Nestorianism
In one sentence
A label for a position accused of excessively separating the divine and human in Christ; its historical application is disputed.
In simple terms
The term denotes a Christology in which Christ’s unity is weakened so far that the divine and human begin to look almost like two personal subjects.
Biblical truth
Scripture distinguishes divine and human qualities in Christ while speaking of the same Jesus Christ as one acting personal subject.
Key Scriptures
John 1:14 · Phil. 2:6–8 · Col. 2:9 · 1 Tim. 2:5 · Heb. 1:2–3
Example
If Mary is said to have borne only a separate human subject joined to the Son, the unity of the incarnate Christ is called into question.
Who holds it
The term is historically associated with Nestorius, though modern scholarship stresses that Nestorius and the Church of the East do not always match a caricatured “two-person” model.
Not to be confused with
Do not equate the name of the historical heresy with a precise description of the entire theological tradition of the Church of the East.
History
The fifth-century controversy involving Nestorius, Cyril of Alexandria, and the Council of Ephesus in 431 was a key stage in forming language about Christ’s unity.
Main point of debate
The central question is how to distinguish Christ’s two natures without turning him into two personal subjects.