Heresy of the Week: Monothelitism

Last week of the "mono" heresies--the final attempt at "compromise" that was, too, ultimately condemned as heretical.

Monothelitism was a 7^th century heresy originally conceptualized to be an olive branch to believers of Monophysitism.  There were two reiterations of this; the doctrine of one energy (Monoenergism) and the doctrine of one will (Monothelitism).  Ultimately, Monoenergism, Monophysitism and Monothelitism were condemned as heretical at the 680 Third Council of Constantinople.

Heresy of the Week: Monoenergism

Part two of this three week heresy series is the first attempt at "compromise" between the heresy of Monophysitism and orthodox Christianity.  We all know how well appeasement works, right?

Monoenergism is a 7^th century “compromise” heresy suggested to help heal the divide between Christians and Monophysitism.  The orthodox teaching is that Christ has two individual natures; Monophysitism teaches that there was only one nature in Christ, either divine or a synthesis of divine and human; Monoenergism attempted to bridge the gap through the vague term “energy”, saying that Christ had one “energy”.  Another attempt to solve this schism was through the introduction of Monothelitism, which also didn’t work, and was condemned along with Monoenergism and Monophysitism at the 680 Third Council of Constantinople.

Heresy of the Week: Monophysitism

This heresy begins a three week series on related heresy.  First up: one of the larger "ancient" heresies.

Monophysitism teaches that after the union of divine and human in the incarnation that there was only one nature in Christ—either divine (generally emphasized) or a synthesis of divine and human (as taught in Miaphysitism). This came into being after some rejected the 451 Council of Chalcedon, where Christ’s two natures were formally codified by the church. Members of the Oriental Orthodoxy Church, who believe in Miaphysitism, split from the main church over this distinction after the Council’s affirmation of two natures. Apollinarianism and Eutychianism are two major Monophystite heresies (although Apollinarianism predates Monophysitism), and Monophysitism is considered an overreaction in response to Nestorianism and their teaching that Christ was two separate people (the man and the divine), but really it is almost a better juxtaposition with Arianism’s denial of Christ’s divinity. It was condemned at the 680 Third Council of Constantinople, along with the two “compromised” composed as a “middle ground” to Monophysitism: Monoenergism and Monothelitism.