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Gnosticism

A heresy that promotes a split between the spiritual world and the material world, believing that the material world is rotten and corrupt.

Docetism

A heresy that denies the humanity of Jesus, believing that he could never have had a human body.

Nestorianism

A heresy that separates the human and divine nature of Jesus, considering Mary to be only the mother of the human Jesus (Christotokos).

Monophysitism

A heresy that asserts that Jesus has only one nature, with the human nature being swallowed up by the divine nature.

Arianism

A heresy that denies the full divinity of Jesus, considering him to be a special creation of God but not fully divine.

Pneumatomachianism

A heresy that denies the divinity of the Holy Spirit, considering the Holy Spirit to be subordinate to the Father.

Trinity

The dogma that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, affirming that God is three persons in one divine nature.

Person

Refers to the individual identity of each member of the Trinity.

Nature

Refers to the substance or matter of each member of the Trinity.

Divine

Relating to or from God.

Coequal

Refers to the equality of each person of the Trinity, with none being greater than the other.

Coeternal

Refers to the eternal existence of each person of the Trinity, with none coming into being "first."

Homoousious

Refers to the belief that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are of the same essence or substance.

Modalism

A trinitarian heresy that claims there is one God appearing in three forms or modes.

Subordinationism

A trinitarian heresy that claims the Son and Holy Spirit are subordinate to the Father in nature and being.

Tritheism

A trinitarian heresy that denies the belief in one God and instead claims that there are three separate Gods.

Christotokos

Refers to the title given to Mary in Nestorian heresy, meaning "Christ bearer" or the mother of the human Jesus.

Theotokos

Refers to the title given to Mary in Orthodox teaching, meaning "God bearer" or the mother of God.

Hypostatic Union

The belief that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, existing in one person with two natures.

Council of Ephesus

A council held in 431 A.D. that officially declared Mary as the "Mother of God" (theotokos).

Council of Chalcedon

A council held in 451 A.D. that officially defined the Hypostatic Union, affirming that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine.