Modalism
E4644
Modalism is a nontrinitarian Christian theological view that understands the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as different modes or manifestations of one divine person rather than as three distinct persons.
Aliases (9)
Statements (50)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Christian theological doctrine
→
nontrinitarian theology → view of the Godhead → |
| accusedOf |
Patripassianism (teaching that the Father suffered on the cross)
→
|
| affirms |
there is one divine person who appears in different modes
→
|
| alsoKnownAs |
Modalistic Monarchianism
→
Oneness theology → Sabellianism → |
| associatedWithPerson |
Noetus of Smyrna
→
Praxeas → Sabellius → |
| category |
non-Nicene Christology
→
non-Nicene pneumatology → |
| condemnedBy |
early church councils and bishops
→
|
| consideredHeresyBy |
Eastern Orthodox Church
→
Roman Catholic Church → most Protestant denominations → |
| contrastsWith |
Nicene Christianity
→
Trinitarianism → |
| coreClaim |
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are different modes of one divine person
→
|
| criticizedFor |
failing to account for intra‑Trinitarian relations in the New Testament
→
undermining real distinctions between Father, Son, and Spirit → |
| denies |
doctrine of the Trinity as three distinct persons
→
|
| distinguishedFrom |
Arianism
→
Tritheism → |
| emphasizes |
unity of God
→
|
| hasSubType |
Patripassian Modalism
→
Sabellian Modalism → |
| historicalPeriodOfProminence |
3rd century
→
|
| influencedBy |
strict Jewish monotheism as interpreted by some early Christians
→
|
| logicalStructure |
one subject (God) with multiple modes of self‑revelation
→
|
| metaphysicalClaim |
God is numerically one person
→
distinctions in God are temporal or relational modes, not eternal persons → |
| minimizes |
distinctions among Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
→
|
| modernInfluenceOn |
Oneness Pentecostalism
→
|
| opposedByPerson |
Hippolytus of Rome
→
Tertullian → |
| rejectedByCouncil |
First Council of Constantinople (implicitly, via Trinitarian dogma)
→
local synods in the 3rd century → |
| religiousTradition |
Christianity
→
|
| scripturalAppeal |
Deuteronomy 6:4
→
Isaiah passages emphasizing divine unity → |
| statusInMainstreamChristianity |
regarded as heretical
→
|
| theologicalCategory |
Monarchianism
→
|
| viewOnBaptismOfJesus |
Father, Son, and Spirit at Jesus’ baptism are different manifestations of one God
→
|
| viewOnFather |
the Father is a mode of the one God
→
|
| viewOnHolySpirit |
the Holy Spirit is a mode of the one God
→
|
| viewOnIncarnation |
the one God manifested as the Son in the incarnation
→
|
| viewOnPersonsOfTrinity |
Father, Son, and Spirit are not distinct eternal persons
→
|
| viewOnSon |
the Son is a mode of the one God
→
|