ABSTRACT
As victor, Justinian enlarged the area over which he could direct the affairs of the Church. As lawgiver, he strengthened his hold upon them. But as theologian, he intervened to shape its doctrine. Three controversies gave him opportunity for such intervention-Theopaschitism, 519-33; Origenism, 531-:-43; and the Three Chapters, 544--53. The last two were stirred up by himself/ and were brought to an end by the Fifth General Council, at Constantinople, 553. And the course of all was largely controlled by Justinian's political necessities. In order to maintain the unity and integrity of his Empire, he was obliged to conciliate Monophysite feeling in the East; and, not without the secret aid of Theodora, he even went so far as to force concessions to it upon the West. Nevertheless, Justinian was a student of Christian theology for its own sake, apart from policy. It was this that induced him, at the end of his days, to go over to aphthartodocetism, and to try to enforce it upon his subjects.
