Monarchianism
Monarchianism was an early Christian movement in controversies over the Trinity, comprising two distinct groups: Modalist Monarchians and Adoptionist or Dynamic Monarchians.[^1][^3]
Definition and forms
Monarchianism was a movement in the early church’s trinitarian controversy that denied the distinction of Persons between Father and Son within the Godhead and came to be regarded as heretical. The sources distinguish two separate groups: Modalist Monarchians and Adoptionist or Dynamic Monarchians.13
Modalist Monarchians understood the Son and the Holy Spirit not as having individual existences but as modes or aspects of the Father. The doctrine attracted significant attention in Rome around 200 through Christians from western Asia Minor, notably Noetus, Polemon, and Praxeas.2
Adoptionist or Dynamic Monarchians, according to their opponent Hippolytus, regarded Jesus as entirely human, born of a virgin, and exceptionally religious. In this account, he received “the Christ” at baptism in the form of a dove, thereby acquiring miraculous powers, and was adopted into the Godhead after death. Whether he should be worshiped as God remained questionable within this account of their teaching.3
Sabellianism
Sabellianism was a developed form of modalist monarchian teaching, named after Sabellius, who flourished around 220. Sabellius taught that God was one substance with three activities: as Father in creation and the giving of the law, as Son in redemption, and as Holy Spirit in sanctification and grace. These were understood as different manifestations of the one Godhead rather than independent activities.4
Controversies in Rome
The early third-century Roman bishops Zephyrinus and Calixtus tended to favor a modalist form of Christology while strongly opposing Dynamic Monarchianism. The Dynamic group included two Greek-speaking Christians named Theodotus, one a tanner from Byzantium and the other a banker. Despite excommunication, the group continued, and Artemon was carrying on its tradition in Rome around 230.5
Egypt and the later trinitarian debates
In Egypt, Origen opposed both forms of Monarchianism in developing his doctrine of the Logos, reserving particularly strong criticism for the Adoptionists’ denial of Christ’s divinity. In the mid-third century, Sabellianism took root in Cyrenaica, where Dionysius of Alexandria opposed it; his own terminology, however, suggested that Christ belonged to the created order.6 An appeal from Cyrenaica led to an inconclusive exchange of letters between Dionysius of Rome and Dionysius of Alexandria around 263.7
Suspicion of modalist tendencies was an underlying factor in Eastern bishops’ objections to Athanasius and his firm adherence to the Nicene Creed. The Creed of Constantinople in 381, with wording safeguarding the distinct individuality of the Persons of the Trinity, was a turning point after which fear of Monarchianism as a concealed threat to orthodoxy diminished.8
References
Sources
- 1.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 5 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 709)
MONARCHIANISM, a movement in the trinitarian controversy in the early church that denied the distinction of Persons in the relationship between Father and Son within the Godhead. It became a heresy. There were two quite separate groups of Monarchians.
- 2.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 5 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 709)
This meant that the Son and the Holy Spirit had no individual existences but were simply "modes" or aspects of the Father. ... Though some traces of Modalist Monarchianism may be found in teachers denounced by Justin Martyr, the doctrine first attracted serious notice in Rome about 200 through a school of Christians from western Asia Minor, of whom Noetus, Polemon, and Praxeas were the most prominent.
- 3.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 5 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 709)
The Adoptionist or Dynamic Monarchians stood at the opposite end of the theological spectrum. They claimed, according to their opponent, the Roman presbyter HIPPOLYTUS, in his refutation "that Jesus was a mere man (psilos anthropos), born of a virgin according to the counsel of the Father. After he had lived a life common to all men and had become preeminently religious, he received at his baptism "the Christ" in the form of a dove. This gift enabled him to manifest miraculous powers, which he had not shown before, and after his death he was "adopted" into the Godhead. Jesus was therefore enti
- 4.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 7 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 93)
SABELLIANISM, the most sophisticated form of modalist monarchian opinions concerning the godhead and named after its originator, Sabellius "the Libyan" (fl. c. 220). ... Sabellius taught that in God there was one substance but three activities, while God was a unit, or Monad. He manifested Himself under three distinct aspects, in creation and giving the law, as Father; as Son in the work of redemption; and as Holy Spirit in the work of sanctification and grace. ... These phases, however, did not constitute independent activities, but were the simple assumption of a fresh guise or outward appea
- 5.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 5 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 710)
Nevertheless, two early third-century bishops of Rome, Zephyrinus and Calixtus, tended to favor a Modalist Monarchian form of Christology. ... As was to be expected, the two Roman bishops strongly opposed the Dynamic Monarchians, who were influential in Rome at about the same time as the Modalists. The Dynamic group were also Greek-speaking Christians, such as Theodotus, a tanner from Byzantium, and Theodotus, a banker. ... Despite excommunication, the Dynamic Monarchians held their ground. ... Around 230 a certain Artemon was continuing their tradition in Rome.
- 6.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 5 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 710)
In Egypt, ORIGEN denounced both forms of Monarchianism in his development of the doctrine of the Logos, though he reserved his angriest comments for the Adoptionists, for "denying the divinity of Christ" (Dialogue with Heracleides, p. 439). ... Modalism, in the form of Sabellianism, took root in Cyrenaica, North Africa, in the mid-third century, where it was controverted by DIONYSIUS THE GREAT, bishop of Alexandria. He, however, used terminology that suggested that Christ, far from being an aspect of the Godhead, was "creature," and part of the created order.
- 7.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 5 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 711)
appeal by the Cyrenaicans to Rome brought Dionysius bishop of Rome into an indecisive exchange of letters with his fellow bishop in Alexandria about 263, according to J. F. Bethune-Baker.
- 8.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 5 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 711)
The tendency of the church in Alexandria, through its acceptance of the Logos-sarx ("Word-flesh") interpretation of Jesus' relationship to the Godhead, was toward Modalist Monarchianism. Suspicion of this view underlay the doctrinal objections of the majority of the Eastern bishops to Saint ATHANASIUS, bishop of Alexandria, and to his uncompromising adherence to the Nicene Creed. ... Only when the Creed of Constantinople (381) chose forms of words that safeguarded the separate individuality of the Persons of the Trinity did the fear of monarchianism as a hidden danger to Christian orthodoxy fa
Explore
Related articles
- Cronius of Nitria
Cronius of Nitria was a saint and ascetic associated with Scetis who later served Saint Antony of Egypt and met Palladius in Alexandria.[^1][^2]
- Saint Verena
Saint Verena was a fourth-century Egyptian holy woman associated with the Theban Legion, remembered in Switzerland for asceticism, healing, religious instruction, and care for the poor and sick.[^1]
- Coptic alphabet
The Coptic alphabet combines predominantly Greek letters with signs derived from demotic Egyptian. Its several varieties reflect the writing traditions of different Coptic dialects.[^1][^2]
- Islamization of Nubia
Nubia’s transition from Coptic Christianity to Islam was gradual and regionally varied, involving weakened church institutions, political change, migration, intermarriage, and Sufi teaching.[^1][^5][^7][^8]
- Pope Mark II
Saint Mark II was the forty-ninth patriarch of the See of Saint Mark (799–819), a preacher and writer commemorated on 22 Baramudah.[^1]
- Bohairic Coptic
Bohairic is a dialect of Coptic attested in Gospel manuscripts, saints’ lives, and liturgical texts, including the Anaphora of Saint Cyril.[^1][^2][^3]
This article was drafted from the sources listed above with AI assistance and reviewed by an editor before publication.