Understanding Dyophysite Christology: The Dual Nature of Jesus Christ

Dyophysite (from the Greek: δυο, dyos, "two" and φύσις, phýsis, "nature") is a term used in Christian theology to describe the dual nature of Jesus Christ, both fully human and fully divine. It is often associated with the Christological doctrine of the Incarnation, which holds that Jesus is both God and man.

The term Dyophysite was first used by the Greek Fathers of the Church, such as St. Athanasius and St. Cyril of Alexandria, to distinguish their Christology from that of the Monophysites, who held that Jesus had only one nature, either divine or human. The Dyophysite position emphasizes that Jesus has two natures, fully human and fully divine, yet these natures are not separated or confused, but are united in a single person.

This doctrine was later formalized at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD, which declared that Jesus Christ is "one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably" (Chalcedonian Creed). The Dyophysite position has been the dominant Christology of the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, while the Monophysites have developed their own distinct Christologies.