R. Draguet, Julien d’Halicarnasse et sa controverse avec Sévère d’Antioche sur l’incorruptibilité du corps du Christ (Louvain: Imprimerie P. Smeesters, 1924) download here.

This book explores the background of the so-called heresy of the aphthartodocetae, a non-Chalcedonian movement initiated by Julian of Halicarnassus, who maintained that the body of Christ was incorruptible (aphthartos). Severus of Antioch reacted against this view whilst he was in exile in Alexandria. Following Cyril of Alexandria’s teaching concerning the balance between the human and divine aspects of Christ, Severus argued that if the body of Christ would have been incorruptible, the Savior was not subject to suffering. The incorruptibility (aphtharsia) and impassibility (apatheia) of Christ would deny the salvific process of humankind. Thus Severus understood the Julianist teaching as a revival of Eutychianism.

Draguet documented the Syriac sources of the debate between Julian of Halicarnassus and Severus of Antioch and argued that Severus did not fully understand the doctrine of his opponent. Julian did not defend the position of Eutyches of Constantinople concerning the incorruptibility of Christ’s body, but rather he built a theological argument centered on the doctrine of original sin. According to Julian, the sin entered into the world through Adam’s disobedience and henceforth human beings have been corrupted. However, Jesus Christ remained incorruptible (aphthartos) because he is the only one not subjected to original sin, even though he was fully human and his suffering was real.