Is the Coptic Church monophysite?

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

No. The Coptic Orthodox Church is not monophysite, has never been monophysite, and vehemently anathematizes the heresy of Monophysitism.

Calling the Coptic Church "monophysite" is an ancient, historically inaccurate mischaracterization that arose out of the political and linguistic conflicts surrounding the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451. The correct theological term for the Christology of the Coptic Orthodox Church is Miaphysite (from the Greek mia physis, meaning "one united nature").

1. What Monophysitism Actually Means (and Why We Reject It)

Monophysitism is properly associated with the heresy of Eutyches, an archimandrite in Constantinople:

• The Eutychian Heresy: Eutyches taught that Christ’s divine nature completely absorbed, dissolved, or swallowed up His human nature, like a drop of vinegar or honey dissolved in the vast ocean. According to this false view, Christ was only of one simple nature (monos = alone, solitary), denying that He is truly consubstantial (homoousios) with us in His humanity.
• The Coptic Condemnation of Eutyches: Pope St. Dioscorus of Alexandria (the 25th Pope of Alexandria) excommunicated and anathematized Eutyches at the Council of Ephesus in AD 449 when Eutyches wavered on confessing the full humanity of Christ. The Coptic Orthodox Church affirms that anyone who denies the genuine, full, and active human nature of Christ is a heretic outside the Christian faith.

2. The True Orthodox Faith: Miaphysitism

The Coptic Orthodox Church faithfully adheres to the Christology established by the Holy Fathers, especially Pope St. Cyril of Alexandria (the 24th Pope, the "Pillar of Faith"), who led the Third Ecumenical Council of Ephesus (AD 431).

St. Cyril formulated the definitive theological formula:

"One Incarnate Nature of God the Word"

(Greek: Μία φύσις τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου σεσαρκωμένη — Mia physis tou Theou Logou sesarkōmenē)

• "Mia" vs. "Monos": In Greek, monos means "single," "isolated," or "alone," whereas mia means "one" in the sense of a composite, united whole (such as Genesis 2:24, where man and wife become "one flesh" — sarx mia).
• The Real Incarnation: The divine nature of God the Word united hypostatically with a complete, perfect human nature (consisting of a rational soul and a physical body) taken from the Mother of God, the Holy Virgin Mary.
• Without Confusion, Without Change, Without Separation: In Christ, divinity and humanity are united in one person (one hypostasis) and one composite nature (mia physis synthetos). His divinity never parted from His humanity for a single moment nor a twinkling of an eye. Yet, they remain united:
• Without mingling (divinity and humanity do not blend into a third, new substance).
• Without confusion (the humanity does not become divinity; the divinity does not become humanity).
• Without alteration or change (neither nature lost any of its essential properties).

This faith is proclaimed at every Coptic Divine Liturgy by the priest in the final Confession before Holy Communion:

"I believe that His divinity parted not from His humanity for a single moment nor a twinkling of an eye... Truly I believe that His divinity parted not from His humanity for a single moment nor a twinkling of an eye, given for us for salvation, remission of sins, and eternal life to those who partake of Him."

3. The Tragedy and Misunderstanding of Chalcedon (AD 451)

The schism that occurred at Chalcedon was primarily rooted in terminology, Roman imperial politics, and mistranslation:

• The Council of Chalcedon defined Christ as existing "in two natures" (dyophysitism). To the Alexandrians, dividing Christ into "two natures" after the union sounded like Nestorianism—the heresy that split Christ into two separate persons (the divine Son of God and the human Jesus).
• Western and Byzantine polemicists wrongly branded St. Dioscorus and the Alexandrians as "monophysites" simply because they rejected the phrase "in two natures" and insisted on keeping St. Cyril's apostolic formula ("One Incarnate Nature").
• At Chalcedon itself, St. Dioscorus explicitly stood before the assembly and proclaimed:

"Neither do we speak of confusion, nor of division, nor of change. Let him who speaks of confusion, change, or mixture be anathema."

4. Modern Historical and Ecumenical Vindication

In the late 20th century, formal theological consultations between the Oriental Orthodox Churches (which include the Coptic Orthodox Church) and both the Eastern Orthodox Church (Byzantine) and the Roman Catholic Church examined the writings of the Fathers and agreed:

• The Coptic Church was never monophysite.
• Both sides confessed the exact same Christological faith: that our Lord Jesus Christ is perfect God and perfect Man, united without confusion, change, division, or separation.
• The division was recognized as having been driven by divergent philosophical terminology (how words like physis, hypostasis, and ousia were translated between Greek, Latin, Coptic, and Syriac) rather than a difference in dogma or substance.

The Coptic Orthodox Church has steadfastly preserved the apostolic, patristic faith without adding to it or compromising it, standing as the true Orthodox confession of the Incarnate Word.