Other meanings of Monophysitism
Christian Theology
Monophysitism is a Christian theological doctrine that holds that Jesus Christ has only one nature, as opposed to the Chalcedonian definition of two natures (divine and human) in one person. The term derives from the Greek monos (single) and physis (nature). It emerged in the 5th century as a reaction to Nestorianism and was condemned as heresy at the Council of Chalcedon in 451. However, it remains the basis of the Christology of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, which reject the Chalcedonian formula.
Monophysitism teaches that in the incarnate Christ there is a single nature, which is the divine nature that has absorbed or subsumed the human. This contrasts with the Chalcedonian definition of two natures, divine and human, united without confusion, change, division, or separation. The doctrine arose in the 5th century in the Eastern Roman Empire, largely through the teaching of Eutyches, an archimandrite of Constantinople, who asserted that after the union the human nature of Christ was dissolved into the divine. This view was condemned at the Council of Chalcedon (451), which affirmed the two-nature formula. However, the term is often used broadly to include miaphysitism, the position of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, which holds that Christ has one nature that is both divine and human, but not a mixture or absorption. The distinction is crucial: miaphysites reject the Chalcedonian 'two natures' as implying a division, while Chalcedonians reject miaphysitism as confusing the natures.
The controversy began with the teachings of Apollinaris of Laodicea in the 4th century, who denied a human mind in Christ, and was later intensified by Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, whose emphasis on the distinction of natures was seen as separating Christ into two persons. Eutyches, in reaction, overemphasized the unity, leading to his condemnation at the local Synod of Constantinople (448) and the subsequent Council of Chalcedon. After Chalcedon, the doctrine persisted, especially in Egypt, Syria, and Armenia, where it became a rallying point for anti-Byzantine sentiment. The emperors attempted various compromises, such as the Henotikon of Emperor Zeno (482), which sought to appease the miaphysites without explicitly rejecting Chalcedon, but these efforts failed. The schism became permanent, and the Oriental Orthodox Churches (Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Malankara) remain separate from the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches to this day.
Modern scholarship distinguishes between Eutychian monophysitism, which is a genuine heresy, and miaphysitism, which is the official Christology of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. Miaphysitism holds that Christ is 'one nature of the incarnate Logos,' a phrase attributed to Cyril of Alexandria, and emphasizes that the human nature is enhypostatic, existing within the divine person. In the 20th century, ecumenical dialogues have led to a better understanding: the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches have issued joint statements (e.g., the 1989 and 1990 agreements) affirming that they share the same faith in Christ, despite differing terminology. The Catholic Church has also engaged in dialogue, and in 1973, Pope Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria agreed on a common declaration of faith in Christ, recognizing the legitimacy of both formulations. These dialogues have not yet resulted in full communion, but they have significantly reduced the historical anathemas.
Beyond the major churches, monophysitism influenced several minor groups, such as the Agnoetae, who held that Christ's human soul was ignorant of certain things, and the Aphthartodocetae, who believed Christ's body was incorruptible from the moment of conception. The term 'monophysite' was also used pejoratively by Chalcedonians, and the Oriental Orthodox prefer 'miaphysite' to avoid the implication of Eutychianism. The Coptic Church's liturgy and theology retain a strong miaphysite identity, and the Ethiopian Church, which was under the Coptic patriarchate until 1959, has a unique tradition that blends miaphysite theology with local practices. In the 6th century, the theologian Severus of Antioch became the most articulate defender of miaphysitism, and his works remain authoritative in the Syriac Orthodox Church. The controversy also had political dimensions, as the Byzantine emperors' attempts to enforce Chalcedon led to revolts in Egypt and Syria, contributing to the Arab conquests in the 7th century.
The term 'monophysite' is often used imprecisely; the Oriental Orthodox Churches prefer 'miaphysite' to distinguish their belief from Eutychianism.
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