Sabellianism

E139536

Sabellianism is a nontrinitarian Christian theological doctrine that identifies the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as different modes or aspects of one divine person rather than three distinct persons.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Sabellianism canonical 6

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Christian theological doctrine
modalistic doctrine
nontrinitarian doctrine
associatedWithPerson Sabellius
classifiedAs heresy in mainstream Christianity
condemnedBy early church councils
consideredHeresySince early 3rd century
contrastsWith Nicene Christianity
Trinitarianism
criticizedFor Patripassianism (teaching that the Father suffered on the cross)
confusing the persons of the Trinity
denies eternal personal distinctions within the Godhead
three co-eternal, co-equal divine persons
deniesDoctrine Trinity as three distinct persons
emphasizes unity of God
geographicOrigin Roman Empire
hasAlternativeName Modalism
Modalistic Monarchianism
linked to: Modalism

Patripassianism
hasDoctrinalOpposite orthodox Nicene Trinitarianism
historicalPeriod 3rd century
historicalStatus largely extinct as organized movement
influenced later modalistic groups
involvesConcept modes of divine self-revelation
single divine hypostasis
legacy serves as example of modalistic error in Trinitarian debates
namedAfter Sabellius
opposedBy Hippolytus of Rome
linked to: Saint Hippolytus

Tertullian
rejectedBy Eastern Orthodox Church
Roman Catholic Church
linked to: Roman Catholicism

most Protestant denominations
relatedConcept Oneness theology
linked to: Modalism
religiousTradition Christianity
scripturalBasisClaimed biblical emphasis on oneness of God
subtypeOf Modalism
Monarchianism
teaches Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are modes of one divine person
God is one person who reveals himself in different modes
theologicalCategory Monarchianism
linked to: Modalism
viewOnFather Father is a mode of the one God
viewOnGodhead numerical unity of God rather than tri-personal unity
viewOnHolySpirit Holy Spirit is a mode of the one God
viewOnIncarnation same divine person appears as Father and as incarnate Son
viewOnSalvationHistory God manifests in successive modes in history
viewOnSon Son is a mode of the one God

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (6)

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