THE GENESIS OF THE DEFINITION OF MARY THEOTOKOS IN THE HORIZON OF NICAEA

Abstract

This article analyzes the title Theotókos (Mother of God) in light of Christological theology, situating it within the context of the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), convened by Constantine. Although the official formulation of the term occurred only at the Council of Ephesus (431 AD), its roots trace back to earlier patristic tradition, especially the Alexandrian school. This bibliographic study demonstrates that Arius, a central figure in the Nicene controversy, did not directly oppose the use of the title; there is evidence that he employed it in a manner compatible with his subordinationist Christology. Eusebius of Caesarea, sympathetic to certain Arian theses, also mentions it sporadically, while Nestorius, more than a century later, accused Arius and Apollinaris of heretical use of the term. Although the Council of Nicaea did not explicitly address Mariology, the title Theotókos encapsulates the Christological content affirmed there: the full divinity of the incarnate Son. In the pre-Nicene period, the term was primarily devotional and liturgical; after Nicaea, it gained doctrinal depth, becoming an expression of the mystery of the salvific economy. Today, its relevance remains heuristic for theological and pastoral reflection, so that recognizing Mary as Theotókos functions as a criterion of orthodoxy: affirming it entails professing the hypostatic unity of the incarnate Word and the full divinity of Christ, whereas denying it aligns Christology with Arian or Nestorian models, compromising the integrity of Christ’s person. Thus, the study demonstrates that the title is not merely a devotional expression but constitutes a central link between Mariology, Christology, and soteriology, reflecting its role in the history of Christian theological thought.