Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Gangra - Synodical Letter

The council at Gangra convened sometime between Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), but no firm date has ever been established though 340 has come forward as a probable date.1  The council dealt with Manichaean teaching and distributed a letter condemning Eustathius of Sebaste in Armenia.2

The body of the synodical letter deals with the proper roles of men and women in marriage and culture.  All biblical norms and gender roles are put off apparently for the common good.  As the letter states, it ends up as the common detriment, throwing the church into disarray and confusion.  The canons deal with the individual issues, so more detail will be given there.


1 C. Nardi, “Gangra” in The Encyclopedia of the Early Church, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992).
2 "Historical Introduction," NPNF2, Vol 14, p 89 and at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf214.viii.v.ii.html

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