The 'Nestorian' Church: A Lamentable Misnomer
The label "Nestorian Church" misrepresents the theology and history of the Church of the East. Western Christians applied the term during doctrinal disputes in the 5th century, linking the church to the Nestorian Heresy due to their acceptance of Mar Nestorius, who was accused of dividing Christs divine and human natures. But the Church of the East never held the heresy of Nestorianism, nor did it follow Nestorius" supposed teachings as the West understood them (refer to The Bazaar of Heracleides for an accurate account of Nestorius' real teachings). The churchs theology was rooted in the Antiochene tradition, which emphasised Christs humanity without denying his divinity. It rejected the idea of a fusion between the two natures but didnt preach dualism either. Much of what the West condemned was a strawman version of its beliefs. The term "Nestorian" stuck for political and polemical reasons, not accuracy. Scholars now widely reject it, but it lingers in popular use. This misnaming has distorted perceptions of a church with its own deep intellectual and missionary legacy across Asia. The name should be dropped. Use Church of the East.