Skip to main content
Monophysitism

Monophysitism

1 9.9
A religious belief that Jesus has only a divine nature, not a human one
  • noun
  • /ˌmɒnəˈfɪzɪtɪzəm/
  • Formal
: monofisismo
  • The doctrine of Monophysitism asserts that Jesus Christ has only one nature, which is divine, contradicting mainstream Christian beliefs.

Examples

  • Debates about Monophysitism continue among theologians who explore its implications for understanding Christ's identity.

  • After Ephesus declared that Christ was one person, some Christians took that teaching too far, concluding that He also had just one nature, a mystical blend of the human and divine (this heresy was known as Monophysitism, from the Greek words for one and nature).

    Blog text (3)
  • Thus, heretical Monophysitism was not allowed to hide under the cover of Cyril's phraseology.

    Academic text (1991)
  • And if one can accept the doctrines of Monophysitism then perforce one must also re-evaluate Christian theology.

  • As Rahner observed, monothelitism is never far removed from monophysitism, and monophysitism is never far removed from a Christology where humanity assumes a merely passive role in the work of salvation.

    Academic text (1991)
  • As Rahner observed, monothelitism is never far removed from monophysitism, and monophysitism is never far removed from a Christology where humanity assumes a merely passive role in the work of salvation.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The Council of Chalcedon condemned Monophysitism for denying the dual nature of Christ, which includes both divine and human elements.

Surface Forms

Monophysitism singular

Morphology

Monophysitism = monophysite (opaque) = mono + phys + ite + ism

The word is formed regularly from monophysite + -ism, but the base term monophysite itself is specialized and not transparent for most learners.

Etymology

Monophysitism comes from Greek parts mono- meaning 'one' and physis meaning 'nature', the same phy you see in physics, which is about the natural world. So Monophysitism names the belief that Jesus had only one 'nature', a divine one, not two, divine and human.