- John of Tella
John of Tella or John Bar Qursos (483-538) was a monk and bishop in the Near East. John was a major proponent of moderate
Monophysitism . [ [http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-304940/John-Bar-Qursos John Bar Qursos, or John of Tella (Syrian bishop) - Britannica Online Encyclopedia ] ] Although his native language wasSyriac he studied Greek in order to serve in the Byzantine administration. John was a native ofCallincius . He was influenced to become a monk by reading the Acts of Thecla. [ [http://syrcom.cua.edu/Hugoye/Vol6No2/HV6N2BurrisVanRompay.html BURRIS & VAN ROMPAY: Thecla in Syriac Christianity ] ] He later studied at the monastery founded byGregory Nazianzen .John served as bishop of Tella which is near the modern city of
Aleppo . John became bishop in 519. He has also come down to us as an opponent of inept, rich men gaining priestly office through bribes. [ [http://syrcom.cua.edu/Hugoye/Vol7No2/HV7N2Menze.html MENZE: Priests, Laity and the Sacrament of the Eucharist in sixth century Syria ] ] In 521 John resigned his office as a bishop so he could better pursue the ascetic life. [http://books.google.com/books?id=9AvjaThtrKYC&pg=PA243&lpg=PA243&dq=%22john+of+tella%22&source=web&ots=3lXxre4brS&sig=pCFfIxbIlyMcnkohiL9tb_iab4M&hl=en] Still his most lasting contribution was ordaining many priests and bishops in opposition to theChalcedonians moving the break between them and the Monophysites to a full blown schism. [http://books.google.com/books?id=C2akvQfa-QMC&pg=PA241&lpg=PA241&dq=%22john+of+tella%22&source=web&ots=M7KCb4KbAb&sig=AfG1TBXwcFOulFFm-WM3sHoRrgM&hl=en]ources
Brown, Peter. "The Rise of Western Christendom", (Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2003) p. 311
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