Skip to main content
Monothelite

Monothelite

1 9.9
Relating to the belief that Christ has only one will
  • adjective
  • /ˌmɒnəˈθɛlaɪt/
  • Formal
: monotelita
  • The Monothelite doctrine asserts that Christ has a single will, which was heavily debated in the early church.

Examples

  • The Monothelite position was declared heretical by the Third Council of Constantinople.

  • Some early church leaders were accused of holding Monothelite beliefs during the seventh century.

  • The Monothelite controversy influenced many theological debates in Byzantine history.

  • The Monothelite doctrine was a significant topic in early Christian debates.

  • Some theologians argue that the Monothelite view simplifies the nature of Christ.

  • During the seventh century, several leaders of the church were labeled as Monothelite for their theological views.

  • The Monothelite perspective played a crucial role in shaping early Christian thought and discussions.

Surface Forms

Monothelite positive

Morphology

Monothelite = mono + thel + ite

Although mono- clearly means 'one', the remaining theological element is a classical bound form that is not transparent to an average learner.

Etymology

Monothelite comes from mono- 'one' and thele 'will', so it means 'one will'. Think of mono- like in monotone to help you remember, and that is why Monothelite relates to the teaching that Christ has only one will.