Synod of Diospolis

Synod of Diospolis was a 415 synod in Diospolis (now Lod, Israel) in which Pelagius was accused of heresy by the exiled Gallic bishops. It followed a council held earlier that year.

A synod was convoked by Bishop John of Jerusalem in the summer of 415. Paul Orosius (a Spanish cleric) spoke against Pelagius, and stated that a council at Carthage had condemned Caelestius (a discipline of Pelagius) and his ideas on original sin. It was decided that the controversary should handed over to the Pope Innocent I.[1] Augustine states that no official records of this meeting were kept and only Orosius kept a few notes.[2]

A further synod was held in December 415. It was summoned by Eulogius, bishop of Caesarea and included thirteen other bishops. The synod was established to judge an accusation made by Heros of Arles and Lazarus of Aix. Heros and Lazarus were allies of Jerome, as was Paul Orosius.[3]

Pelagius spoke Greek and Latin, and as the members of synod could not read Latin in detail, they were limited in how they could question him and his writings.[4] Pelagius defended himself by disavowing the doctrines of Caelestius and was not convicted.

Both Jerome and Augustine were unhappy with the verdict, with Jerome calling it, “the wretched Synod of Diospolis”.[5] Pope Innocent stated that "he could not bring himself to refuse either blame or praise of those bishops."[6]

Aftermath

Pelagian doctrines were officially condemned at the Councils of Carthage of 418.[7][8]

Pelagius was declared a heretic by the First Council of Ephesus in 431.[9]

Fragments of the synod's proceedings are preserved in Augustine's work On The Proceedings Of Pelagius.

Sources
  • Beatrice, Pier Franco (3 September 2014). "Chromatius and Jovinus at the Synod of Diospolis: A Prosopographical Inquiry". Journal of Early Christian Studies. 22 (3): 437–464. doi:10.1353/earl.2014.0039. ISSN 1086-3184. S2CID 171044799.
  • Burnett, Carole C. (2003). "Dysfunction at Diospolis". Augustinian Studies. 34 (2): 153–173. doi:10.5840/augstudies200334213.
  • Deane, Vincent (1990). "HCE and the Fall of Pelagius". European Joyce Studies. 2: 109–123. ISSN 0923-9855.
  • Lössl, Josef (1997). Intellectus Gratiae: Die erkenntnistheoretische und hermeneutische Dimension der Gnadenlehre Augustins von Hippo (in German). BRILL. pp. 251–252. ISBN 978-90-04-31305-7.
  • Rees, Brinley Roderick (1998). Pelagius: Life and Letters. Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-85115-714-6.

References
  1. ProQuest website
  2. Tertullian website
  3. CCEL website
  4. Biblical Studies website
  5. Biblical Studies website
  6. Orthodox Church Fathers website
  7. Britannica website
  8. New Advent website
  9. Schaff, Philip. The Seven Ecumenical Councils: Excursus on Pelagianism, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series II, vol 14.
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