Diodorus of Tarsus facts for kids

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Diodore of Tarsus (whose name in Greek was Διόδωρος ὁ Ταρσεύς) was an important Christian leader who lived a long time ago, dying around the year 390. He was a bishop, a person who helped reform monasteries, and a theologian, meaning he studied and wrote about religious ideas.

Diodore was a strong supporter of the beliefs decided at the First Council of Nicaea. He played a big part in the First Council of Constantinople. He also stood up against Emperor Julian the Apostate when Julian tried to bring back old pagan religions instead of Christianity. Diodore started a very important school of Christian thought. Many of his students became famous religious thinkers themselves.

Early Life and Monasticism

Diodore was born into a wealthy family in the area of Antioch. He received a great education in philosophy in Athens. After his studies, he quickly decided to live a monastic life, which means dedicating his life to religious practices, often living simply and apart from the world.

During this time, Diodore wrote about philosophy. He also worked to oppose Emperor Julian's efforts to bring back paganism. When a bishop named Leontius, who followed a different Christian belief called Arianism, was appointed in Antioch, Diodore and his friend Flavian gathered Christians who followed the Nicene beliefs. They met for worship outside the city walls. These services are thought to be the start of antiphonal singing in churches, where groups sing back and forth. This practice later became very common.

While living in the monastery in Antioch, Diodore was guided by Meletius of Antioch. Meletius became bishop in 360 and made Diodore a priest. When the church in Antioch was divided, Diodore strongly supported Meletius and his move towards the Nicene beliefs.

Diodore was known for living with very few things. He often relied on alms (donations) for food. He was also frequently put in prison because of his beliefs. People said he looked a bit rough, but John Chrysostom described his expression as angelic.

Priesthood and Teaching

During his time as a priest, Diodore started a monastery and a catechetical school near Antioch. A catechetical school taught people about Christian beliefs. Through this school, Diodore became the teacher of two very important figures: Theodore of Mopsuestia, a theologian and writer about church services, and John Chrysostom, a famous speaker.

This school became known as the School of Antioch. It developed unique ways of understanding the Bible and the nature of Jesus Christ. Later, some extreme ideas from this school led to the teachings of Nestorius. These teachings were later disagreed with at the First Council of Ephesus in 431.

Because he was the head of the Antiochene School, Diodore was sent away from Antioch in 372. Emperor Valens banished him to Armenia. During his exile, Diodore met Basil of Caesarea, who also supported the Nicene beliefs. When Diodore returned from exile after the emperor died in 378, Basil was the archbishop of Caesarea. Basil then appointed Diodore as the bishop of Tarsus.

Bishop of Tarsus

As the bishop of Tarsus, Diodore continued to speak out for the Nicene understanding of Jesus Christ. This understanding explains how Jesus is both fully human and fully divine. Diodore actively opposed two other beliefs of his time: Arianism and Apollinarianism. Arius taught that Jesus was not fully divine, while Apollinaris of Laodicea spoke about Jesus in ways that made it seem like he wasn't fully human.

Diodore played important roles in both the local Council of Antioch (379) and the larger First Council of Constantinople in 381. When his mentor Meletius died in 381, Diodore suggested his friend Flavian as the new bishop. This decision, however, caused the church in Antioch to remain divided for a longer time. Diodore himself passed away around the year 394.

Diodore's Ideas

Diodore's ideas about Christology (the study of Jesus Christ) were later seen as problematic by some church leaders. For example, a meeting in Constantinople in 499 described his views as similar to Nestorianism. Cyril of Alexandria also had a negative view of Diodore's ideas.

However, during his own lifetime, Diodore was seen as a strong supporter of the Nicene beliefs. Emperor Theodosius I even called Diodore a "champion of the faith" when he approved the decisions of the First Council of Constantinople.

It's hard to know exactly what Diodore believed because most of his writings have been lost. We only have small pieces of his work. Much of what we know about his ideas comes from what his students and others who followed the Antiochene School later said.

Some historians believe Diodore also held ideas similar to Universal Reconciliation, which suggests that eventually all people will be saved. For example, a bishop named Saloman in 1222 mentioned Diodore as someone who believed in the salvation of all people.

Another writer, J. W. Hanson, stated that Diodore believed God's mercy would punish wicked people less than they deserved. He thought that God would not give people immortality just to make them suffer forever.

See also

In Spanish: Diodoro de Tarso para niños

• Christian Universalism
• Early Christianity
• Eastern Christianity
• School of Antioch
• Theoria