Monothelitism

Monothelitism, or monotheletism (from Greek: μονοθελητισμός, romanized: monothelētismós, lit. 'doctrine of one will'), is a theological doctrine in Christianity that was proposed in the 7th century, but was ultimately rejected and denounced as heresy by the Lateran Council of 649 and the 680–681 Third Council of Constantinople. It held Christ as having only one will and was thus contrary to dyothelitism, the Christological doctrine accepted by most Christian denominations, which holds Christ as having two wills (divine and human). Historically, monothelitism was closely related to monoenergism, a theological doctrine that holds Jesus Christ as having only one energy. Both doctrines were at the center of Christological disputes during the 7th century. Theological notions related to the oneness of Christ's will emerged as a result of some earlier Christological controversies that were related to monophysitism as formulated by Eutyches (d. 456) and miaphysitism as formulated by non-Chalcedonian followers of Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444). Since the notion of Christ's one nature implied the oneness of his will, ecclesiastical and political elites of the Eastern Roman Empire tried during the 7th century to promote monothelitism as a unifying doctrine that would reconcile divided Christian factions. In spite of strong imperial support, those attempts failed. Monothelitism is still today taught by some Protestant Christian philosophers, including William Lane Craig and J. P. Moreland. However, the dyothelite view is mainstream in all major branches of Christianity. Modern monothelitism is associated with a certain form of social trinitarianism.