Monothelitism

Monothelitism is a Christological doctrine that holds Jesus Christ has only one will, even though he possesses two natures—divine and human. The idea emerged in the Byzantine world during the 6th–7th centuries as an attempt to reconcile Chalcedonian Christology with Miaphysite (often called Monophysite) positions. Proponents argued that the divine Word willed the actions of the human nature, resulting in a single will in Christ while preserving both natures.

The doctrine was controversial because critics said it diminished the genuine humanity of Jesus by denying a separate human will. Opponents argued that such a view undermined Christ’s liberty and the integrity of the human will. The dispute became central to wider Christological debates of the era, linking concerns about how union of divine and human in the Incarnation should be understood.

Culminating in the Third Council of Constantinople (680–681), monothelitism was condemned as heresy. The council affirmed dyothelitism: Christ has two wills—divine and human—in one person, and two natural operations, united without division. This view became the orthodox position in both the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions.

Legacy and significance: Monothelitism is studied today as part of the history of early medieval Christology and the process by which Chalcedonian theology was clarified. It is not accepted in contemporary Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or most Protestant theology, where the two-wills doctrine is maintained, consistent with the Chalcedonian definition of two natures in one person.