Rational-philosophical Argumentation of Leonty of Byzantium and his Influence on the Development of Late Byzantine Christology

Abstract

The origins of today's life of the Christian Church are contained in its ancient history, which determines the importance of studying the activities of its special representatives, such as Leontius of Byzantium. And although modern scholars pay attention to the study of the dogma of this theologian, his influence on the development of late Byzantine Christology remains unexplored. In this regard, the author considers the theological teaching of the Christologist Leonty of Byzantium, which raised questions about the incarnation of Jesus Christ, about the image of the union in Christ of the Divine and human nature, in order to present Christology in the context of those discussions that took place in the 5th-6th centuries. The paper shows that Leonty of Byzantium became one of the first polemical theologians who was able to explain the true meaning of the Chalcedonian definition. As a result of the study, it was revealed that the works of Leonty of Byzantium to a large extent contributed to the clarification and approval of Orthodox Christology and played a prominent role in church polemical activities. They had a great influence on the Christology of Bishop Anastasius of Antioch, St. Maximus the Confessor, St. Anastasius of Sinai, and St. John of Damascus.