Alexandrian Theology

Alexandrian theology, best represented by Clement of Alexandria and Origen, is distinguished from that of the Antiochene school in the following characteristics:

In exegesis, Alexandrians tended to the mystical and allegorical approach instead of the historical and literal.

In theology, Alexandrians stressed the transcendence of God, the essential Godhead of all three Persons of the Trinity and seeing the distinction between the Persons as functional. Hence they tended towards tritheism.

Christologically, Alexnadrians emphasised the divine nature, rather than the human nature of the Antiochene school, of Christ. So strong is this stress that the more extreme representatives of the school (e.g., Apollinaris) refused to accept Christ's humanity. Little suprising, therefore, that Monophysitism and Monothelitism became the extreme forms of Alexandrian theology.

Louis Berkhof, The History of Christian Doctrines (London: Banner of Truth Trust, 1969), 70-76. This work is not in the public domain. html Open here

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