Sources

The Definition of Faith of the Council of Chalcedon

Citation Formats

General Reference

Divinity Atlas. "The Definition of Faith of the Council of Chalcedon." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.divinityatlas.com/sources/the-definition-of-faith-of-the-council-of-chalcedon.

APA Style

Divinity Atlas. (n.d.). The Definition of Faith of the Council of Chalcedon. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://www.divinityatlas.com/sources/the-definition-of-faith-of-the-council-of-chalcedon

BibTeX

@misc{divinityatlas-the-definition-of-faith-of-the-council-o,
  author = {Divinity Atlas},
  title = {The Definition of Faith of the Council of Chalcedon},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://www.divinityatlas.com/sources/the-definition-of-faith-of-the-council-of-chalcedon},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

The Definition of Faith is the Council of Chalcedon's own conciliar formula of 451, the church's own primary statement of its christological position, and this record holds it as a custodian source for exactly that reason. It is authoritative for exactly what the council defined, checkable against the text itself, not for how every Christian communion received it, since the Oriental Orthodox churches declined to accept this specific formula and hold a differing christology to this day, a documented division this record states rather than glosses over. Use it to establish what Chalcedon itself decreed; a claim about the Oriental Orthodox churches' own christological position needs a source stating their position directly rather than this council's own text, which speaks only for the side that adopted it.

Facts

Assessment

Reliability Tier

A primary conciliar text, the Council of Chalcedon's own 451 christological formula, carried as a custodian source; authoritative for what the council defined, not for how every communion received it, since the Oriental Orthodox churches declined to accept it.

Notes

The christological formula of 451 that the Oriental Orthodox churches declined to accept.

Custodian

Custodian Source

Yes

Custodian Body

Council of Chalcedon

Custodian Basis

Issued by an ecumenical council of the Church in its own name. Authoritative for what the Church defined; it is not independent evidence about the matter defined.

Citation

Author

Council of Chalcedon

Publication Year

451

URL

https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3811.htm

Source Type

primary-text

Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

Chalcedon

This source names Chalcedon directly: "Definition of Faith is the Council of Chalcedon's own conciliar formula of 451, the church's own primary statement of its christological position, and this record holds it as a custodian source for..."

Source The Definition of Faith of the Council of ChalcedonCouncil of Chalcedonthe holders' own account

Claims Backed By This Source (145 claims)

This source backs 145 claims across the atlas. As facts: 52 well-attested. As cited relationships: 58 holds, 1 connected, 3 critiqued Here, 3 rejected Here. Plus 28 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.

Disposition By Topic

Doctrines, 64 claims: 15 well-attested, 41 holds, 2 critiqued Here, 6 general references.
Denominations, 20 claims: 4 well-attested, 2 holds, 3 rejected Here, 11 general references.
Beliefs & Restrictions, 18 claims: 8 well-attested, 7 holds, 3 general references.
Sources, 11 claims: 10 well-attested, 1 holds.
Articles, 10 claims: 8 well-attested, 1 connected, 1 general references.
Schools of Theology, 8 claims: 3 well-attested, 2 holds, 1 critiqued Here, 2 general references.
Creeds & Confessions, 6 claims: 3 well-attested, 2 holds, 1 general references.
Cities, 3 claims: 2 holds, 1 general references.
Councils and Synods, 3 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 holds, 1 general references.
Deities, 1 claims: 1 general references.
Figures, 1 claims: 1 general references.