Please expound on why the Coptic Orthodox Church rejects the 'two energies' (Dyoenergism) and 'two wills' (Dyothelitism) in favor of Miaenergia (One Energy) and Miathelism (One Will).

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

To expound on why the Coptic Orthodox Church rejects the "two energies" (Dyoenergism) and "two wills" (Dyothelitism) model in favor of Miaenergia (One Energy) and Miathelism (One Will), we must look at the relationship between nature and action.

1. Energy Follows Nature

In Orthodox theology, "energy" (activity or operation) is not a free-floating power; it is the natural manifestation of a nature.

• If you have a human nature, you have a human energy (eating, walking, being tired).
• If you have a divine nature, you have a divine energy (creating, sanctifying, knowing all things).

The Dyophysite (two-nature) position argues that because Christ has two natures, He must have two energies. However, the Coptic Orthodox perspective is that because the union of the Divinity and Humanity is real, perfect, and indivisible, the two natures have been unified into One Incarnate Nature of God the Word. Therefore, the energy proceeds not from the humanity or the divinity in isolation, but from the One Person of the Incarnate Word.

2. The Theandric Act

St. Dionysius the Areopagite used the term "Theandric" (God-manly) to describe Christ’s operation. This is central to our rebuttal.

When Christ performs an act, it is a single, unified movement.

Take the example of Christ healing the blind man by spitting on the ground and making clay (John 9:6):

• The Physical Act: Spitting and kneading the clay (looks human).
• The Miraculous Act: Giving sight to eyes that never functioned (is divine).

Wait—did two different "energies" happen? No. It was one single act. The human hand of God the Word touched the eyes, and the divine power of the same Word gave sight. You cannot separate the spit from the miracle. It is one Theandric Energy. If you say there are two energies, you are essentially saying there are two separate "motors" running inside Christ, which destroys the reality of the Union.

3. The Rebuttal to your friend's logic on "Asking" vs "Raising"

Your friend argues that "asking" is one energy and "raising" is another. This is a logical fallacy because it confuses properties with energy.

• Properties: The Divinity is omniscient; the Humanity (in its natural state) is limited. These are properties that remain "without mingling, without confusion, and without alteration" (as we say in the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil).
• Energy/Action: When Christ "asks" where Lazarus is, He is not doing it as a mere man. He is the Incarnate God acting humanly. When He "raises" Lazarus, He is the Incarnate God acting divinely.

If your friend says these are two energies, ask him: "Who is the subject of these energies?"

• If he says "The Person of the Word," then he must admit the action is one, because one Person cannot have two conflicting operations at the same time.
• If he says the "Humanity" asked and the "Divinity" raised, he has fallen into the heresy of Nestorianism, which creates two "Sons"—one who knows and one who is ignorant.

4. Why "Two Energies" is Dangerous

From the Coptic perspective, saying "two energies" or "two wills" implies a potential for conflict. If Christ has a human will and a divine will, could they ever disagree? The Dyophysites say the human will always "submits" to the divine. But "submission" implies two wills exist in a hierarchy.

We believe that in the Incarnation, the human will and energy were not just "submitted" but were perfectly unified with the divine. There was no "tug-of-war." As St. Cyril of Alexandria taught, everything Christ did—even the human things like sleeping or weeping—was "Divine-Human" because the flesh had become the flesh of God the Word.

Summary for your friend:

"When St. Athanasius says the same One asks and the same One raises, he is proving Unity of Operation. You are looking at the outward appearance of the acts (human vs. divine) and calling them two energies. But Athanasius is looking at the Source of the acts (the one Incarnate Word) and calling them one. To believe in two energies is to believe in a divided Christ. We believe in one Lord, one Faith, one Nature, and one Energy."