Monotheleticism
The Monothelitism (from Greek μόνος Mónos "one", "alone" and θέλω Thélo "want") is a Christological doctrine according to which Christ two natures - divine and human - but only has a will (aim, goal orientation). Christ has a human nature of his own, but his will is completely dictated by God.
It was developed at the beginning of the 7th century under the Eastern Roman Emperor Herakleios in order to reconcile the two-natures doctrine of Christ established at the Council of Chalcedon with the Monophysite doctrine . In this way, the Monophysites were to be reintegrated into the imperial church from which they had previously been excommunicated .
Despite the sympathy of the Emperor and Pope Honorius I , monotheletism was ultimately rejected by both the Eastern and Western Churches and was not accepted even by the Monophysites. Maximus the Confessor turned against this doctrine particularly intensely. At the third council of Constantinople (680/81) the doctrine was condemned as heresy and the doctrine that still exists today was issued that Christ has a will for each of his two natures and that the human will is subordinate to the divine will.
In the Byzantine Empire, monotheleticism experienced a brief revival under Emperor Philippikos Bardanes (711–713), which was one of the reasons for the imminent overthrow of this emperor.
The Maronites in Lebanon and around the world have ceased to be monothelets since the 12th century.
literature
in order of appearance
- Adolf von Harnack : Textbook of the history of dogmas , Vol. 2: The development of the church dogma , 2nd edition, Mohr, Freiburg 1888, pp. 401-412.
- Garegin Owsepian: The History of the Origin of Monotheletism . Diss., University of Leipzig 1897.
- Josef Rist : Art. Monotheletism . In: The New Pauly , Vol. 8: Mer - Op . JB Metzler, Stuttgart 2000, pp. 378-379.
- Friedhelm Winkelmann : The monenergetic-monotheletic dispute (= Berlin Byzantine Studies , Vol. 6). Lang, Frankfurt am Main 2001, ISBN 3-631-37377-5 .