Page 182 - THE ARMENIAN CHURCH_Neat

Ecumenical Engagement 183

In spite of significant progress in theo-
logical dialogue, the old polemical and
misleading term, "monophysite," is still often
used with reference to the Oriental Ortho-
dox family, including the Armenian Church.
This is recklessly incorrect. Whereas "mono-
physite" implies Eutychian, the Oriental Or-
thodox churches have consistently condem-
ned as heresy the teachings of Eutyches. The
accurate term for the true teaching of the
Oriental Orthodox churches is "miaphysite,"
which means that in the incarnate Christ
there is one composite nature out "of two"
natures, divinity and humanity, in contrast
to the "diophysite" formulation "in two" na-
tures of the Chalcedonian definition.
The communion of faith between the
Oriental and Eastern Orthodox churches is a
crucial first step leading towards the visible
unity of the church. How can the two
families of the Orthodox tradition, preser-
ving the distinctiveness of each family and
of each church, transcend the stereotyped
formulas that they have inherited from the
past and affirm their common attachment to
the core of their common christological
teachings? Here is the ecumenical challenge.

Relations with the Catholic Church
The Armenian Church's contacts with the
Church of Rome date back to early cen-