The following master's thesis sheds light on the events in the past when the Church, in the process of formation, began its turbulent period, which dragged on for centuries. Conflicts in the Church originated from the fact that there were many ideas, teachings and explanations about Jesus Christ and his role in the burgeoning religion. The main question revolved around Christ’s ontology and consequently about his »natures«. An important role in the attempts of resolving these conflicts was played by Roman emperors. In late antiquity a special dynamic arose between the Church on one side and the Empire on the other. Conflicting ideas from different teachings and schools of thoughts were confronted during this period and intertwined at the highest (imperial) level where, according to the tradition of the Roman state, the emperor intervened in both the political and religious spheres for his own or state interests.
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