Theological Terminology

[haralampopoulosjc]

In the early centuries of the Church the Fathers used specific terms when explaining Trinitarian theology and Christology:

Person:

• Prosopon (Greek)
• Parsopa/Farsofa (Aramaic)

Individual Existence/Subsistence:

• Hypostasis (Greek)
• Qnoma (Aramaic)

Substance/Essence:

• Ousia (Greek)
• Ousia (Aramaic)

Nature:

• Physis (Greek)
• Kyana (Aramaic)

Saint Cyril of Alexandria taught that the hypostatic union was a union out of two hypostasis, a divine hypostasis and a human hypostasis to create one composite hypostasis. The Oriental Orthodox Church confesses that Christ was one composite hypostasis out of two, a divine and human hypostasis. The Chalcedonian churches confess that Christ only had a simple divine hypostasis with human properties, while also having a human ousia. The Assyrian Church of the East confesses that Christ has one Prospon (person), two hypostasis (qnoma) and two natures (kyana).

[haralampopoulosjc]

"Therefore, while the nature of the godhead is simple and uncomposed, it would not be divided by our thoughts into the dyad of Father and Son, if not some difference were posited, I mean, not according to substance, but thought to be external (to the substance), through which the person of each is made to lie in a particular hypostasis, but is bound into unity of Godhead through natural identity." (Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Thesaurus)

[haralampopoulosjc]

The Oriental Orthodox Church confesses: One Person, One Hypostasis, One Nature
The Chalcedonian Churches confesses: One Person, One Hypostasis, Two Natures
The Assyrian Church of the East confesses: One Person, Two Hypostasis, Two Natures