Modalists

Modalists, or proponents of modalism, are those who espouse a nontrinitarian view of the Godhead in which God is a single person who reveals Himself in different modes or identities—typically the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—rather than existing as three distinct, coequal persons. In this view, the Father, Son, and Spirit are not simultaneous persons within God but different manifestations or stages of the one God.

Historical background and critique: Modalism is commonly associated with early Christian figures such as Noetus of Smyrna and Sabellius (the latter giving rise to the term Sabellianism). They taught that the Father and the Son are merely different modes of the same divine being. This interpretation was opposed by early church fathers who argued for a real distinction of persons within the one essence of God, a view crystallized in formal confessions of the Trinity. Tertullian and others developed polemics against modalistic formulations, and the ecumenical councils affirmed the doctrine of one essence in three coequal persons, condemning modalist positions as heretical.

Contemporary context: In modern times, Oneness or Jesus-only Pentecostal movements are the best-known representatives of contemporary modalist thought. These groups typically teach that God is a single person who manifests as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in different circumstances, rejecting the traditional interrelated “three persons” conception. The term modalism is often used in theological discourse to describe this family of beliefs, though the specifics can vary among groups.

See also: Trinity, Oneness Pentecostalism, Sabellianism, Praxeus, Noetus.