Monophysitism

Monophysitism is a Christological doctrine that maintains Jesus Christ has a single, divine nature, or that his humanity was absorbed into the divine in the incarnation. The term comes from Greek elements meaning "one nature." In early discussions, some followers argued that the divine nature completely overrode or subsumed the human nature, effectively yielding only one nature in Christ.

Historically, Monophysitism emerged in the 5th century during debates about how the divine and human natures are united. The theologian Eutyches advocated a single nature after the incarnation. The Second Council of Ephesus in 449, often labeled the Robber Council by opponents, appeared to endorse a monophysite solution. The Council of Chalcedon in 451 rejected this view and proclaimed that Christ is in two complete natures, fully divine and fully human, united in one person, “without confusion, without change, without division, without separation.”

The term Monophysitism is sometimes used broadly by opponents to designate what Oriental Orthodox churches call Miaphysitism. Miaphysitism describes Christ as having one united nature that is both divine and human, not a reduction to a single nature, and it emphasizes unity of the two natures in one incarnate person. This nuance is a point of distinction in modern ecumenical dialogue; many churches identified as Miaphysite reject the label Monophysite as inaccurate.

Consequences included a lasting schism between Chalcedonian churches (historically the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and most Protestant bodies) and the Oriental Orthodox churches (such as the Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Ethiopian, and Eritrean communities). Today, discussions continue to address differences in Christology within broader Christian dialogue.