The central claim
Christ had a human body, but the Word replaced His human mind.
ClassificationHeresy
PeriodPatristic
Datesc. 360–381
Doctrine affectedChristology (the humanity of Christ)
A heresy denies the Gospel or the God it reveals (Galatians 1:8).
Historical origins
Where It Began
Apollinaris was a learned defender of Nicaea against the Arians. Seeking to protect the unity and sinlessness of Christ, he reasoned that a complete human mind alongside the divine Word would mean two persons, and that a human mind, being changeable, would be open to sin.
Major figures
The People Involved
Loading the rest of this profile
In a sentence
Why This Is Dangerous
If Christ had no human mind, He did not fully take our nature, and He could not redeem the whole person. Scripture says He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).