Father, Son, and Spirit are not distinct eternal persons

E26587

Father, Son, and Spirit are not distinct eternal persons is the core claim of the theological doctrine known as Modalism, which teaches that the one God reveals Himself in different modes or aspects rather than as three coequal, coeternal persons.

All labels observed (4)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (29)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Christian theological doctrine
doctrinal proposition
theological claim
affirms God reveals Himself in different aspects
one God who appears in different modes
associatedWith Modalism
classifiedAs non‑Trinitarian doctrine
consideredHeresyBy Eastern Orthodox Christianity
surface form: Eastern Orthodox Church

Roman Catholicism
surface form: Roman Catholic Church

mainstream Christian orthodoxy
most Protestant denominations
contradicts doctrine of three coequal, coeternal persons in one God
contrastsWith Nicene Christianity
surface form: Nicene Trinitarianism
coreOf Modalism
critiquedFor failing to account for simultaneous references among Father, Son, and Spirit in Scripture
undermining interpersonal relations within the Trinity
denies Trinitarian distinction of persons
three distinct eternal divine persons
historicallyAssociatedWith Modalism
surface form: Oneness theology

Sabellianism
implies Father, Son, and Spirit are not distinct eternal persons self-linksurface differs
surface form: Father, Son, and Spirit are modes of one divine person

temporal manifestations rather than eternal distinctions in God
interpretsAs Father, Son, and Spirit as different roles of one God
languageUsedIn Pentecostal churches
surface form: Oneness Pentecostalism
opposedBy Trinitarian theologians
presupposes strict numerical monotheism in God’s person
rejectedAt First Council of Constantinople
surface form: Council of Constantinople

First Council of Nicaea
surface form: Council of Nicaea
topicOf debates on the nature of the Trinity

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Modalism viewOnPersonsOfTrinity Father, Son, and Spirit are not distinct eternal persons
Father, Son, and Spirit are not distinct eternal persons implies Father, Son, and Spirit are not distinct eternal persons self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Father, Son, and Spirit are modes of one divine person
Sabellius viewOnFatherSonSpirit Father, Son, and Spirit are not distinct eternal persons
this entity surface form: saw Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as modes of one divine person
Sabellianism viewOnHolySpirit Father, Son, and Spirit are not distinct eternal persons
this entity surface form: Holy Spirit is a mode of the one God