What do we mean by the attributes of personhood in the Trinity?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In Coptic Orthodox theology, when we speak of the "attributes of personhood" (or Hypostatic Properties) within the Holy Trinity, we are distinguishing between what belongs to the Divine Essence (the Nature) and what belongs to the Divine Persons (the Hypostases).

To understand this according to the teachings of the Alexandrian Fathers, such as St. Athanasius and St. Cyril, we must make a clear distinction:

1. Essential Attributes (The Nature)

These are attributes shared equally and simultaneously by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. There is no distinction here. These include:

• Divinity: All three are one and the same God.
• Eternity: All are without beginning and without end.
• Omnipotence: All are Almighty.
• Will and Energy: The Trinity has one will and one action.

2. Hypostatic Attributes (The Personhood)

The "attributes of personhood" are the unique characteristics that distinguish the three Persons from one another. These are relational. They describe how each Person is related to the others within the one Godhead. There are three specific hypostatic properties:

• The Father: His attributes are Paternity and being Unbegotten. He is the "Principle" or "Fountainhead" of the Trinity. He is the one who begets the Son and from whom the Spirit proceeds.
• The Son: His attribute is Filiation or being Begotten. He is the Word of the Father. As we recite in the Creed: "Begotten of the Father before all ages." This begetting is eternal, without time and without separation.
• The Holy Spirit: His attribute is Procession. He proceeds from the Father. Note that we, as Orthodox, reject the Filioque heresy of the Catholics; the Spirit proceeds from the Father alone (John 15:26).

Why this matters

In our Coptic faith, personhood implies a real distinction but not a separation.

1. Not Merely Roles: We are not "Sabellians" (heretics who thought God is one person wearing three masks). The Father is truly the Father, the Son is truly the Son, and the Spirit is truly the Spirit.
2. Equality: The attribute of being "Begotten" does not make the Son "less" than the Father. As St. Cyril of Alexandria taught, the Son is equal to the Father in everything except for the fact that He is the Son and the Father is the Father.
3. Indwelling (Perichoresis): While they have distinct hypostatic attributes, they remain in a state of "coinherence." The Father is in the Son, the Son is in the Father, and the Spirit is in both.

Summary

When we speak of the attributes of personhood, we mean the internal relations that allow us to worship the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity. We worship one God in three Persons: the Unbegotten Father, the Begotten Son, and the Proceeding Spirit—distinct in their personhood but one in their divine essence.