Acephali

In church history, the term acephali (from Ancient Greek: ἀκέφαλοι akephaloi, "headless", singular ἀκέφαλος akephalos from ἀ- a-, "without", and κεφαλή kephalé, "head") has been applied to several sects that supposedly had no leader. E. Cobham Brewer wrote, in Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, that acephalites, "properly means men without a head."^[1] Jean Cooper wrote, in Dictionary of Christianity, that it characterizes "various schismatical Christian bodies".^[2] Among them were Nestorians who rejected the Council of Ephesus’ condemnation of Patriarch Nestorius of Constantinople,^[2] which deposed Nestorius and declared him a heretic.

^ This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Brewer, E. Cobham (1900). "Acephalites". Dictionary of phrase and fable : giving the derivation, source, or origin of common phrases, allusions, and words that have a tale to tell (New ed.). London: Cassell. p. 9. OCLC 586047493. Retrieved 2014-10-22.
^ ^a ^b Cooper, Jean C., ed. (2013) [1996]. "Acephalites". Dictionary of Christianity (eBook ed.). New York [u.a.]: Routledge. p. 2. ISBN 978-1-315-07404-7. Retrieved 2014-10-22. This is "based on the Christian references taken from Brewer's Dictionary of phrase and fable".

[Brewer1900-1] This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Brewer, E. Cobham (1900). "Acephalites". Dictionary of phrase and fable : giving the derivation, source, or origin of common phrases, allusions, and words that have a tale to tell (New ed.). London: Cassell. p. 9. OCLC 586047493. Retrieved 2014-10-22.

[Cooper2013-2] Cooper, Jean C., ed. (2013) [1996]. "Acephalites". Dictionary of Christianity (eBook ed.). New York [u.a.]: Routledge. p. 2. ISBN 978-1-315-07404-7. Retrieved 2014-10-22. This is "based on the Christian references taken from Brewer's Dictionary of phrase and fable".

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