Definition

Noun: 1. A theological term for the person of Christ: In Christian theology, specifically within discussions of the Trinity and Christology, this term refers to the distinct person (hypostasis) of Jesus Christ. It denotes the union of two complete natures—divine and human—in one single person or hypostasis. This concept is central to the doctrine that Christ is both fully God and fully man.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD formally defined the hypostasis of Christ as one person in two natures.
  • Theological debates often focus on understanding the unity of the divine and human in the hypostasis of Christ.
  • The term clarifies that the hypostasis of Christ is not a mixture of natures but a union in one person.

Advanced Usage

• "Hypostatic union": This is the technical term for the doctrine describing the union of Christ's divine and human natures in one hypostasis (person).
  • The hypostatic union is the framework for understanding the hypostasis of Christ.

Variants and Related Words

• Hypostasis (n): In general philosophical and theological use, the underlying substance or essential reality of a thing. In Trinitarian theology, it is synonymous with "person" (as in the three hypostases of the Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit).
• Hypostatic (adj): Pertaining to hypostasis or the hypostatic union.
  • The hypostatic union is a foundational Christological concept.

Synonyms

• Person of Christ: A less technical synonym often used interchangeably in theological discourse.
• Christological hypostasis: A more specific synonym emphasizing the theological context.

Related Concepts (Not Phrasal Verbs or Idioms)

• Trinity: The Christian doctrine of one God in three co-equal, co-eternal persons (hypostases): Father, Son (the hypostasis of Christ in his divine nature), and Holy Spirit.
• Incarnation: The act of God the Son (the divine Logos) taking on human flesh, which resulted in the hypostasis of Christ.
• Nature (physis): Refers to the essence or substance of something (e.g., divine nature, human nature), which are united in the one hypostasis of Christ.

Noun

1. any of the three persons of the Godhead constituting the Trinity especially the person of Christ in which divine and human natures are united