638–681

Monoenergism, Monothelitism and the Sixth Ecumenical Council: two wills in Christ

Seeking to reconcile the supporters of the "one nature", Patriarch Sergius of Constantinople proposed the formula of "one energy" (operation) in Christ; after objections from Sophronius of Jerusalem he proposed the teaching of one will. The Exposition of Faith (Ecthesis), written by Sergius and promulgated by Heraclius in 638 with the approval of Pope Honorius, forbade speaking of one or two operations and proclaimed "one will of our Lord Jesus Christ". Maximus the Confessor objected: will and energy belong to the nature, not the hypostasis, so in Christ there are two natural wills, and without a human will he would not be truly human; the Lateran synod of 649 under Pope Martin proclaimed two wills. The Council of Constantinople in 680–681 defined that in Christ there are "two natural wills and two natural operations" without division, change, separation or confusion, the human will following the divine without opposing it; Sergius and Honorius were anathematized.