured today as a Doctor of the Church.
Cyril was also a forceful and at times controversial leader, and the politics of his age were rough indeed; he was very much a man of his turbulent times. But his influence on Christian doctrine is hard to overstate, and the council he led here in Ephesus remains one of the great turning points in the history of the faith.
The ruins of the Church of Mary at Ephesus, where Cyril’s council met, still lie quietly near the ancient harbour, and I love to bring pilgrims here and tell the story. To visit with a local guide, reach me through toursaroundturkey.com.
