Modalisms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Religious doctrines holding that the Godhead is a single person who reveals himself in successive forms rather than as distinct persons
2. Beliefs in the Trinity that deny distinct divine persons and instead describe God as one being presenting different aspects over time
3. Heretical teachings, rejected by the early church, that treat the Father, Son and Spirit as temporary manifestations of one divinity

Etymology: "Modalisms" is the plural of "modalism," a noun formed from "modal" and the suffix "-ism." The word is a straightforward combination: "modal" comes from the Latin "modus," meaning measure, manner or mode, while "-ism" is the Greek-derived suffix that turns a word into a name for a doctrine, system or practice. A modalism is therefore a doctrine built around modes, most familiar from Christian theology, where it names the view that God is one person who appears in different modes rather than in distinct persons.

Synonyms: Sabellianism