La foi au Christ dans l'Église éthiopienne : une synthèse des éléments judéo-chrétiens et helléno-chrétiens

Abstract

Christian faith in Ethiopia, from the beginning in the 4th century with bishop Frumentius and later in a second phase of evangelization by the so-called « Nine Saints », was formed under the influence of Jewish, Cyrillian-Alexandrian and Syrian influences. Therefore certain peculiarities of Ethiopian christology can be explaines, especially the messianic leitmotiv (the messianic kingdom was transferred from Zion to Aksum), the special importance of the unction of Jesus for christological doctrine and of the baptism of Jesus in Ethiopian symbols and liturgy. We have, besides all other peculiarities, a Nicean christology from above together with a strong interpretation based on the Old Testament and Judaism ; the terminology is pre-chalcedonian. Ethiopian christology owes a lot to the Qërellos, a collection of patristic literature, named after Cyril of Alexandria and including some writings of him. This collection was translated (in the main parts) into Ethiopian language already about 500.