Subordinationism

The "Heavenly Trinity" joined to the "Earthly Trinity" through the Incarnation of the Son – The Heavenly and Earthly Trinities by Murillo (c. 1677)

Subordinationism is a Trinitarian doctrine wherein the Son (and sometimes also the Holy Spirit) is subordinate to the Father, not only in submission and role, but with actual ontological subordination to varying degrees.[1] It posits a hierarchical ranking of the persons of the Social Trinity, implying ontological subordination of the persons of the Son and the Holy Spirit.[2] It was condemned as heretical in the Second Council of Constantinople.[3][4]

It is not to be confused with Arianism, as Subordinationism has been generally viewed as closer to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan view. While Arianism was developed out of it, it did not confess the personality of the Holy Spirit and the eternity of the Son.[5][6]

  1. ^ Papandrea, James Leonard (2012). Reading the Early Church Fathers: From the Didache to Nicaea. Paulist Press. ISBN 978-0-8091-4751-9.
  2. ^ Giles, Kevin (2012-05-07). The Eternal Generation of the Son: Maintaining Orthodoxy in Trinitarian Theology. InterVarsity Press. ISBN 978-0-8308-3965-0.
  3. ^ Jowers, Dennis W.; House, H. Wayne (2012-08-16). The New Evangelical Subordinationism?: Perspectives on the Equality of God the Father and God the Son. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN 978-1-7252-4586-0.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Origen was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Beisner, E. Calvin (2004-02-10). God in Three Persons. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN 978-1-59244-545-5.
  6. ^ Ramelli, Ilaria L. E.; McGuckin, J. A.; Ashwin-Siejkowski, Piotr (2021-12-16). T&T Clark Handbook of the Early Church. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-0-567-68039-6.